The new official FIDE clock
DGT presents the DGT 2500 as its new benchmark clock. It is approved and recommended by FIDE, which cites it as “Official FIDE Chess Clock” in its letter dated 25 August 2025, and its instructions state that it complies with FIDE's laws of chess and is suitable for all competitions. Its screen measures 17.4 × 3.1 cm.
A limitation to know before buying
DGT states in its FAQ: the DGT 2500 cannot be connected to a DGT e-Board. It is suitable for tournament play, but not for playing on a DGT electronic chess board with the clock connected to it. If that's your plan, choose the DGT 3000 (reference DGT 23005), which DGT designates for its e-Boards.
Designed for the arbiter and the player
- Quick penalty: with the clock paused, a minute is added to the left or right side in two button presses.
- Move-count time control: the forced move counter moves on to the next time period after the set number of moves; for the preset options, this number follows FIDE's standard time controls.
- Flag bars: these flash when a player's time has run out and remain on screen for 5 minutes after a period change.
- Freeze: active by default with bonus and delay, it stops both times as soon as one player reaches zero.
- Checking: a button displays the details of the chosen time control, and the list of options is printed under the clock.
Which DGT clock to choose
Compared with the DGT 2010, the shop's other official FIDE clock, also carrying a 2-year guarantee, the DGT 2500 adds the US delay, preset Armageddon options, the quick penalty function and a wider screen. The DGT 3000, with a 5-year guarantee, is the one you need for an electronic chess board. As for battery life, DGT states up to 4,000 hours of play with the batteries supplied.