Meanings
- Internetuncountableboard gamesChess played at an extremely fast time control, with each side getting one minute (or occasionally slightly more) total to make all their moves.
Carlsen often plays faster games such as "bullet chess" that force players to move quickly and instinctively rather than sink into analysis, and has even backed changing the format for championships.
2021 November 26, John Gapper, “Chess faces stalemate in its match with machines”, in Financial Times, archived from the original on 26 Nov 20211 more example
Carlsen also has been engaging in online marathons of "bullet chess," exactly the kind of attention-disrupting, energy-draining stunt contenders are supposed to avoid. In a bullet game, each player has only one minute for all the moves. The pace is so rapid the games are hard to watch, much less play.
2021 November 24, Tyler Cowen, “Chess Is an Esport Now. Get Used to It.”, in The Washington Post, archived from the original on 23 Apr 2022Synonyms: bullet
Synonyms & antonyms
nounChess played at an extremely fast time control, with each side getting one minute (or occasionally slightly more) total to make all their moves.
Translations
German Bullet-Schach
- Bullet-SchachTranslations
Polish szachy superbłyskawiczne
- szachy superbłyskawiczneTranslations
Cite this entry
bullet chess. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bullet%20chess
“bullet chess.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bullet%20chess. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bullet chess,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bullet%20chess.
Source: bullet chess on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.