# Chess Clock Choice / More Standard?
**URL:** https://forum.uschess.org/t/chess-clock-choice-more-standard/61464
**Category:** Running Chess Tournaments
**Created:** [July 26, 2026, 4:29pm UTC](https://forum.uschess.org/t/chess-clock-choice-more-standard/61464 "2026-07-26T16:29:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 6
### Author:  [@Micah\_Smith](https://forum.uschess.org/u/Micah_Smith)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2026, 9:50pm UTC](https://forum.uschess.org/t/chess-clock-choice-more-standard/61464/101 "2026-08-28T21:50:37Z")
> [@Micah\_Smith](#):
>
> I think the recommended amount of increment or delay listed in the rulebook for quick-only time controls should be 3 to 10 (currently it’s just 3). I see nothing wrong with a time control like G/15;inc10 (the time control of the World Rapid Championship btw). Also, I noticed the National G/15 Championship at the US Open this year was played with a 5 second delay so US Chess itself isn’t even following the recommendation in the rulebook to use a 3 second increment or delay for this type of time control!
>
> I think the recommended amount of increment or delay listed in the rulebook for blitz time controls should be 2 to 5 (currently it’s just 2). I see nothing wrong with a time control like G/5;inc3 or G/5;inc5.
Let’s say the current recommendation in the rulebook was 3 to 10 for quick and 2 to 5 for blitz and I suggested changing it to just 3 for quick and 2 for blitz. People would say that doesn’t make sense since a fair number of tournaments have used an increment or delay of longer than 3 in quick and longer than 2 in blitz and has worked well. Looking at it this way shows it would be better for the recommendation to be 3 to 10 for quick and 2 to 5 for blitz.
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### Author:  [@Micah\_Smith](https://forum.uschess.org/u/Micah_Smith)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2026, 2:15pm UTC](https://forum.uschess.org/t/chess-clock-choice-more-standard/61464/102 "2026-09-01T14:15:22Z")
With G/3;inc2 being quite a bit more popular than G/5;d0 now, it’s time for blitz rule 1a, “Standard time control (TC) for blitz is G/5 with no delay“, to be eliminated. Anyone willing to sponsor an ADM on this next year?
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### Author:  [@Micah\_Smith](https://forum.uschess.org/u/Micah_Smith)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2026, 12:07am UTC](https://forum.uschess.org/t/chess-clock-choice-more-standard/61464/103 "2026-09-13T00:07:20Z")
A few of the time controls listed by Mike included a one second increment or delay. it’s interesting that the FIDE definition of increment excludes one second.
“An amount of time (from 2 to 60 seconds) added from the start before each move for the player. This can be in either delay or cumulative mode.”
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### Author:  [@TomDoan](https://forum.uschess.org/u/TomDoan)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2026, 4:06pm UTC](https://forum.uschess.org/t/chess-clock-choice-more-standard/61464/104 "2026-09-15T16:06:47Z")
> [@Micah\_Smith](#):
>
> > [@TomDoan](#):
> >
> > Of course, a more sensible schedule of 10:00-12:30-3:00-5:30 for the G/60;d5 would accomplish the same thing.
>
> For the Portland Chess Club “Game in 60” tournament, don’t think our players would want the last round starting later. We already see some players taking a bye for the last round.
If people want to get out sooner, you could do R2 at 12:30 (so people have time for lunch) but R3 and R4 ASAP, with R3 no earlier than 2:30 and R4 no sooner than 2 hours after the R3 start. With a modest-sized field, you might get everyone done maybe 30 minutes earlier.
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### Author:  [@Micah\_Smith](https://forum.uschess.org/u/Micah_Smith)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2026, 8:51pm UTC](https://forum.uschess.org/t/chess-clock-choice-more-standard/61464/105 "2026-09-15T20:51:11Z")
So basically no time off between rounds 2-4 for those games that go the longest?
I think we will stick with our current schedule, 10am, 12:20pm, 2:40pm, 5pm at G/55;inc5.
> **[Game in 60 | Portland Chess Club](https://www.pdxchess.org/game-in-60/)**
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### Author:  [@TomDoan](https://forum.uschess.org/u/TomDoan)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2026, 4:08am UTC](https://forum.uschess.org/t/chess-clock-choice-more-standard/61464/106 "2026-09-16T04:08:31Z")
No. You can always give the late finishers a break on the start of the next game…if they want one. Not everyone is going to need to decompress; if your longest game is 1:50 (probably not uncommon), at least one if not both players won’t be in desperate time trouble and the end of the game might have just been a mop up of an easily won position. If the next round is no earlier than 2:00 from the previous start, that’s a ten minute break. If one or the other player wants an extra ten, you can start everyone else 20 minutes earlier than your current schedule and probably won’t delay the next round (since the odds are against the late starting game being last again, and, of course, it won’t affect anyone else if it’s R4). You could easily shave 40 minutes off the day. And it sounds like you already have people who are fine with investing the day on chess, but don’t want it to run quite so late.
Note that, because you are already running a rather aggressive schedule (only a 20 minute potential gap between R1 and R2??) what would you do if someone has a game that runs until 12:00 or even a bit later? Tell them to buy a sandwich and eat at the board?
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