Tempest uses a combination of tilt-sensing software in the app and a specially-designed cradle that works in tandem. The cradle itself causes slight changes in angle when each player pushes their side of the clock, the smart device instantly, and precisely detects that as a press by either player. No bluetooth, no wifi, no batteries required, just gravity sensing software in the Tempest app perfectly coupled to the high quality base. It’s an unprecedented, patent-pending -and we’re sure you’ll agree- beautifully simple execution.

Out of the box, Tempest lets you choose between two elegant clock face designs. Digital- which is designed for performance above all, with no distractions. All the buttons are hidden during play. Each player’s times are big, bold, and clearly visible at a glance (even peripherally) by players and spectators alike. It’s instantly apparent whose turn it is, and how much time each player has. We also thought it would be nice to bring analog back, but only if we could reinvent it for a digital age. For example our analog clock does increments! Time can flow forward and backward, and it’s something that mechanical chess clocks could never do. It’s also ‘adaptive’, meaning it uses more of the 360° face for a 5 minute blitz game than an old school analog clock (where the face represents 12 hours not 12 minutes) because the labels around the clock face automatically adapt with actual time remaining. It’s a completely unique analog experience, bringing back classical timing with modern features. Try both and choose your favorite. Future variants are planned and because Tempest is updatable via app stores, it will never be obsolete.

Yes, Tempest comes with a 365 day warranty against manufacturer defects.

Very. A lot depends on each person’s individual phone, but we’ve tested dozens of variations and it turns out that 95% of phones are within about 1 or 2 mm thickness of each other, whether they are large or small screens, they all are about the same thickness, so we optimized for a very very snug fit on the majority of all current phones. For example, the largest heaviest iPhone is the 12 Pro Max and when docked we can turn the base upside down and the heavy 12Max stays put, doesn’t fall out, and doesn’t wiggle when players use it normally. We can’t guess at every combination of phone and case, but It is likely that you would not be able to keep your phone in a thick case during play. That’s how snug the fit is.

From a software standpoint, Tempest is available for both iOS and Android. For specific device fit, Tempest securely docks with all iPhones ever, and all of the current Galaxy models (up to S21 Ultra), and all Google Pixel models. from the smallest to the largest. We haven’t explicitly tried other manufacturers phones, but the most extreme size supported the Galaxy S21 Ultra, 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm (6.5 x 2.98 x 0.35 in). For reference iPhone 12 Pro Max (without a case) is what you see in the videos and it is a perfect fit as are all of the smaller iPhones.

Yes. This time mode is popular for many board games that can score a penalty for going over an allotted time. For example official Scrabble™ tournament timing is often set to 25 minutes, but not sudden death, rather, it’s okay for a player to go over time, but they will be penalized some number of points for every additional minute they go over. Tempest has a setting for this letting you toggle between ‘sudden death’ and ‘OT’ for just this reason. For Go, Tempest currently supports 3 of the 4 time controls officially recognized by the American Go Association (Canadian OT, 3+15, and 45 SD). Byo-yomi may appear in a future version if players demand it, but it is certainly the more complicated of time controls. We put a premium on simplicity for Tempest we know most players will appreciate (it has no need for a user manual!) Is it FIDE certified? Currently FIDE won’t allow computers, or smartphones into its tournament halls. This is a good question and because there is no precedent for this clock type, we are now reaching out to FIDE and discuss further. Certainly Tempest complies with Article 5 in its entirety (acceptable chess clocks), and certainly its use would be governed by FIDEs rules of conduct around players not being able to manipulate the clock during a game without a tournament director present. Certainly TD’s at a local, club level and hopefully FIDE level would put all devices in airplane mode prior to a game, and just as certainly it is a safe place to have a phone, much safer that it is out in the open, in airplane mode, visible by both players, the tournament directors, and the audience, makes any such “cheating in the bathroom” all the more unlikely compared to having a phone in pocket or backpack which certainly should be banned in all serious tournaments. Tempest would not be in pocket, but in the open used and visible by all players and directors. We will keep you posted on any discussions with FIDE as we realize this is a revolutionary new clock type.

Traditional sudden death (aka Flag) timings of course, from 1 minute up to 2 hours. But also both popular types of accumulated time: increments (aka Fischer timing) and delays (aka Bronstein timing) from 1 second to one minute per move (added or delayed). Finally an overtime mode can be set to override the sudden death flag and allow time to spill over past zero. Useful in other official board games, such as Scrabble™. It is easy to set your own timings by swiping for minutes (per game) and seconds (per move) to either add or delay (or neither if you set it to zero). That’s it. So oddball timings are not a problem either. for example want to set it to a 4 min game with a 20 second per move increment? Easy. Click settings and swipe to 4 on the left and 20 on the right. Done. You can also choose from an array of common time control presets each with one button click to quickly set up for rapid, blitz, bullet time controls at the touch of a single button.

Yes! In the settings menu, there is an Easter egg waiting for you: a little random button in the bottom right. Press it and let the show begin: a slot-machine type wheel spin up and lands on a legal 960 setup for black and white pieces. A fun variation on traditional chess that evades the mountains of theory needed to compete at high levels and according to Bobby Fischer just lets the best player (not the most booked up player) win. Try it. You might love it.