Chess Clock App
ChessTimer is a free chess clock app for iOS and Android. The native app handles Fischer increment, Bronstein, simple (US) delay and sudden death, plus multi-stage tournament controls and a per-side handicap - with no ads and no tracking. The clock on this page is the free browser version: it covers the standard Fischer and sudden-death cadences plus the FIDE classical control.
Pick a time control below, lay the device flat between the players, and tap your side after each move. Nothing to install to try it, and nothing to sign up for.
Which time controls does a chess clock app need?
Four increment modes cover essentially all two-player games. Sudden death gives each side a fixed budget and nothing more. Fischer adds a fixed bonus after every move, which is what Chess.com and Lichess use. Bronstein gives back only the time you actually spent, capped at the increment. Simple (US) delay runs a countdown before your main clock starts moving, and unused delay is lost.
The ChessTimer app implements all four, and adds multi-stage tournament controls - 40 moves in 90 minutes, then 30 minutes, with a 30-second increment from move one - along with a handicap mode that gives each side a different clock. The browser clock on this page ships the standard Fischer and sudden-death presets plus that FIDE classical control; Bronstein, simple delay, custom cadences and handicap are in the native app.
Do you have to install the app?
No, not in order to play. The clock on this page runs in your browser on any device and keeps working offline once the page has loaded, and you can add it to your home screen as a PWA for a full-screen clock with no browser chrome. It runs on the same engine as the app, with a smaller set of time controls.
Installing the native app adds what a browser tab cannot do: haptic feedback on every move so you never look down during a time scramble, a flag buzzer, 22 themes with their own sound packs, and a screen that stays awake for the whole game.
Questions
Is the chess clock app free?
Yes. Every time control, the custom cadence builder and the handicap mode are free on iOS and Android, with no ads, no account and no tracking. An optional theme pack is a one-time purchase; nothing about the clock itself is paywalled.
Does the app work offline?
Yes. Both the native app and the browser clock run entirely on your device with no network connection.
Which increments does the app support?
Fischer increment, Bronstein, simple (US) delay and sudden death, plus multi-stage tournament controls with a per-move increment.
Does it work for games other than chess?
Yes. Any two-player turn-based game works - Go, Scrabble, backgammon, debate timing. Pick a cadence and tap your side to pass the turn.
Get the native app