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Digital chess clocks are an inseparable part of any chess tournament. From the world famous tournaments organized by FIDE and USCF to the tournaments held locally, the one equipment every game must have is a digital chess clock. This appliance is now as essential as a chessboard. Before you begin a tournament, the players must be familiar with the kind of digital chess clock used as these come in a variety of models and usage differences.

Features

New models of digital chess clocks have options such as one-touch menu selection, larger display, move counter option, end-of-time buzzer options, pre-select modes and a number of personal manual settings that allow timing systems to be programmed before the game begins. You can even set delays and minutes and seconds according to the kind of tournament or game that you choose to play.

Digital chess clock modes

There are various modes to which a digital chess clock can be set. Tournament directors as well as players can choose the various modes available and program the clocks according to the needs of the game. Easy to follow instructions and features available on the latest models make the chess clock a convenient piece of gadget that is now a part of almost every professional as well as amateur tournament.

Counting moves on digital chess clock

Although chess clocks are required to monitor the time delay for the players, some versions also have the feature of counting moves. There is a continuing debate whether this feature should be a part of the digital chess clock. This is because a player may simply forget to press his clock or in the case of an illegal move, the count may be off on one or both sides. Experts believe that a digital chess clock without a move counter can keep the game simple and uncomplicated.

Programming a digital chess clock

You can program your chess clock for different tournaments and players. However, it is advisable not to store too many settings on the clock, as you may not remember which one is for which game. It is better to re-program just before a tournament to get the best results and also access them from the user modes after the tournament.