Informant symbols – chess annotation glyphs

Informant symbols

Definition

Informant symbols are a standardized, language‑neutral set of pictograms and shorthand signs used to annotate chess games and positions. Introduced by the publishers of Šahovski Informator (Chess Informant) in the 1960s, they let annotators convey move quality, evaluation, and thematic ideas without prose. Examples include !! (brilliant move), ?! (dubious move), = (equal), ⩲/+= (slight advantage for White), and +− (decisive advantage for White). The system also includes symbols for concepts like initiative, attack, compensation, zugzwang, and more.

How they’re used in chess

Informant symbols appear in annotated game collections, magazines, databases, engine output, and training materials. They are especially useful in:

• Summarizing a move’s quality: !!, !, !?, ?!, ?, ??
• Evaluating positions: =, ∞, ⩲/+=, ⩱/=+, ±, ∓, +−, −+
• Flagging ideas and status: N (novelty), with initiative, with attack, with compensation, counterplay, zugzwang, time trouble, pair of bishops, passed pawn, etc.

In modern PGN files, these symbols are represented under the hood by Numeric Annotation Glyphs (NAGs). For example, $1 corresponds to “!” and $3 to “!!”. Many GUIs display the traditional Informant symbols even though the file stores $-codes.

Historical significance

Chess Informant, founded in Belgrade in 1966, revolutionized chess publishing by compiling top grandmaster games with a universal symbolic language. This made high‑level analysis accessible across countries and languages during the pre‑engine era. World champions and elite players (including Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov) studied Informant volumes intensely, and the same editorial tradition also contributed to the ECO (Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings) coding. The Informant system became the de facto standard for annotations in print and later in digital databases.

Core symbol sets (quick reference)

• Move quality:
  • !! – brilliant or very strong move
  • ! – good move
  • !? – interesting; dynamic but not clearly best
  • ?! – dubious; risky or likely second‑best
  • ? – mistake
  • ?? – blunder
• Position/evaluation:
  • = – equal position
  • ∞ – unclear position
  • ⩲ or += – slight advantage for White
  • ⩱ or =+ – slight advantage for Black
  • ± – clear advantage for White
  • ∓ – clear advantage for Black
  • +− – decisive (winning) advantage for White
  • −+ – decisive (winning) advantage for Black
• Thematic/positional status (examples):
  • N – novelty (a new move in the Informant corpus)
  • with initiative – side can dictate the play/tempo
  • with attack – direct pressure against the king/weaknesses
  • with compensation – sufficient play for material deficit
  • counterplay – side has active defensive resources
  • zugzwang – any move worsens the position
  • time trouble – severe clock pressure
  • pair of bishops – bishop pair advantage
  • passed pawn/connected passed pawns – endgame-winning assets
  • opposite‑colored bishops – drawing tendencies in middlegame/endgame

Note: Exact glyphs for thematic symbols vary by font/interface. Where a special symbol isn’t available, authors often use short text labels (e.g., “init.”, “attack”, “comp.”).

Reading and applying the symbols

• Use the evaluation symbols to calibrate plans: “⩲” suggests playing for a pull without overpressing; “±” or “+−” calls for converting concrete advantages (material/structure).
• Move‑quality signs help study tactics and precision: compare candidate moves marked !? vs ?! to understand risk/reward and underlying motifs.
• Thematic flags like “with initiative” or “with compensation” explain why an engine’s 0.00 might hide practical pressure or dynamic equality.
• In databases/PGN editors, you can insert NAG codes ($1 = !, $2 = ?, $3 = !!, $4 = ??, $5 = !?, $6 = ?!) and advantage glyphs (often $14–$19 map to +=, =+, ±, ∓, +−, −+ in many tools).
• ASCII fallbacks are common in text: += (White slightly better), =+ (Black slightly better), +- (White winning), -+ (Black winning).

Examples

• Move quality in a tactical shot:

  “24. Rxd4!!” is how many annotators highlight Garry Kasparov’s exchange sacrifice in Kasparov vs. Topalov, Wijk aan Zee 1999, detonating a winning attack. Subsequent notes often read “+− with attack” to indicate a decisive initiative.

• Evaluation in classic rook endgames:

  The Lucena position (White: king supports building a “bridge” for a rook’s pawn or central pawn) is typically marked “+−” because correct technique wins. By contrast, the Philidor defense is “=” when the defender’s setup is achieved.

• Novelty and initiative:

  “N” marks a first‑time move in the Informant database, e.g., “9...Na5N” in an opening note. If that leads to momentum, an annotator may add “Black with initiative,” signaling active play despite material equality.

• Compensation for material:

  After a gambit like 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3, notes often say “with compensation” for White: rapid development, open lines, and king pressure offset the pawn deficit (commonly ⩲/+= in many lines of the King’s Gambit).

• Classic “!!” sacrifice:

  In the “Game of the Century,” Donald Byrne vs. Bobby Fischer, New York 1956, Black’s 17...Be6!! initiated a forcing sequence culminating in a winning attack (−+). Informant symbols let readers grasp both the brilliance and the evaluation at a glance.

Interesting facts and anecdotes

• Chess Informant’s symbol language was designed so a single annotated game could be read by players worldwide without translation.
• Many top players (Fischer, Karpov, Kasparov) credited Informant volumes for preparation; some called them the “Bible” of practical chess.
• The Informant editorial board also helped popularize ECO codes (e.g., B90 for the Najdorf) alongside symbolic annotations, shaping how openings are cataloged today.
• Modern engines still “speak” Informant through NAGs: a GUI may show +− when the engine’s evaluation and conversion likelihood cross a winning threshold.

Tips for practical use

• When studying a game, first skim the evaluation symbols along the main line to understand the flow (who was better and when), then drill into the “!”/“?” moves to learn the turning points.
• Create your own summaries with a minimal set: use !, ?, +=/=+, +−/−+, and “init.” to keep notes compact but meaningful.
• If your font doesn’t display ⩲/⩱, use += and =+ as reliable substitutes.