Time Controls
What is a premove in chess?
- Clock
- Practical
- Time
Premove is a clock-management term: in online chess, a move input that is made during the opponent's turn, to take effect only after the opponent has moved. Premoving, the act of making premoves, is a popular way of saving time in blitz and bullet formats. 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.
premove FAQ
What is a premove in chess?
Premove is a clock-management term: in online chess, a move input that is made during the opponent's turn, to take effect only after the opponent has moved. Premoving, the act of making premoves, is a popular way of saving time in blitz and bullet formats. The practical skill is choosing moves that fit the clock without ignoring tactics.
How do you spot a premove on the board?
Look for: Clock pressure.; Whether increment changes risk.; Simple moves that keep control..
What is the most common mistake with a premove?
Letting the clock change the quality of your candidate-move process completely.
How do you get better at using a premove?
When time is low, prefer forcing moves and simple plans that reduce calculation errors.
Train this pattern on your own games
Reading a definition is not the same as spotting the pattern with a clock running. Chessiro's free game review runs Stockfish 18 over every move you play, names the concept behind each mistake, and turns the positions where it cost you into training puzzles. You can also see the idea in action in the classic games collection, where the greatest players in history demonstrate it.
Free game review
See where premove decides your games
Chessiro reviews your games with an AI coach that names the concept behind every mistake, then drills you on the exact positions where it happened until you stop repeating them.
