Increment and delay on the clock
What “3+2” means, and how an increment or a delay changes the time on your clock.
The idea
An increment adds time after each move; a delay never does.
- In 3+2, each player starts with three minutes.
- After every move you make, two seconds are added to your clock.
- With a delay, the clock waits before counting, but never adds time.
In a game: Read the time control before the game, and move fast when the move is easy.
How the lesson begins
A time control says how much time each player has. Online it is often written as two numbers, such as 3+2: three minutes each for the whole game, and two seconds added to your clock after every move you make. The added time is the increment.
With an increment, every move you make puts some time back on your clock. Even with a few seconds left, a quick move earns time back.
A question
You play 15+10. You have one minute left, and you take four seconds over your move. How much time is on your clock after it?
Show the answer
1 minute 6 seconds.
Right. One minute, less the four seconds you used, plus ten seconds of increment.
In numbers
Games lost on time
| Rating | Value |
|---|---|
| Under 800 | 21% |
| 800 to 1199 | 19% |
| 1200 to 1599 | 19% |
| 1600 to 1999 | 22% |
| 2000 and up | 23% |