Reflection time

Reflection time is the time a player uses between receiving the opponent's move and sending a reply. The term is especially important in correspondence chess, a form of chess in which moves are transmitted over distance and each decision may be given days rather than minutes.

Under the standard server control of the International Correspondence Chess Federation, abbreviated ICCF, time is commonly expressed as a number of days for a set number of moves. The usual limit is 50 days for every 10 moves unless the tournament announcement says otherwise. The server counts complete 24-hour periods and carries unused time into the next control period.

The exact accounting method depends on the chosen control. Under the Triple Block time control, time is divided among a clock, an increment, and a bank, and is measured more precisely than whole days. Players therefore need both the control's name and the event announcement to know how delay is charged and when time expires.