---
title: "Mistake in chess"
url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/mistake.md"
canonical_url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/mistake"
last_updated: "2026-11-07"
type: "reference"
summary: "A mistake is a game review label for a move that clearly worsens a position, costing a meaningful share of the advantage."
related: ["https://georgelichess.com/glossary/inaccuracy.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/blunder.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/missed-win.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/game-review.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/post-game-analysis.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/computer-chess.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md"]
---

# Mistake in chess

> **For AI agents:** the complete index of GeorgeLiChess pages is [llms.txt](https://georgelichess.com/llms.txt). Every page is also served as markdown at its URL plus .md.

A mistake is a game review label for a move that clearly worsens a position, costing a meaningful share of the advantage.

A mistake is a game review label for a move that clearly worsens a position, costing a meaningful share of the advantage, though it is less severe than a blunder that throws the game away.

Between an [inaccuracy](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/inaccuracy.md) and a [blunder](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/blunder.md) sits the mistake: a move that noticeably damages your position without necessarily losing at once. Typical examples include dropping a pawn, allowing a strong [outpost](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/outpost.md), walking into a pin, or misjudging an exchange so that the opponent gains the better structure. Where tools draw the lines between the grades differs, so the same move may be named differently by two programs. For a club player, mistakes are where the learning is. They usually have a concrete cause, such as a missed threat, a miscounted [capture](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/capture.md) sequence or an impatient plan, and the cause can be named. The common error is to note the mark and move on without asking why it happened. A useful habit is to take each marked move and write one sentence about what you were thinking and what you missed. After a handful of games the sentences repeat, and the repeats tell you what to practice. Fix the [thinking process](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/thinking-process.md) behind the move, not only the move itself.

Also called: mistake mark.

It sits close to [Missed win](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/missed-win.md). A missed win is a game review label for a move that fails to take a clearly winning continuation, so a decisive advantage shrinks to something much smaller or disappears entirely.

Computer terms such as "Mistake" are most useful next to a coach who reads your games with you, which is how a [first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md) with George Li works.

## Related terms

- [Inaccuracy](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/inaccuracy.md)
- [Blunder](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/blunder.md)
- [Missed win](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/missed-win.md)
- [Game review](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/game-review.md)
- [Post-game analysis](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/post-game-analysis.md)

## Guides that go further

- [How to choose a chess coach](https://georgelichess.com/how-to-choose-a-chess-coach.md): What to decide first, the questions to ask, what a first lesson should show and the red flags to avoid.
- [How much does chess coaching cost?](https://georgelichess.com/chess-coaching-cost.md): Published rates for private, group and subscription chess coaching, with the source and the date of each.
- [The first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md): A game review, a read on your level and a written study plan from George Li.

[Book your first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book.md) and George Li reviews your games and builds a study plan around them. Questions about lessons: write to hello@georgelichess.com.

## Related

- [Inaccuracy in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/inaccuracy.md)
- [Blunder in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/blunder.md)
- [Missed win in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/missed-win.md)
- [Game review in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/game-review.md)
- [Post-game analysis in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/post-game-analysis.md)
- [Chess terms: Computer chess and analysis](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/computer-chess.md)
- [Chess terms glossary: plain definitions](https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md)