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This article was inspired by Garry Kasparovs recent abysmal performance in the Grand Chess Tour in Zagreb. The legendary 13th World Chess Champion scored 2.5 points out of 18 and finished in clear last place in the blitz event. One of the factors that caused such a disastrous result was poor time management and the inability to play well in time trouble.

Notably, in a game against MVL, Kasparov lost on time in an innocuous equal rook endgame where he was at no risk whatsoever on the board.

Obviously, the recommendations presented below are not aimed at Kasparov since when it comes to chess, Garry can teach pretty much anyone about any facet of the game. Still, I believe that some of the lifehacks presented below will be of use to less experienced players than Kasparov.

Also, its easy to offer banal advice like do not ever get into time trouble, but its challenging to follow it. Here are a few basic tips on what to do if you are in time trouble already:

Here are a few more intermediate-level tips that are must-know for tournament players:

Finally, here are a few advanced tips that are worth adding to your chess arsenal:

Garry Kasparov showing that even in 2021, you can still play on after you have run out of time!

In the video above, Vishy Anand finds himself in an extreme situation, having just one second on the clock, and gives a phenomenal masterclass on handling time trouble. As you watch the video, analyze his actions, and try to recognize some of the principles mentioned above. Maybe you will even find something he could have done better!

If sweating it out and watching your hair turn grey from stress caused by playing in time trouble too often is not your cup of tea, you can always download Play Magnus and face Magnus Carlsen, Judit Polgar, Wesley So and other world-class Grandmasters in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. Feel free to take all the time in the world to beat them but it will still be a formidable challenge!

Read more:
How to handle time trouble in chess - chess24