Rapid chess
10+5, 15+10, 25+10
Rapid gives enough time to think but not to check everything, so what you already recognise decides most games.
What changes
The quick scan
Before calculating, look at what is undefended, what checks exist, and whose king is safer.
Solid when short
Behind on the clock, choose moves that need no follow-up: defended pieces and a safe king.
Keep pieces on against a hurrying opponent
A player short of time handles complications worse than simple endgames. Keeping pieces on makes their clock matter.
Skills worth drilling
Three candidates, two moves deep
A brief look at three candidate moves beats calculating one of them six moves deep.
Bank the increment
Play forced recaptures without thought. That is where the time for the hard moves comes from.
Spot the moments that matter
Play routine moves quickly to buy time for the few real decisions.
Where the clock goes
| Phase | Share | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | 10 to 15% | Play from memory. This is not the place to invent an opening. |
| Middlegame | 60 to 70% | Spend it on the moves that change the structure. |
| Endgame | 15 to 20% | Play on principle: active king, passed pawns, counting. |
For children
- Long enough to think, short enough to stay interested: a good format for a first tournament.
- Teach the scan for loose pieces before calculation.
- Play a few practice games where the only goal is to finish with time to spare.
Questions people ask
- What counts as rapid?
- Under FIDE rules, a rapid game gives each player more than ten and less than sixty minutes, counting any increment over sixty moves. Ten minutes or less is blitz.
- Is rapid bad for improvement?
- No, if you review the games. Rapid builds pattern recognition quickly but does less for the habit of checking.
- Should my child's first tournament be rapid?
- Usually, yes. There is time to think, without the strain of a day of long games.