A big source of frustration and stress in chess is running out of time. After all, if you time out, you lose the game, even if you were just one move away from checkmate. This most commonly occurs in bullet and blitz games. To avoid this situation from happening to you, follow the tips below!
1. Play longer games
Fast games are fun but require quick thinking and well-prepared openings. If you find yourself consistently timing out or not being able to make good moves, playing game switch longer time controls may be the answer. Additionally, playing longer games improves your chess far more than short ones.
2. Learn a few openings really well
Another tip is to learn a few openings really well. In doing so, you’ll be able to save time on the first several moves of any game. This can be the difference between victory and defeat.
3. Spend your time where it matters
Spend more time on positions with lots going on and many possible tactics. Don’t waste time thinking about minor inaccuracies your opponent makes that can’t be easily exploited. This isn’t to say to ignore your opponent’s blunders. It just means that spending a minute thinking about every sub-perfect move by your opponent will quickly bleed your time.
4. Use premoves
If you play online games, you can also premove your pieces (make sure to enable it in the settings). This can save time during openings and exchanges. A premove is not instantaneous, however - it takes 0.1 seconds off the clock.