Slang for timed chess games limited to either five or two minute gameplay. To win, either player must checkmate his opponent in the time alloted or have time remaining on his clock at any point where it is the opponent's turn to move and his clock runs out. This would be a win on 'time' as supposed to a 'mated' win. An interesting variant win of speed chess is the ability to 'capture' the king during gameplay. Normally in chess, kings are never captured per se. Rather, checkmate is defined as putting the king in a position where it is on an attacked square and cannot escape to a friendly square on its next move. Gameplay during a speed game is fast, massive, and breathtaking. As supposed to tournament play or un-timed matches, speed players must make split second decisions and have instant understanding of his position at any specific moment. Because of the tremendously short time-limit, players must rely on pre-memorized 'main' lines of play , a strong sense of openings, and keen awareness of variations off the main line. This leads to situations where opponents will collectively drill through an average of fifty to sixty-five piece movements within the first twenty to thirty seconds of a game. As gameplay continues, the added tension of having only minutes or seconds left to attempt checkmate often leads to amazing gambits and horribly bad tactical decisions(blunders). Towards the end of speed matches, players may attempt to capitalize on his opponent's lack of time and make ludicrously wild piece movements to confuse, intimidate, and psychologically take his opponent out of the game(this is the best part of gameplay, as it capitalizes on your ability to play head games and be a general asshole). Interestingly enough, speed chess was brought to popularity on the urban street level. This was a high-contrast to the history of refined tournament play, the contemporary chess club circuit, or gameplay of the famed russian powerhouse chess schools. Speed chess is also referred to as blitz chess.