Time Controls
What is a dirty flag in chess?
- Clock
- Practical
- Time
Dirty flag is a clock-management term: a scenario in which a player having a losing position on the board wins by virtue of the opponent exceeding the time control. It typically occurs in faster formats, such as blitz or bullet, where a player prioritizes making rapid (often sub-optimal) moves to exhaust the opponent's remaining seconds rather than seeking a tactical or positional advantage. The practical skill is choosing moves that fit the clock without ignoring tactics.
What to look for on the board
- Clock pressure.
- Whether increment changes risk.
- Simple moves that keep control.
Related terms
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