It was first used at a London tournament that year. The chess players had the option of using a sand glass or a chess clock.īy 1883, a mechanical timing device had been invented, called the “tumbling” chess clock. In 1870 in Baden-Baden, chess timers were first used. In 1867, at the Paris International Tournament, the organizers imposed a fine of 5 francs for players for every 15 minutes over the regulation time limit of 10 moves in an hour. Watches were used in chess events from 1866 to 1873. One could be fined, however.Īnother idea was to use two watches and note the time consumed on each move by each opponent. In the early days, overstepping the time limit was not equivalent to losing a game. The time control was 24 moves in 2 hours. The first chess match that used a sand glass was the Anderssen – von Kolisch match, held in London in 1861.

Also, a player would accidentally turn over the wrong end of his timer or his opponent’s timer and cause problems. However, temperature and humidity affect the sand in the sand glasses and was not very accurate. Sand glasses were used in chess matches and tournaments from 1861 to 1875. The idea was backed by Howard Staunton and other prominent chess players. While the player is thinking, the sand must be allowed to run while his opponent is thinking, his glass will be laid horizontally on the table and the running suspended”.

“Let each player have a three-hour sand glass at his elbow and a friend on either side to turn it. Cantab wrote that sand glasses should be used to regulate the moves with a limited time limit. Tassilo von Heydebrand und der Lasa (1818-1889) was one of the first persons to propose that each player’s time should be limited by way of separate clocks or watches. These kinds of purposeless prolongations and deliberate attempts to fatigue and wear out the opponent were commonplace at the time, and an average game lasted nine hours.Īt the first international chess tournament held in London in 1851, there were critics who complained of the slowness of play. It was reported that their 21st match game took 66 moves and 14½ hours. Amant as a test of physical endurance rather than a chess match. In 1843, several onlookers described a chess match between Howard Staunton and Pierre St. In the 1800s, time limits were established and the chess timers and clocks were invented. In the very early days of chess, there were no time limits and players and spectators alike complained about the length of chess matches.

Chess game timer clock