We got our hands on DGT 3000, one of the best chess clocks out there, and we’ll be giving our honest review of this piece.
Read on to learn more.
First Impressions
Right off the bat, you can see that the packaging for the DGT 3000 is top-notch.
It comes in a very attractive red and black colored box that displays an image of what the clock looks like, meaning you get a glimpse of the DGT 3000 before unboxing it.
Unboxing Experience
The package comes with a protective plastic wrapping to prevent scratches on the box.
After doing away with the wrapping, we get to open the box. Opening the box is pretty straightforward and shouldn’t cause you any trouble.
Once the box opens, we are greeted with the sight of the DGT 3000, a manual, and two batteries that power the clock.
Product Design
The DGT 3000 is a product of expert design. The clock has 3 colors: white for the top, black for the display, and red for the body.
The top of the clock has levers for the players to start and stop their allotted time.
The clock also has buttons that allow you to turn the clock on and off, easily select the time control of your choice, and pause or play the time.
The wide display allows you to see the time control you have selected. If you check closely, you can see that it has two “king icons”. The kings are colored black and white, showing the times for the black and white players.
The build of the clock allows for sturdiness, so you don’t have to worry about it shaking in the heat of your chess match.
The DGT 3000 is specifically built to match the FIDE-approved standard.
Language Options
The DGT 3000 does not only cater to English-speaking players. It comes with a manual that has 6 different language options.
They include English, French, Spanish, Dutch, German and Russian.
The diversity of languages allows chess players to effortlessly navigate and utilize the clock’s features.
Another perk of the multilingual option is that you can pick up a new language to learn.
Timing System
The DGT 3000 comes with 25 different time controls, meaning you can switch between various time controls depending on the type of chess you want to play.
To select the time control, you’ll need to use the increase and decrease buttons on the display. You can also refer to the manual for more information.
User-friendly Test
As we went further in our review of the DGT 3000, we tested it to see how easy it was to use, and it did very well.
It comes with 25 ready-to-use options that are already pre-set when you first get it, so you can start using it right away without needing to adjust lots of settings. You just need to put in batteries, turn it on, and it’s ready to use.
Whether you’re new to using these clocks or have a lot of experience, this clock is easy to use because it’s designed to be simple.
The big display screen shows you lots of details, like how much time you have left and the number of moves you’ve made, which helps you stay focused on your game without any trouble.
Mobility
Chess is a game that can be played in almost every location. Therefore, your clock needs to be one that can easily be moved about.
The DGT 3000 passes the mobility test excellently. It weighs 400 grams, which is equivalent to the size of a soda can.
This allows you to carry it along whenever and wherever you want to play chess.
It also has a dimension of 155 x 115 x 65 millimeters, which is ideal for packing in a backpack.
With the DGT 3000, you don’t have to worry about heavy lifting whenever you want to play chess, as its excellent build makes it perfect for home and outdoor chess.
Safety Test
The DGT 3000 was made to be safe in case things get a bit intense during a game.
It’s built with dull edges in plastic to avoid any accidental cuts while playing chess. The parts are tightly put together, making it strong enough to endure accidental drops without breaking apart.
The battery compartment is designed to securely close without any open gaps that might cause battery-related accidents. Plus, it uses high-quality batteries that last well.
In essence, the DGT 3000 stands out as a clock that is engineered for your safety. It provides you with a secure and worry-free experience, especially during competitive and intense chess games.
What We Don’t Like About The DGT 3000
We found out a few things that we were not so comfortable with when reviewing this clock.
One is the lever durability. The DGT 3000 comes with a lever that allows you to switch between your opponent’s time and yours.
However, we noticed that in faster time formats that involve fast tapping and gameplay, the lever tends to get stuck and stop working.
For slower time formats, this is unlikely to happen.
However, for fast-time formats like bullet chess, the levers might just get stuck. Probably because we just started using the clock. We don’t think this is quite serious though.
Another con of the FIDE-approved clock is the number of steps you have to go through to reset the clock.
To give you an example of this, we found that when you set the clock for a blitz game, finish the game, and want to start another game, resetting the clock is not very straightforward.
You would have to go through at least 4 steps that include turning off the clock, selecting the preferred time format, and tapping the play button.
This can be a time burner, especially when you’re probably playing fast time controls for a very long time. Again, this might not fit into the ‘con’ category but we thought we should let you know.
Overall Opinion
DGT 3000 is a pretty solid clock. On its carton, we see that it’s the successor to the DGT XL and connectable to DGT e-boards – shows how cool it is.
Compared to most clocks, this is one of the best clocks out there and we totally recommend getting your hands on it if you can!