Chess terms: Time controls and formats
25 terms about time controls, each with a plain definition and links to related terms.
Antichess is a variant that turns the aim upside down: you must capture whenever you can, and you win by giving away every piece you own or by being left with no legal move.
Armageddon is a sudden death tiebreak game in which White receives more time than Black, but Black wins the game if it ends in a draw, so that exactly one player can come out ahead.
Atomic chess is a variant in which every capture causes an explosion that removes the capturing piece and all non-pawn pieces on the squares around the captured piece.
Blindfold chess is played without seeing the board or the pieces, so each player must hold the whole position in memory and name every move aloud or through notation.
Blitz chess is a fast format where each player has about three to ten minutes for the whole game, so decisions rely heavily on pattern recognition and quick tactics.
Bughouse is a four-player chess variant on two linked boards, where each capture hands the taken piece to your partner, who may later place it on their own board instead of making a move.
Bullet chess is the fastest common format, with each player having under three minutes, usually one minute, so success depends on speed, mouse control and instant tactical vision.
A chess variant is a game played on a chessboard with pieces that move as in chess but with at least one changed rule, setup or goal, such as Chess960, Crazyhouse or Three-check.
Classical chess is the slowest regular format, with long thinking time per player, usually more than an hour each, and it is the format used for most serious over the board events.
Correspondence chess is played over a long period, with moves sent by post, email or a website, so each player has days to think about every move.
Crazyhouse is a chess variant in which a captured piece changes sides and joins your reserve, and on any later turn you may drop it onto an empty square instead of moving.
A delay is a pause at the start of each turn before a clock begins counting down, so a player can use that short time without losing any from the main clock.
Horde chess is a variant in which White has a large mass of pawns instead of the usual army, while Black plays with the normal set of pieces, and Black tries to capture them all.
Hyperbullet is an extremely fast online format with only a few seconds, often fifteen or thirty, for the whole game, where reflexes and premoves matter more than thought.
An increment is a small amount of time added to a player clock after each move, so that thinking time never fully runs out as long as moves keep being made quickly.
King of the Hill is a chess variant in which a player wins immediately by moving their king onto one of the four central squares, d4, d5, e4 or e5.
A premove is a move entered on an online board before the opponent has replied, which is played automatically as soon as it becomes your turn if it is still legal.
Rapid chess is a medium speed format, with each player getting roughly ten to sixty minutes, which keeps games thoughtful while allowing several rounds to be played in one day.
A rapid playoff is a short extra game or mini match, played at a faster time control, that decides the winner after players tie in a tournament or match.
A simultaneous exhibition is an event in which one strong player plays many opponents at once, moving from board to board while each opponent has time to think between visits.
Sudden death is a time control in which each player has one fixed amount of time for the whole game, with no extra time added, so a player whose clock reaches zero loses on time.
Three-check chess uses the normal rules with one added way to win: the first player to put the opposing king in check three times wins at once, in addition to winning by checkmate.
A time control is the rule that sets how much thinking time each player gets in a game, and whether extra time is added per move, which decides what kind of chess is being played.
Time odds is a handicap in which one player is given less time on the clock than the other, so a stronger player can face a weaker one in a more balanced game.
A time scramble is the stage of a game when one or both players are very short of time and must play many moves quickly, often leading to mistakes and sudden reversals.
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