Bullet, blitz or rapid? Time control calculator
Type a clock and see what Chess.com, Lichess and FIDE call it. They don't always agree.
Each player's starting time
Seconds added after each move
Chess.com and Lichess call it rapid. FIDE calls it blitz.
Chess.com
Rapid
10 min + 40 × 0 s = 10 min
Lichess
Rapid
10 min + 40 × 0 s = 10 min
FIDE
Blitz
10 min + 60 × 0 s = 10 min
A 40-move game can use up to 20 min of clock time, both players together.
Common time controls
| Clock | Chess.com | Lichess | FIDE | Agree? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1+0 | Bullet | Bullet | Blitz | No |
| 2+1 | Bullet | Bullet | Blitz | No |
| 3+0 | Blitz | Blitz | Blitz | Yes |
| 3+2 | Blitz | Blitz | Blitz | Yes |
| 5+0 | Blitz | Blitz | Blitz | Yes |
| 5+3 | Blitz | Blitz | Blitz | Yes |
| 8+0 | Blitz | Rapid | Blitz | No |
| 10+0 | Rapid | Rapid | Blitz | No |
| 10+5 | Rapid | Rapid | Rapid | Yes |
| 15+10 | Rapid | Rapid | Rapid | Yes |
| 25+0 | Rapid | Classical | Rapid | No |
| 30+0 | Rapid | Classical | Rapid | No |
| 45+45 | Rapid | Classical | Standard | No |
| 90+30 | Rapid | Classical | Standard | No |
Chess.com rates live games as bullet, blitz or rapid only, so every clock of 10 minutes or more is rapid there.
How it works
Every rulebook judges a game by its clock, not by how long it lasted. It takes the starting time and adds the increment for a typical number of moves.
Chess.com counts 40 moves: the minutes plus 40 times the increment. Under 3 minutes is bullet, under 10 is blitz, and 10 or more is rapid. Chess.com Help Center
Lichess also counts 40 moves. Under 30 seconds is UltraBullet, under 3 minutes bullet, under 8 blitz, under 25 rapid, and 25 or more classical. Lichess source code
FIDE, which runs over-the-board chess, counts 60 moves. 10 minutes or less is blitz, more than 10 and under 60 is rapid, and 60 or more is a standard game. FIDE Laws of Chess
Questions
Is 10 minutes rapid or blitz?
On Chess.com and Lichess, 10+0 is rapid. Under FIDE rules it is blitz, because FIDE blitz goes up to and including 10 minutes.
Is 3+2 blitz?
Yes, everywhere. Chess.com and Lichess count 3 minutes plus 40 times 2 seconds, which is 4 minutes 20 seconds. FIDE counts 3 minutes plus 60 times 2 seconds, which is 5 minutes. All three call that blitz.
Why is 8+0 rapid on Lichess but blitz on Chess.com?
Lichess blitz stops just under 8 minutes, so 8+0 is its shortest rapid game. Chess.com blitz runs up to 10 minutes.
Does the increment change the time class?
Yes. Each second of increment counts 40 times on Chess.com and Lichess, and 60 times under FIDE. 2+0 is bullet on both sites, but 2+12 is rapid: 2 minutes plus 40 times 12 seconds makes 10 minutes.
Does Chess.com have classical chess?
Not for live games. Chess.com rates live games as bullet, blitz or rapid, so 30+0 and 90+30 both count as rapid there. Lichess calls anything from 25 minutes up classical.
Is 1+0 bullet under FIDE rules?
FIDE has no bullet class. Its rules treat every game of 10 minutes or less as blitz.
Does how long the game lasted matter?
No. Only the clock settings count. A 5+0 game that ends in 40 seconds is still blitz.
Coach Bjorn
Whatever the clock, I'll review your latest game free. Type your username and pick your site.