Annotation symbols
Annotation symbols are the short marks added to written moves, such as + for check, # for checkmate, x for a capture and (=) for a draw offer, along with commentators' marks like ! and ?.
Also called: move annotation
A scoresheet is a record, and a few standard marks make it more precise. The Laws list the official ones: x for a capture, + for check, ++ or # for checkmate, e.p. for an en passant capture, and 0-0 and 0-0-0 for castling. The capture, check, mate and e.p. marks are optional, while the symbol (=) is how both players record an offer of a draw. Beyond the Laws, books and websites use a wider set of annotation symbols to judge a move. A single exclamation mark is a good move, two a brilliant one, a question mark an error, two a blunder, and the combinations !? and ?! mark moves that are interesting but doubtful. Evaluation marks, such as = for equal, +/- for White being clearly better and -/+ for Black, describe the position rather than the move. These conventions are not part of the Laws, so check the symbol key in any book before relying on it. For your own training, annotate your games honestly after you play them, marking the moves that you did not understand or did not see coming.
Also worth reading is Draw offer. A draw offer is a proposal to end the game in a draw; under the Laws it is made after you move and before you press your clock, carries no conditions, and cannot be withdrawn once made.
Also worth reading is PGN. PGN is a text-file standard for chess games: header tags name the event, players and result, then the moves follow in algebraic notation, so databases, engines and websites can all import the same file.
Knowing "Annotation symbols" is the easy part; what to practice next depends on your rating, and the improvement plans by rating band list the habits worth building at each level.
Related terms
Algebraic notation is the standard system for recording chess moves, naming each square by file letter and rank number and each move by the piece letter and destination square, as in Nf3 or exd5.
A scoresheet is the paper or electronic form on which each player writes down all the moves of the game in algebraic notation, and which both players sign or approve at the end to confirm the result.
A draw offer is a proposal to end the game in a draw; under the Laws it is made after you move and before you press your clock, carries no conditions, and cannot be withdrawn once made.
Check is the state of a king that stands attacked by one or more opposing pieces; the player whose king it is must end the attack with the very next move, because no legal move may leave one's own king attacked.
Checkmate, or mate, ends a chess game at once: the king of the side to move is under attack, and none of that side's legal moves can remove the attack, so the player who delivered it wins.
PGN is a text-file standard for chess games: header tags name the event, players and result, then the moves follow in algebraic notation, so databases, engines and websites can all import the same file.
Guides that go further
What to decide first, the questions to ask, what a first lesson should show and the red flags to avoid.
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A game review, a read on your level and a written study plan from George Li.
Sources
- FIDE Laws of Chess (effective 1 January 2023), Appendix C.12, read Oct 21, 2026.
- FIDE Laws of Chess (effective 1 January 2023), Appendix C.13.3 to C.13.6, read Oct 21, 2026.
- FIDE Laws of Chess (effective 1 January 2023), Article 8.1.5, read Oct 21, 2026.
Want to spot this in your own games?
A first lesson starts with your games: George reviews them and builds a study plan around what he finds.