Managing the clock
In short
Time trouble causes a large share of lost points at this level. Make a budget: spend little time on known opening moves, invest at critical moments, and keep a reserve — for example at least 10 minutes for the last 10 moves before a time control.
By the end you can
- Budget time by game phase
- Avoid time trouble
The lesson
Time trouble causes a large share of lost points at this level. Make a budget: spend little time on known opening moves, invest at critical moments, and keep a reserve — for example at least 10 minutes for the last 10 moves before a time control.
Critical moments deserve time: pawn breaks, piece trades, transitions into endgames, and moments when the opponent creates a threat. Routine moves deserve seconds. The app’s time-per-move chart shows where your time goes.
Key points to remember
- Budget time per phase
- Think long at critical moments only
- Keep a reserve
- Review your time chart after games
Examples
Show the solution
42... Kxh4 43. Rc8 Rxb7
Homework
Note your clock time every 10 moves in your next tournament game.
More competition lessons
- Tournament routine (Class B)
- Tournament psychology (Class A)
- Opponent preparation routine (Expert)
- Setting season targets (Expert)
- Playing for norms (Master)
- Competition management (IM / GM track)