From Control to Panic: How Time Trouble Ruins Critical Positions

In chess, time is as important as the position on the board. In decisive moments of a game—known as critical positions—a single decision can change the outcome. Yet these moments often coincide with time trouble, when the pressure of the clock intensifies and the risk of mistakes increases. This article explores the relationship between critical positions and time management, offering techniques to handle them successfully. 

What Is a Critical Position?

Critical positions are those moments in a game where one wrong decision can overturn an advantage or even lead to defeat. According to Grandmaster Iosif Dorfman, in every game one can usually identify between five and six critical moments, where a player’s ability to make precise decisions is truly tested. These positions demand deep and thorough analysis, and success depends on being able to recognize them in time. 

Many players fall into the trap of spending too much time on less important moves, leaving themselves short when facing truly complex situations. In critical positions, time must be used for precise calculation—but this is only possible if it has been managed properly throughout the game.

Let us look at this case:

What conclusions can we draw from carefully analysing this game?

Both Gukesh and Firouzja, despite being elite players, made mistakes at crucial moments due to time pressure. This phenomenon is very common in chess, as complex positions demand precise evaluation and deep calculation—something difficult to achieve when the clock is against you. We should all take note of these key aspects:

1. The importance of balance on the clock: In this game, Gukesh was constantly under pressure because he had less time than his opponent. This imbalance affected his ability to calculate accurately, leading to serious errors at decisive moments. One of the most valuable pieces of advice in chess is to try to keep your time management at least comparable to that of your opponent. If you are consistently behind on the clock, the psychological pressure increases and so does the likelihood of mistakes.

2. The difficulty of finding the best moves under pressure: In chess, it is not enough to know that you have an advantage in a position; you also need time to correctly calculate the variations. In this game, Gukesh had the knowledge required to win, but not enough time to go deep into the calculations and confirm the best move in critical moments. Sometimes, it’s better to make quicker decisions in simple positions and save time for the complex ones. Returning to the practical case, one move before the position we showed in the game diagram, Gukesh spent 17 minutes on 25...Qe6—a choice that left him with a huge time deficit. Could he have made this decision more quickly? Almost certainly, yes.

3. Improving calculation speed: Increasing calculation speed without sacrificing accuracy is a key skill to avoid falling into time trouble. Developing calculation exercises and playing games with tighter time controls can help players think faster under pressure. In addition, solid opening preparation and general strategic knowledge allow players to save time in the early stages of the game. Did you notice that in the recent 2024 Olympiad in Budapest, we saw a Gukesh with much better time management? Had he been training this for months? Absolutely. The World Champion is no longer the same youngster who lost this position just a year earlier:

What happened in this game? Let’s put it bluntly: Alireza Firouzja is the faster player—not necessarily stronger than Gukesh, but clearly more dangerous in time trouble. So, is it worth improving our calculation speed? Naturally!

How much has Dommaraju Gukesh progressed since his time-pressure issues became evident? Let’s allow him to answer that himself:

What was most surprising in this game was Gukesh’s calmness and composure in converting the position, despite the severe time pressure faced by both players. See for yourself in the following ChessBase India video:

It is vital that we train our calculation to increase speed, but let us not forget that we are all vulnerable when short on time in a complex situation.

4. Efficient Use of the Opponent’s Time: A well-known and always effective recommendation to avoid time trouble is to make the most of your opponent’s thinking time. Instead of relaxing between moves, it’s best to keep calculating and anticipating your opponent’s responses while they are thinking. This way, when it’s your turn, you already have a clear idea of the possible continuations and can act quickly​.

These four aspects are key to achieving significant progress in our playing strength. However, it is also worth examining the following recommendations:

A) Trusting Intuition
When time is short, trusting intuition and accumulated experience can be more effective than trying to calculate every possible variation. As players gain more experience, their intuition becomes sharper, allowing them to quickly identify patterns and trends on the board. In critical positions, with the clock ticking down, it’s essential to avoid falling into analysis paralysis—the trap of trying to calculate every detail. Players must trust their instincts to make quick, reasonable decisions. Moreover, studies have shown that in rapid and blitz games, players often rely more heavily on intuition and still manage to maintain a competitive level. This doesn’t mean avoiding calculation entirely, but in high-pressure situations, intuition can be an invaluable tool for saving time.

B) Preparing a Time Plan
Dividing your available time across the different phases of the game (opening, middlegame, and endgame) is a useful strategy to avoid getting into time trouble at key moments. This proactive approach helps players manage the clock more effectively. For example, many strong players suggest reserving about 50% of the total time for the middlegame, where positions usually become more complex and calculations more demanding. It is also helpful to keep a mental count of how many moves remain until the next time control (often move 40) and adjust your pace accordingly. Players can even set general benchmarks—such as how many minutes to aim for after move 10, 20, or 30—and strive to meet those targets during the game. This kind of planning not only reduces time pressure in critical positions but also ensures you have time left for truly important decisions. Naturally, as you improve your time management skills, you’ll rely less on this method, which some might find cumbersome.

C) Improving Opening Preparation
One often-overlooked factor is the importance of thorough opening preparation. Spending too much time on the early moves, due to a lack of familiarity with the position, can lead to time pressure later in the game. Having a solid grasp of opening lines and prepared strategic plans for the resulting positions allows players to play quickly and effectively right from the start. The time saved in the opening can then be invested in the middlegame and in handling critical positions.

Conclusion
It is essential to learn how to manage the clock and avoid time trouble in critical moments. Only through deep analysis and consistent preparation can a player make significant progress in their chess.

A common mistake among many players is assuming that playing a large number of games every day will automatically lead to improvement. However, the number of games is not as important as the quality of the learning you extract from them. Playing game after game without reviewing and reflecting on mistakes only leads to repeating the same negative patterns. That’s why, after every game, it is crucial to spend time analyzing both your own moves and your opponent’s. This reflection helps identify errors, understand critical positions better, and make more accurate decisions in future games.

Progress in chess is not simply about accumulating practical experience—it also requires constant theoretical preparation. Players must improve their understanding of openings, middlegame plans, and endgame technique, while also working on calculation, tactics, and strategy.

Progress also comes from the ability to learn from mistakes. Instead of seeing defeats as failures, it is vital to treat them as opportunities for growth. A detailed analysis of errors made in critical positions or under time pressure can improve both technical ability and clock management. Patience is key, as developing true chess skill is a long process that demands continuous dedication.

At the same time, balance is crucial. It’s not about demonizing constant practice, blitz, or frequent tournament play. The balance between study and practice is fundamental for progress in chess. Study without practice can lead to knowledge without usable skill; playing too many games without reflection leads to repetition of mistakes and a lack of real growth. The ideal approach is to find a middle ground: study to strengthen your weaknesses, then test those improvements in practical games. Practice games show how you perform under pressure and allow you to apply what you’ve learned; post-game analysis then reinforces those lessons, helping you correct errors and grow stronger for the future.

Time management is an important aspect—but true progress comes from a continuous commitment to learning and improvement.