Bullet

Also known as: Bullet chess

A widely used informal name for extremely fast chess games, usually shorter than ordinary blitz.

Explanation

Bullet chess is the common name for games played with extremely little time, especially online. One minute per player with no increment is a typical example, although the exact boundary depends on the platform classifying the game.

FIDE does not define bullet as a separate category in the Laws of Chess. Under the Laws, controls of 10 minutes or less fall under when the regulatory time calculation is applied. Games at 3 minutes or less also fall outside the range that FIDE's Rapid and Blitz Rating Regulations accept for blitz rating.

This is why an online platform can maintain a bullet rating even though FIDE has no equivalent official rating list. Chess.com, for example, uses its own bullet category for calculated controls below 3 minutes. Other services can classify the same controls differently.

Common confusions

Bullet versus an official FIDE category

Bullet is a common usage category, especially online. It is not a separate FIDE Laws category alongside rapid and blitz.

Related terms

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