What's the best time setting for someone at my level?

I just played my first two games in a long while, after spending a few days practising checkmate puzzles and going through some lessons. I liked all the puzzles within each game. Chess is such a great game! I think the second game went better than the first, but I'm wondering if 10 minutes for all my moves is enough time to improve? Should I start off with more 20 minute games, and do that for a few months?

Well, if you are Re-learning it then 15/10 is the best Time control.. Check some opening study (upto 3-4 moves) and solve puzzles.. You will be all set to rock in some months!

Good luck!

The longer the better, 15|10 is probably the absolute minimum, so if you have the patience and time, play even longer games. Anything faster and it will be very difficult to think about any given position. 

Here are some tips for you, if you need them:

https://www.chess.com/blog/nklristic/the-beginners-tale-first-steps-to-chess-improvement

Play Longer Time Controls...

For many at the beginner-novice level, speed chess tends to be primarily an exercise in moving pieces around faster than your opponent while avoiding checkmate, in hopes that his/her clock runs out sooner than yours.  Or being lucky enough notice and exploit your opponent's blunders before they exploit yours.

The point is, there is little time to think about what you should be doing.

It makes sense that taking more time to think about what you should be doing would promote improvement in your chess skills.

An effective way to improve your chess is therefore to play mostly longer time controls, including "daily" chess, so you have time to think about what you should be doing.

This is not to suggest that you should necessarily play exclusively slow time controls or daily games, but they should be a significant percentage of your games, at least as much, if not more so than speed games which, while they may be fun, do almost nothing to promote an understanding of how to play the game well.

Here's what IM Jeremy Silman, well-known chess book author, has to say on the topic...
https://www.chess.com/article/view/longer-time-controls-are-more-instructive

And Dan Heisman, well-known chess teacher and chess book author…..(the link may be slow to load)…
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627052239/http:/www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman16.pdf

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/dan-heisman-resources

and the experience of a FIDE Master...
https://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/how-blitz-and-bullet-rotted-my-brain-don-t-let-it-rot-yours

Thanks, everyone, for all the great help, and the links.

i always advocate for longer time controls

for online practice i found the 30 chess.com rapid pool to be really competitive

if it is logistically difficult to get 30 min games then 15/10 is solid

in fact, i have been playing 15/10 exclusively

i find these games fun but there is a caveat; you will run into more games where (if one had sufficient time {even 30 is too short fo me tbh} to really execute a slow, long grinder)

there comes a time in nearly every 15/10 where you have to throw caution to the wind and try to force an issue (even if you are bluffing) because of time issues

at the same time, it feels really good to win a game with a forced combination- that needs to be really precise- living on :20 clock- or reaching a position where you can spam moves to build up clock— it is a really fun time control for online chess period

30 min are good but there are more issues that come up- trolls, though chess.com has done a good job with implementing the auto-abandon kick that happens when the opponent blitzes out moves; hangs something then bails- and one is stuck waiting- (because i am getting my points dammit)

but very often- i still run into time constraints; but one gets more “data” from a well fought 30 min game than a 15/10

it just becomes an issue of weighing the pros/cons for each play session

but, ever since in dipped my toe into otb rated classical games, i have found these to be the most helpful

so if you can get some of these (where every move can be a chance to apply your best and, as a result, the post game work is most beneficial) during the year then you are really set and then your online games are just a way to stay sharp enough for the “real” games


but play slowly
use all of your clock

after game thoroughly go over the one you just played- have a reason (right or wrong doesnt matter so much) for each move; identify moments that felt critical and what happened in the game? did you miss tactics? then really hammer these as missed tactics in your own games are the best “tactics trainers”

@daxypoo: Thanks for the help!

I was wondering, can people only challenge me to a game if I go into the Live Chess section?

Hi, you can be challenged in both situations. Go into your profile and then go to "challenge" click on that, then go to days click on the arrow down and there are the choices you have     

your on!

Of course longer time controls allow you to see more of the possibilities inherent in the position, and to make moves that fit into your overall strategy. Another benefit is having time to figure out what your opponent is trying to do, and then you can develop a counter-plan of your own. I always found it helpful to play higher-rated opponents. Strong players have a strategy, and they make logical moves in order to implement it. It is instructive to see these plans come to fruition, even if you can't find a way to thwart them. Seeing how better players win can teach you how to improve.

Hey!

The best time is always about 10 to 15 minutes!  A true Chess Master never needs to spend time on each move, always best to make the fastest move you can.

 

It's the mathematics of adrenaline, not of testosterone

Were I more highly rated my words would have a greater level of gravitas.  That said, when practicing a musical instrument, one starts by playing the passage slow, then increasing the speed as it becomes more comfortable.  It has got to be the same with chess.  I have lost a boatload of fast games and always analyze following.  Nearly every time I know that I would have not made the mistake(s) had I more time.  It makes sense that if I work my practice with slower controls that give me time to think, I will gain the habits necessary to convert to faster games if I choose to go that direction.

15|10 and 30|0 are good time controls for a player close to 1000 rating. I would not recommend longer than 45 minutes per side as time is more likely to be wasted than spent analysing moves - after several minutes of thinking, many players can get distracted. Neither would I recommend a timing too short of less than 5 min per side as the game will become a competition of who blunders more pieces.

10 min or 15|10

Thanks again, for all the great replies. I wish there were a like button for these.

I started with 10 minute games, and would always be pressured in the last 3 minutes. I upped it to 30 (which is where I play right now. )  I've found that is more than enough time to lose....or win.

As a fellow beginner I have to say I still find 15/10 a little rushed. I'm confortable with that time settings playing openings I already know.

I'm starting to learn to play the sicilian and on 15/10 is hard because it usually already takes me 5 minutes to take like 10 moves.  The book moves are ok but I lose time on calculation entering the midgame, which leaves me no time to handle a endgame properly.

I would start with 30min to get comfortable.

15|10 for sure. That’s the minimum.