Five minutes, sudden death
In 5+0, each player has 5 minutes for the whole game and no time is ever added. When your clock reaches zero, you lose, even in a winning position, unless your opponent can no longer checkmate you. It is the classic blitz of chess clubs and park tables, and a familiar time control online.
Without increment, the end of the game becomes a race. That is the charm of 5+0, and also its trap: a won position is worth nothing if you have three seconds left.
Time per move
| Moves in the game | Average time per move |
|---|---|
| 20 | 15 seconds |
| 30 | 10 seconds |
| 40 | 7.5 seconds |
| 60 | 5 seconds |
In practice, you play the opening in a few seconds and keep a reserve for the middlegame. Try to reach move 20 with at least half of your time.
The rule that saves draws
If your time runs out but your opponent has no way to checkmate you by any series of legal moves, for example with a lone king or a king and a knight, the game is a draw, not a loss. This is Article 6.9 of the FIDE Laws of Chess. On this clock, the game stops when a flag falls: apply the rule yourselves by looking at the board.
Tips for 5+0
- Know your openings well enough to play them almost without thinking.
- Avoid long calculations in positions that do not need them.
- Keep the position simple when you are ahead on the board but behind on the clock.
- Watch both clocks: when your opponent is low on time, keep pieces on the board and make them think.
5+0 or 5+3?
Many players add a small increment to five minutes. 5+3 gives 3 seconds per move: under the FIDE formula, 5 minutes plus 60 times 3 seconds makes 8 minutes, so it is still blitz. Set it with the wheels: 5 minutes, then 3 seconds.
With 2 seconds per move, games are less of a race: try the 3+2 chess clock.