Tournament Timer
Preset: 15+10 — the standard club-night format
Tap a clock face to pass the move. First to run out of time loses.
Rapid chess sits between blitz and classical: FIDE defines it as more than 10 and less than 60 minutes per player. 15 minutes plus a 10-second increment (15+10) is the best-known rapid setting because it is the time control of the World Rapid Championship, and it is a favourite for club nights and casual games at home.
The increment is what makes 15+10 feel so balanced. You have enough base time to think through the opening and middlegame, and the extra ten seconds after every move means you can still play a long endgame properly instead of flailing in a time scramble. A typical game lasts around 40 to 60 minutes in total.
Rapid gives you time to calculate, make plans and follow the principles you study, while still fitting several games into an evening. Many coaches recommend rapid over blitz for improving players, because you can review your games afterwards and see real thinking mistakes rather than just time-trouble blunders.
What counts as rapid chess?
Under FIDE rules, rapid is any time control with more than 10 and less than 60 minutes per player, counting increment over 60 moves.
Why is 15+10 so popular?
It is the World Rapid Championship format and it balances thinking time with a steady increment, so games rarely end in chaotic time scrambles.
How long does a 15+10 game take?
Most games last between 40 and 60 minutes, depending on how many moves are played and how much of the increment each player uses.
Is 10 minutes rapid or blitz?
A 10+0 game is exactly 10 minutes, which FIDE counts as blitz, but most online sites label it rapid. Adding any increment pushes it clearly into rapid.
Every format has its own pre-set clock: Bullet 1+0, Blitz 3+2, Blitz 5+0, 10 Minute Rapid, Rapid 15+10, 30 Minute Rapid and the Tournament Clock 90+30. Or set any time control you like on the main online chess clock.
Black
White
Black wins on time.