# Chess Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 28, 2002, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-question/139298 "2002-11-28T04:54:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![\_etalhea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/779978/32.png) [@\_etalhea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_etalhea)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-question/139298/1 "2002-11-28T04:54:29Z")
We’re watching “From Russia With Love” on the TNN Thanksgiving 007 Marathon, and they just showed the scene where the guys are playing that big chess match. My GF and I are both wondering, what’s the point of that clock-thingy that you always see on the side of the board in professional (or at least serious) chess matches? IIRC, each player “punches in” on it at the completion of a move, and there are 3 clock faces on the device. Is there a time limit? Penalties? What do the 3 faces do? Thanks in advance. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-question/139298/2 "2002-11-28T05:14:06Z")
Chess clocks generally have two faces, one for the elapsed time of each player. When I press my button down at the completion of my move, your face starts timing you. Before the game starts the tournament rules will specify, say, game/90 which means a maximum of 90 minutes on each clock for the whole game. A number of moves in so many minutes may be specified. If you run out of time you lose. If you are playing someone who is known to get in “time trouble” it is a good tactic to play complicated positions that require lots of thought to exagerrate his problem. ---
**Author:** ![mazzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@mazzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mazzer)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-question/139298/3 "2002-11-28T05:20:13Z")
If there is a third face, it may simply be the time of day. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-question/139298/4 "2002-11-28T05:32:00Z")
For explanations about the clock, check in: [http://www.uschess.org/tds/clockrules.html](http://www.uschess.org/tds/clockrules.html) And: [http://www.interchess.com/chessrules/6.asp](http://www.interchess.com/chessrules/6.asp) > [@](#): > > 6.1. ‘Chess clock’ means a clock with two time displays, connected to each other in such a way that only one of them can run at one time. ‘Clock’ in the Laws of Chess means one of the two time displays. > ‘Flag fall’ means the expiry of the allotted time for a player. > > 6.2. When using a chess clock, each player must make a certain number or all moves in an allotted period of time; or may be allocated an additional amount of time after each move. All this must be specified in advance. The time saved by a player during one period is added to his time available for the next period, except in the ‘time delay’ mode. > In the time delay mode both players receive an alloted ‘main thinking time’. They also receive a ‘fixed extra time’ for every move. The count down of the main time only commences after the fixed time has expired. Provided the player stops his clock before the expiry of the fixed time, the main thinking time does not change, irrespective of the proportion of the fixed time used. As for the clock in the movie having three faces: I assume, just like **chriszarate** , that the third face in the middle is just a regular timepiece to let the players keep track of total time. Heavy metal chess dude! 😃 [http://www.chessexpressstore.com/metalchesssets.html](http://www.chessexpressstore.com/metalchesssets.html) 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![dylan\_73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@dylan\_73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dylan_73)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-question/139298/5 "2002-11-28T18:23:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by don’t ask \* > **When I press my button down at the completion of my move, your face starts timing you.** This is a common misconception. You don’t press the button down at the completion of your move, you press it down when you’ve [finished your drink!](http://www.edirectory.co.uk/pf/pages/moreinfoa.asp?RecordID=FBABIF&companyid=880) ---
**Author:** ![mrcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@mrcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrcrow)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-question/139298/6 "2002-11-28T20:43:49Z")
dont forget to say j’adoube ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-question/139298/7 "2002-11-29T00:53:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mrcrow \* > \*\*dont forget to say j’adoube \*\* Before you let go of the piece. There was this infamous game where an IGM moved a piece and apparently also removed his hand, and then, realizing it was an error, said “j’adoube.” He was allowed to move another piece, but witnesses swear he let go of the piece. Such is chess. ---
**Author:** ![TalkAboutIslam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4da419/32.png) [@TalkAboutIslam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TalkAboutIslam)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-question/139298/8 "2002-11-29T01:25:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by //\etalhea|) \* > \*\*We’re watching “From Russia With Love” on the TNN Thanksgiving 007 Marathon, and they just showed the scene where the guys are playing that big chess match. > > My GF and I are both wondering, what’s the point of that clock-thingy that you always see on the side of the board in professional (or at least serious) chess matches? IIRC, each player “punches in” on it at the completion of a move, and there are 3 clock faces on the device. > > Is there a time limit? Penalties? What do the 3 faces do? > > Thanks in advance. \*\* yes, the time you take to think is counted, and you only have a certain precise period of time… if you use all of that, you simply have no time left and you lose ---
**Author:** ![TalkAboutIslam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4da419/32.png) [@TalkAboutIslam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TalkAboutIslam)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-question/139298/9 "2002-11-29T01:26:34Z")
if you still have any chess related questions, please drop me a private message ---
**Author:** ![mrcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@mrcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrcrow)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-question/139298/10 "2002-11-29T10:23:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by barbitu8 \* > \*\*Before you let go of the piece. There was this infamous game where an IGM moved a piece and apparently also removed his hand, and then, realizing it was an error, said “j’adoube.” He was allowed to move another piece, but witnesses swear he let go of the piece. Such is chess. \*\* like sitting on razors and jerky hands everywhere 🙂