Why 0+6 Blitz Might Be the Most Underrated Time Control

If you’ve played online chess for any length of time, you know the “big three” blitz controls: 3+0, 3+2, and 5+0. Each has its advocates. 3+0 is pure adrenaline, 3+2 is the “serious” blitz where you can sometimes convert cleanly, and 5+0 gives you just enough breathing room to come up with positional ideas.
But what about 0+6? No one talks about it. It looks strange at first: zero starting time? But that's exactly the time control I've been practicing quite a lot recently, and in this blog I'll talk about why to me it felt like a superior way to practice chess skills and understanding.

Why 0+6 Works

The starting clock at zero forces you to move immediately at the beginning, but once you’re past the opening, you accumulate the time fairly quickly. By the middlegame you’ll often be sitting on 1–3 minutes, and by the endgame often even more. This creates a rhythm:

• Opening phase: You have to trust your prep and instincts, since you can’t sit and calculate deeply from move one.
• Middlegame: The increment starts adding up, so you have time to dig into critical positions.
• Endgame: Unlike 3+0 or 5+0, you actually can convert technical advantages because the increment protects you from total collapse on the clock.

This makes 0+6 a surprisingly balanced format: it has the sharpness of blitz but also the space to demonstrate proper technique. For players trying to practice both speed and accuracy, it’s incredibly underrated.

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A Practical Example

Here’s a game I recently played against a higher-rated opponent, Zaffelare (2709). I had Black in the Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation and managed to score a pretty smooth win.
Let’s go through the most important moments.

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1. Opening Decisions: Damaging My Structure on Purpose

After 8.Bxf6 Qxf6 9.Qxf6 gxf6, I accepted a doubled f-pawn structure in exchange for the bishop pair.

On paper this looks ugly, as White threatens to trap my dark-squared bishop with f4–f5, and if it retreats to h5, h3+g4 chases it again.
That’s why I played 14...f5 myself. Not ideal (it blocks my bishop on g6), but it prevented White from executing his plan and gave me solid control of the e4-square. In these positions, controlling key central squares matters more than preserving good structure.

From there, I had strategic ideas:

• ...Bb4 to exchange White’s knight on c3, further securing e4.
• Knight reroutes like ...Nb6–c8–d6, both protecting the f5-pawn and eyeing e4.

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2. White Wins a Pawn, but at a Cost

White eventually took on f5 (16.Nxf5).

I lost the pawn, but in return my light-squared bishop became active again and was likely to be exchanged for White’s bishop. This left me with the bishop pair influence on light squares and ideas like ...Nc4 hitting b2.
This is a recurring lesson: sometimes giving up material is fine if it activates your worst piece and secures squares that matter long-term.

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3. The Slow Squeeze

Over the next dozen moves, I consolidated:

• Knight to d6, beautifully centralised.
• Rooks doubled on the e-file.
• Dark-squared bishop repositioned to better diagonals.
• Queenside expansion with ...a5 and ...b5.

Meanwhile, White’s extra pawn didn’t impress. The e-pawn was permanently blocked, and although he tried to create play with h3+g4, that weakened his kingside.

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4. The Breakthrough on the g-file

White’s attempt with 29.h3 was understandable—he didn’t want to sit and wait while I rolled my queenside pawns. But it gave me the chance to swing my rooks over to the g-file and create concrete attacking chances.
After 30...Reg6, suddenly it was my pieces dictating the play. White soon collapsed under pressure, and even though I briefly misplayed move 34 (...Rh1 instead of the cleaner ...Rh2+), the position remained very much in my control.

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5. Conversion with Increment

From move 37 onward, I had a clear technical edge:

• Passed pawn on the queenside.
• More active rooks.
• Safer king.

This is exactly where 0+6 shines compared to 3+0 or 5+0. Instead of scrambling to flag or panicking under time pressure, I could calmly calculate and convert. Even though the computer calls some positions “objectively drawn” earlier, from a practical perspective my position was much easier to play, and with increment I wasn’t going to mess it up.

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Key Takeaways from this Game

• Don’t fear structural damage if you gain dynamic assets (bishop pair, central control).
• Activity > material in blitz, especially with increment, since time lets you use your activity properly.
• Counterplay attempts by the opponent (like h3+g4 here) often create new weaknesses you can exploit.
• Increment allows clean technique—you don’t have to win only by flagging or chaos.

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Why You Should At Least Try 0+6

If you want blitz that’s both fun and instructive, 0+6 deserves a serious look. It:

• Forces you to know your openings (no time at move 1).
• Rewards sound strategy in the middlegame.
• Lets you practice converting endgames under time pressure but without panic.

In short, it helps you practice both blitz sharpness and classical discipline. Give it a try: you might be surprised how much better your play feels compared to “normal” blitz.