Rules regarding time.

If you do nit make a move within a specific time period, you lose the game on time

if you run out of time, you lose.  it's that simple.

In turn-based chess:

    if you run out of time AND you're a premium member AND you have vacation time remaining THEN you get put on vacation (so the game is effectively paused)

    if your opponent DOESN'T HAVE Auto Win on Time set, THEN the game remains in a state of limbo until someone resigns OR Auto Win on Time IS switched on - (UNLESS it's a tournament game, in which case Auto Win on Time does not apply)

    if your opponent has insufficient mating material when you run out of time, the game is scored as a draw.

In Live Chess, different rules apply.

Not quite that simple, after all.

if you win on time. whats the affect on ratings ??

A win is a win - irrespective of how it was achieved.

There is a bug in online, not live, chess. The player with insufficient material wins on time.

I suppose there are few bug reports as the players may not be aware the decision is wrong. http://www.chess.com/echess/game.html?id=48455511

As well the loser may no longer be here to complain. In this one someone should have known to resign: http://www.chess.com/echess/game.html?id=15671130

Fascinating. He who hesitates [to resign] sometimes wins!

How come I have played live chess games and my opponent has run out of time and won the game and points!

There is an exception to the rule, such that if you run out of time and your opponent has insufficient material to mate, then it's declared a draw.  I played a game in which my opponent was wiped out of all pieces, and I had a passed pawn about to promote, with a light square bishop preventing his king from preventing this.  I was shocked to see the result was a draw when my clock had run out, but in a way I guess that's a fair rule.

Is it better to allow time to lapse rather than be defeated? in terms of points lost in live chess?

who wins when you are in the middle of a game in a TOURNAMENT and the tournament timer ends? I don't know how these are determined. I was winning a position but the tournament ended and thus the game but I find out I have been deducted rating points for LOSING a game I did not finish cos the TOURNAMENT ENDED. This is a terrible rule and I wish the admin can look into it.

How can I be the one that loses! when I make the last move and time runs out? It makes no sense!!!!

If it was a timeout, your move didn't make it to the server before time was out and the allowed lag compensation wasn't enough.

10 minute game.....  I won his queen, 2 rooks, a knight, a bishop and 7 pawns..me=32 pts; him = 27 pts.  But the server said  I lost b/c I ran out of time???  Whaaaat????   Please someone explain...

There are multiple ways to win:

• Checkmate
• Your opponent resigns
• Your opponent runs out of time and you have sufficient material left on the board to mate, regardless of your opponent's material.

So, if one player's clock reaches 0, the other player wins if there is enough material on their side to mate, regardless of what the material balance is.

You lost on time. What more explanation do you need ?

We had 3mins left and I still lost on time even though opponent would have been mated out in next move if he hadnt suddenly won on the time nonsense!! how does that work?