Increment

An increment adds a fixed amount of time to the clock on every move. In a control written as 5+3, each player starts with 5 minutes and receives 3 additional seconds per move.

The essential feature is that the added time can accumulate. If a player moves very quickly and spends less than 3 seconds, the clock can end that move with more time than it had at the start. This differs from delay, where unused protected time from a move is not saved for later.

Increment also affects a game's regulatory category. To distinguish rapid from blitz, FIDE calculates the initial time plus 60 times the increment, because a game with few starting minutes can provide substantially more practical time through seconds added on every move.