How to Use a Chess Clock: Rules & Etiquette

Basics · Over the board · Updated 2026-07-10

A chess clock is two timers in one shell: only the player to move burns time, and pressing the clock after your move starts your opponent's countdown. Simple - until a tournament director is standing over your board.

Here are the rules and the etiquette, the way arbiters actually enforce them.

The five rules that matter

  1. Black picks the side: By convention (and FIDE rules, unless the arbiter decides), Black chooses which side of the board the clock sits on. Place it where both players can see it.
  2. White's clock starts first: At the agreed start time, Black (or the arbiter) starts White's clock. In casual play, Black simply presses the clock to begin.
  3. Move, then press - same hand: You must press the clock with the same hand you moved the piece (FIDE 6.2.3). Move first, press second; pressing before your piece lands is bad form and, in a tournament, an infraction.
  4. Your move isn't complete until you press: Until you hit the clock, your opponent isn't obliged to move - and your time keeps running. Castling, captures, promotions: finish the whole move, then press.
  5. A flag fall ends the game: Run out of time and you lose - unless your opponent has no possible sequence of legal moves that could checkmate you (bare king, king + bishop vs king, etc.), in which case it's a draw.

Etiquette that keeps games friendly

  • Press, don't slam. A firm tap is enough - slamming the clock is the fastest way to get a warning.
  • Don't hover. Keeping your hand parked over the clock between moves is considered poor sportsmanship and is illegal in FIDE events.
  • Call your own flag? No - noticing a flag fall is the players' job (or the arbiter's in some rulesets). Claim it by stopping the clock and pointing it out.
  • Offering a draw: make your move, offer the draw, then press the clock. Offering on your opponent's time is an annoyance the rules discourage.

Using the app as your tournament clock

Chess Clock: Board Game Timer runs all six real time controls with big, across-the-room numerals, low-time warnings, haptic presses, and optional player names on the clock faces. Set the phone between you exactly like a physical clock - the whole half of the screen is the button, so nobody fumbles for a tiny target in time trouble. Twelve themes include a strict black-and-white Tournament face when you want zero distraction.

A real tournament clock in your pocket. Six time controls, handicap mode, Apple Watch, and a trainer built in. Free 7-day trial on the App Store. Download Chess Clock: Board Game Timer on the App Store.

Frequently asked questions

Which side of the board does the chess clock go on?

Black chooses, by convention - in FIDE events the arbiter has the final say. Most tournament halls place clocks so the arbiter can see them from the aisle.

Do I have to press the clock with the hand that moved?

Yes - FIDE 6.2.3 and US Chess rules both require pressing the clock with the same hand that made the move. It prevents hovering one hand over the clock while playing with the other.

What happens if my time runs out?

You lose on time, as long as your opponent could deliver checkmate by any legal sequence. If they physically can't (a bare king, for instance), the game is drawn instead.

Who starts the chess clock at the beginning of a game?

White's clock is started first - by Black in casual play, or at the arbiter's signal in tournaments. White is 'on the move' from the moment the game begins.

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