Why are chess clocks used in chess tournaments and how do you use a chess clock?

Chess clocks are used in chess tournaments to keep track of the time each player has to make their moves. The use of a chess clock in tournament play is intended to prevent players from taking an excessive amount of time to make their moves, which can slow down the pace of the game and disrupt the tournament schedule.

To use a chess clock, each player has their own clock, one clock for each player, and the clock is set to the agreed-upon time control for the game. The time control is a set amount of time each player has for the whole game, or a set amount of time plus a certain number of seconds per move, this can vary depending on the tournament or match.

The player who makes the first move starts their clock and stops their opponent's clock. Once a move is made, the player stops their clock and starts their opponent's clock. The game continues in this manner, with each player making a move and then starting their opponent's clock.

If a player runs out of time, they lose the game, this is called a time forfeit. Some tournaments or matches have a delay time, which means that the player has a certain number of seconds added to their clock after each move, to prevent the player from running out of time before they are ready.

In summary, chess clocks are used in chess tournaments to keep track of the time each player has to make their moves, this helps to prevent players from taking too much time and disrupting the tournament schedule. To use a chess clock, each player has their own clock, and the time control is set, the player who makes the first move starts their clock and stops their opponent's clock. The game continues with each player making a move and then starting their opponent's clock, if a player runs out of time they lose the game.