Next club night: Monday 7 September, 7.30pm — with the AGMMondays 7.30pm at Tunbridge Wells Bridge Club

Chess clock quick-start

How to set the VTEK 300

The clock that talks you through it

Batteries
3 × AA
Increment
Fischer & Bronstein
Delay
Yes
Per-player times
Yes (TD mode)
Presets
36 built in + 20 favourites

Out of production and the maker's website is gone — but thousands are in circulation and the menus need no manual anyway.

Illustration of the VTEK 300 chess clock

Before you start

  1. Press the centre button to switch on — the menu appears in words on the text line.
  2. Scroll with the left and right buttons, select with the centre button. To go back, hold the centre button and press the left button once.
  3. In Ready mode, press the left or right button to choose who moves first — the game starts.

Set the popular time controls

Pick the control you are playing and follow the steps — nothing here needs the manual.

15+10

Rapid — 15 minutes + 10 seconds a move

A built-in preset — the clock lists controls in tournament notation.

Global List → G/15 I10

  1. Select Time Controls, then Global List, then the Short folder.
  2. Scroll to G/15 I10 and select it.
  3. Press the left or right button to start.

15 minutes each plus a 10-second increment.

5+0

Blitz — 5 minutes each

Straight blitz from the Blitz folder.

Global List → G/5

  1. Select Time Controls → Global List → Blitz.
  2. Scroll to G/5 and select it.
  3. Press the left or right button to start.

Each player has 5 minutes.

3+2

Blitz — 3 minutes + 2 seconds a move

Online-style blitz, built in.

Global List → G/3 I2

  1. Select Time Controls → Global List → Blitz.
  2. Scroll to G/3 I2 and select it.
  3. Press the left or right button to start.

3 minutes each plus 2 seconds a move.

90+30

Classical — 90 minutes + 30 seconds a move

The standard long-play control, built in.

Global List → G/90 I30

  1. Select Time Controls → Global List → Long.
  2. Scroll to G/90 I30 and select it.
  3. Press the left or right button to start.

90 minutes each plus 30 seconds a move.

Custom

Anything else — the clock asks you questions

25+10, multi-period controls, delay — answer the wizard in plain words.

Time Controls → Create New

  1. Select Time Controls → Create New.
  2. Answer the questions on the text line — phases, minutes, increment or delay and how much. Hold a button to step values by ten.
  3. Choose Save to add it to your Favourites, then Play.

Your control, saved in Favourites (20 slots — protected ones pin to the top).

Handicap

Different times for each player

Odds games, via the tournament-director mode.

TD mode

  1. Load any control, and before starting hold the centre button until the lights turn blue.
  2. Add or subtract time for each player independently, then hold the centre button to commit.
  3. Press the left or right button to start.

Each side has its own adjusted time.

Tips and troubleshooting