Bullet, blitz, rapid and classical
FIDE and the big online sites use similar names but slightly different maths, because they count increments differently.
| Category | FIDE (over the board) | Lichess | Chess.com |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet | No separate category (counts as blitz) | Under 3 min | Under 3 min |
| Blitz | 10 min or less | 3 to under 8 min | 3 to under 10 min |
| Rapid | More than 10, less than 60 min | 8 to under 25 min | 10 min and up |
| Classical | 60 min or more (“standard”) | 25 min and up | — (no live classical category) |
| How increments count | base + 60 × increment | base + 40 × increment | base + 40 × increment |
Times are per player. FIDE: Laws of Chess, Appendices A.1 and B.1. Lichess also has UltraBullet (under 30 seconds). Online thresholds checked on the Lichess FAQ and Chess.com help centre on 11 November 2026; sites can change them.
One consequence: a 10+0 game is blitz under FIDE rules (10 minutes or less) but rapid on Lichess and Chess.com.
Blitz turns up in unexpected places too: chess boxing bouts are a single blitz game, usually 9 minutes each, split across rounds between boxing.
Try it: which category is your time control?
Enter the base time and increment. The classifier applies each organisation’s formula and estimates how long a typical game lasts.
| Time control | Where you see it | FIDE | Lichess | Chess.com |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1+0 | Fast online bullet | Blitz | Bullet | Bullet |
| 3+2 | FIDE World Blitz Championship | Blitz | Blitz | Blitz |
| 5+0 | Popular online blitz | Blitz | Blitz | Blitz |
| 10+0 | Popular online game | Blitz | Rapid | Rapid |
| 15+10 | FIDE World Rapid Championship | Rapid | Rapid | Rapid |
| 90+30 | Common classical tournament control | Standard (classical) | Classical | Rapid |
The table above is produced by the same classifier. Before publishing we tested it against the examples the sites themselves publish (such as 2|1 being bullet and 2|12 being rapid on Chess.com, and 5+3 counting as 420 seconds on Lichess).
What “3+2” means
The first number is the base time in minutes for each player. The second is the increment: seconds added to your clock after each move you make. So 3+2 means 3 minutes each, plus 2 seconds per move. Chess.com writes the same thing as 3|2.
Over the board, FIDE also allows a delay mode, where your clock only starts counting down after a fixed number of seconds each move (Art. 6.3.2), and classical events often use stages, such as a fixed time for the first 40 moves and more time after that.
How a chess clock works
- The clock has two timers, one per player. Only one runs at a time.
- When you have made your move, you press your button. This pauses your time and starts your opponent’s (Art. 6.2.1).
- Press with the same hand you moved with, and don’t keep your hand over the clock (Art. 6.2.3).
- Any increment is added after each move; with a delay, your time starts falling only after the delay runs out.
No physical clock? Use our free online chess clock, which supports increments, on your phone or laptop.
Flagging: what happens when time runs out
Flag fall is the FIDE term for a player’s time running out (Art. 6.1), named after the little flag on old analogue clocks. Running out of time loses the game, with one important exception: if your opponent could not checkmate you by any series of legal moves, it is a draw instead (Art. 6.9). For example, if your opponent has only a king left, your flag falling cannot lose.
Online, to “flag” someone means to win on time, often in a lost position in bullet. Our guide to draws in chess covers the time-out exception in detail.
How long is a chess game?
It depends almost entirely on the time control. A useful upper estimate for a typical 40-move game is twice each player’s total time (base + 40 × increment), because both clocks can run down:
- 3+2 blitz: up to about 8 min 40 s.
- 15+10 rapid: up to about 43 min 20 s.
- 90+30 classical: up to about 220 min for 40 moves, and longer if the game goes beyond that.
Many games end sooner by checkmate, resignation or agreement. Untimed casual games can last as long as the players like.
Time controls FAQ
What is blitz chess?
Fast chess where each player has 10 minutes or less for the whole game, counting increments as base time + 60 × increment (FIDE Laws, Appendix B). 3+2 and 5+0 are typical.
What is bullet chess?
Very fast online chess: under 3 minutes per player on Lichess and Chess.com (counting increments as base + 40 × increment). FIDE has no separate bullet category; it would count as blitz.
What is rapid chess?
More than 10 but less than 60 minutes per player (base + 60 × increment) under FIDE rules, for example 15+10.
What is classical chess?
The slow, traditional format: FIDE calls it standard chess, with at least 60 minutes per player. Many tournaments use 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move.
What is flagging in chess?
Winning because your opponent’s clock runs out. “Flag fall” is the FIDE term for running out of time (Art. 6.1). It loses, unless the opponent could not possibly checkmate, which makes it a draw (Art. 6.9).
How does a chess clock work?
It has two timers. After moving, you press your side, which stops your time and starts your opponent’s. Only one clock runs at a time, and you must press with the same hand you moved with (Art. 6.2.3).
What is the clock for in chess?
It limits each player’s total thinking time, so games finish in a set time and players have to manage the clock as well as the position.
How long is a chess game?
It depends on the time control. A 3+2 game lasts at most about 10 minutes in total for a typical 40-move game; a 15+10 game about 40 minutes or more; a 90+30 classical game can take four hours or more.
What does 3+2 mean?
Three minutes of base time per player, plus 2 seconds added after each move (the increment).
Sources
- FIDE Laws of Chess (in force from 1 January 2023): Art. 6.1 (flag fall), 6.2.1–6.2.3 (pressing the clock), 6.3.2 (delay mode), 6.9 (time out), Appendix A.1 (rapid), Appendix B.1 (blitz).
- Lichess FAQ: how time controls are decided (estimated duration = base + 40 × increment).
- Chess.com help: ratings by time control, with its published examples.
- Online categories checked 11 November 2026.