These signs are used in chess books, magazines and game analyses. They make annotations concise: a single symbol can indicate an advantage, initiative, attack, mistake, only move or an unclear position.
Chess literature does not always have room for long explanations, so short symbols are used to tell the reader immediately what is happening in a position: who stands better, whether there is an attack, who has the initiative, or whether a move is good, dubious or a mistake.
These symbols are especially useful when a student reads an annotated game. Instead of merely following the moves, the student learns to evaluate the position: material, king safety, piece activity, pawn structure, space and the game plan.
Important: a symbol is not a substitute for thinking. It is a concise aid showing how the annotator evaluates a position or move.
Symbols such as =, ⩲, ±, ∓, +- and -+ show whether a position is equal, slightly better, or decisively better for one side.
Move Annotation
The signs !, !!, ?, ??, !? and ?! are used to give a concise evaluation of a move: a good move, a mistake, an interesting idea or a dubious continuation.
Plans and Dynamics
Symbols for attack, initiative, counterplay, compensation, development advantage and space advantage make it easier to understand the plan in a game.
Chess Symbols Table
The table lists each symbol, its English name and the corresponding Serbian explanation.
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