Ten minutes each
In 10+0, each player has 10 minutes for the whole game, with no increment. A full game lasts up to 20 minutes, which makes it a good format for a lunch break, a club evening with several rounds, or players who want to think a little without spending an hour on one game.
Rapid or blitz?
It depends on who you ask. On Chess.com, games of 10 minutes or more count as rapid, so 10+0 is rapid there. Under the FIDE Laws of Chess, blitz means 10 minutes or less per player, and rapid starts above 10 minutes: an over-the-board 10+0 game is therefore blitz. In practice, 10+0 sits right on the border.
How to spend your 10 minutes
| Part of the game | Typical moves | Time to aim for |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | 1 to 10 | 1 to 2 minutes |
| Middlegame | 11 to 30 | 5 to 6 minutes |
| Endgame | 31 and after | The rest, at least 2 minutes |
Over 40 moves, 10 minutes give you 15 seconds per move on average. That is enough to check for threats before each move: what does my opponent want, which pieces are loose?
Tips for 10+0
- Use your time in the middlegame, where most games are decided.
- Do not drift into time trouble: with under a minute and no increment, even a winning endgame is hard to finish.
- Keep your eyes on the board, and glance at the clock right after each of your moves.
- Press with the hand that moved and do not hover over the clock, as the FIDE rules require.
10+0 or 10+5?
Adding 5 seconds per move changes the category. Under the FIDE formula, 10 minutes plus 60 times 5 seconds makes 15 minutes: 10+5 is rapid, and the increment makes time scrambles much rarer. To try it, keep 10 on the first wheel and set the second to 5.
Want more time? The 15+10 chess clock is the time control of the World Rapid Championship.