DGT North American: Best Value Chess Clock

The DGT North American clock is as good as any chess timer on the market.

And it comes at a great price — around $40!

The DGT North American chess clock

Why DGT North American?

The North American is different from other DGT clocks because it has settings for time delay, common in US Chess Federation (USCF) tournaments, but not elsewhere. Digital Game Technologies actually worked with the USCF to develop the clock.

I love the buttons on DGT clocks, and their displays are excellent. The DGT NA in particular is very easy to set and, in my experience, durable.

Verdict

I recommend the DGT NA over the iconic Chronos, even if the Chronos did not cost three times as much. It comes down to personal preference: I just find DGTs sleeker and less clunky.

If you’re using DGT boards and broadcasting games, or want to connect to the internet, you’ll need the DGT 3000. Otherwise, there’s no need.

At an international round robin I was Deputy Arbiter for, we used the DGT NA. The tournament was played under FIDE rules: Brandon Jacobson earned a GM norm and Abhimanyu Mishra became the youngest International Master in history.