Annotating

Bringing out the ideas behind the moves of a game.

The art of annotation requires a good knowledge of theory, deep insight into the substance of the struggle, and a sound assessment of the position. Annotations should be consistent and should bring out the merits and flaws in each side's play. Various forms of annotation are possible.

Forms of annotation

Brief notes — these bring out only certain individual elements of the struggle, the most interesting ones.

In annotation aimed at rated players with a grounding in theory, elementary variations are left out. This kind of annotation is most often found in the specialized chess press.

Instructional annotation — expanded notes aimed at beginners or lower-rated players. In an accessible form they set out the main principles of strategy and tactics.

There is also annotation with an extended literary component and a limited number of variations. The emphasis falls on the psychological content of the struggle.

The form of annotation depends on the content of the game and on the audience it is intended for.

Annotation for improvement

Botvinnik put the value of annotation clearly: «... Analysis, or simply annotating games for publication, is the surest means of improvement.»

Studying annotated games is one of the best forms of independent work.