I mostly play bullet so I don't know how frequent is this, but in my experience the people here on chess.com are almost all very good-behaving. Yes, sometimes you get a cheater, but in my experience is not over 1%, probably less.
Long move timer
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The issue is not relevant to bullet as games are over so quickly. But for 10 minute games - the most popular time control here- it can easily be relevant. Want to sit and wait 6+ minutes at move 3 ?? Having to wait 4 minutes is bad enough/ not all that uncommon as players are gaming the clock.
A line needs to be drawn somewhere. CC policy is 50% of the time control. Quite lenient.
Jan 14, 2021
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#24
I mean there are a lot of ways to don't let this make you wasting time. One method I use is to maximize volume and put the phone / pc down, I take a book and read some pages until I hear the sound of the other player moving
Jan 14, 2021
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#25
It happened to me sometimes that someone wasted time, but more at the end than that at the beginning
I lost a blitz game because of this rule , I was thinking of a sacrifice, and I should know that I'm not allowed to think more than one and a half minute ? I didn't know it exists and I find it doesn't make any sense and it doesn't belong to chess.
Dec 22, 2023
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#27
I usually play 3/2 and often accept gambits and have had the long move rule kick in. I’m not a fan.
People in favor of the rule seem to forget there are other time controls than 10 minutes.
3 minutes is extremely common, and there might very well be cases when in the first ten moves you actually need to think for a while.. especially if your not a very advanced player
Dec 25, 2025
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#29
Martin_Stahl wrote:
Avondmensch wrote:
Most of us who play extensively online have probably run into the long move timer - an obscure rule that stipulates you can suddenly lose a game if you take too much time on any of the first 10 moves of a game.
Reading along other threads two things become apparent:
- very few people actually know about the long move timer
- most people tend to find it incredibly annoying (although admittedly those who don't will probably not take to the fora).
I believe a mature discussion on the merits of the long move timer, and the way it is implemented, is long overdue.
My personal view is that this rule in itself is too harsh. It is inherent part of a timed chess game to be able to choose freely how and when you devote your allotted time. In the rare case a game is indeed abandoned you will lose at most a few minutes of your life (given a typical blitz game) and have the option to block your opponent afterwards.
I feel stronger about the way the rule is implemented. First, chess.com should consider providing a clear warning to a player who is about the lose game due the long move timer rule (and perhaps give an option to click "yes, I am still present"). Advertising this rule will also help to avoid that those who lose a game due to this rule take out their ire on their opponent (who, if I understand correctly, plays no part in this). Second, chess.com could consider applying this rule only to certain rating categories. I suspect this issue of "game abandonment" is more common among the lower-end rating levels. In the 1000s of games I have played I believe I have never suspected a player to willfully abandon a game (perhaps I'm lucky).
I'm happy to hear other people's views and reflections.
You have to use over half the time control on one move in the first 10 moves to trigger it. I would guess that isn't very common and generally speaking, people that wait that long on a move that early, likely are trying to trick their opponent into thinking they are going to time out.
these days people playing gambit in short time control is very common so if the gambit is still new for the opponent or the gambit is hard, the player will usually think longer than ussual so I think they should change the rule.
16 days ago
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#30
Wow, just had this hit me and am extremely pissed off at this implementation. I was in a +4.0 position and my opponent's move I hadn't seen before and there are easily three very solid moves (engine proved so after the game). I was weighing each and about to play my move (2.5 mins in a 5|5) and it abandons.
I honestly thought my opponent gave up and abandoned, and I reviewed the game, go to start another one and see I have way less points than expected, and learn then that *I* was the one who abandoned?! With absolutely *no warning*?! This is complete trash.. what an absolutely horrible implementation.
I think you!d be very surprised at the frequency of the abuse that would occur if allowed.