---
title: "Increment in chess"
url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/increment.md"
canonical_url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/increment"
last_updated: "2026-11-07"
type: "reference"
summary: "An increment is a small amount of time added to a player clock after each move. The main benefit is fairness near the end of the game."
related: ["https://georgelichess.com/glossary/delay.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/time-control.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/time-scramble.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/time-management.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/classical-chess.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rapid-chess.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/time-controls.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md"]
---

# Increment in chess

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An increment is a small amount of time added to a player clock after each move. The main benefit is fairness near the end of the game.

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.

With an increment, every time you complete a move, a fixed number of seconds is added to your clock. A control written 10+5 means ten minutes to start and five seconds added after each move. The idea comes from a design by Bobby Fischer, which is why it is also called a Fischer increment.

The main benefit is fairness near the end of the game. Without it, a player could be forced to move instantly just to avoid losing on time, even in a won position. With an increment, a player who keeps a steady pace can hold their time bank level, so games are more often decided by the position than by the clock.

Practical tip: when time is low, make quick safe moves to collect the extra seconds, and save longer thinking for moments that really need it. An increment also makes the end of a game calmer, since a winning player has a chance to finish the win. Most online platforms and many serious tournaments now use increments.

Also called: Fischer increment.

Also worth reading is [Delay](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/delay.md). 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.

A neighboring idea is [Sudden death](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/sudden-death.md). 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.

Also worth reading is [Time management](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/time-management.md). Time management in chess is the skill of spending clock time where it matters most, thinking longer in critical positions and moving quickly in routine ones, so that you never face a decisive position with seconds left.

Time controls change what a player should practice, and the [improvement plans by rating band](https://georgelichess.com/improve.md) show how the habits behind "Increment" differ across rating ranges.

## Related terms

- [Delay](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/delay.md)
- [Time control](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/time-control.md)
- [Time scramble](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/time-scramble.md)
- [Time management](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/time-management.md)
- [Classical chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/classical-chess.md)
- [Rapid chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rapid-chess.md)

## Guides that go further

- [Chess time control calculator](https://georgelichess.com/tools/time-control-calculator.md): See whether a base time and increment counts as bullet, blitz, rapid or classical.
- [Average chess rating and a good chess rating](https://georgelichess.com/chess-rating-percentiles.md): What share of active Lichess players are rated above 800, 1200, 1500, 1800 or 2000, by time control.
- [Chess ratings explained](https://georgelichess.com/chess-ratings-explained.md): What a rating measures, how FIDE, Lichess, US Chess and chess.com compute theirs, and why the numbers differ.

[Book your first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book.md) and George Li reviews your games and builds a study plan around them. Questions about lessons: write to hello@georgelichess.com.

## Related

- [Delay in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/delay.md)
- [Time control in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/time-control.md)
- [Time scramble in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/time-scramble.md)
- [Time management in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/time-management.md)
- [Classical chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/classical-chess.md)
- [Rapid chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rapid-chess.md)
- [Chess terms: Time controls and formats](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/time-controls.md)
- [Chess terms glossary: plain definitions](https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md)