SlowMate

SlowMate is a browser extension that forces a minimum thinking time per move in live games on lichess.org — a small speed bump designed to help you build the habit of actually thinking before you move, instead of moving on reflex. HOW IT WORKS When your turn starts, SlowMate briefly blocks board interaction (click, drag, and keyboard input) until a configurable number of seconds has passed. The delay is set per time control: UltraBullet, Bullet, Blitz, Rapid, Classical and Correspondence, each with its own value — so you can leave Bullet untouched (0s) while adding a few seconds of mandatory pause in Blitz. A PACE THAT GROWS WITH THE GAME The delay does not hit full force from move one. It ramps up over your first moves, so openings stay fluid and the demand rises as the game gets serious. With the defaults (Blitz 5s, ramp of 10 moves), your third move waits about 1.1s and your tenth waits the full 5s. Set the ramp to 0 for a constant delay. YOUR CLOCK TELLS YOU While the board is blocked, your own clock is tinted amber and a small bar below it drains as the time runs out. Nothing is drawn over the board, so your pieces are never covered. On wider screens the remaining seconds also appear next to the clock. Resign, offer draw and chat always keep working, even while the board is blocked — the extension only restricts moves on the board. Panic mode disables the block automatically once your clock drops below a threshold you choose (20s by default), so the extension never costs you the game on time. DESIGN PRINCIPLES - Restricts only, never assists: no position analysis, no move suggestions, no evaluation of any kind. - Zero interaction with Lichess's servers: everything runs by reading the page already loaded in your browser. No network requests of its own. - Minimal permission: the only permission requested is "storage", used solely to save your own settings. - Fail-open: if anything goes wrong internally, the extension disables itself rather than risk leaving you unable to move. - Only on lichess.org: no effect on any other site, nor when spectating or on analysis, puzzles or TV pages. SlowMate is an independent project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Lichess or the Lichess Org.