How to Become Good at Annotating Your Chess Games

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When you read about how to improve at chess you will often read that you have to annotate your own games. I have recently written about the Botvinnik method for chess improvement, which relies on annotating and publishing your annotations as a way to improve.

The Botvinnik Method For Chess Improvement

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Less is however written about how you actually become good at annotating your games. I would not characterize myself as a very good annotator. I often rush and do not spend enough time, because I’m already thinking about the next game. But I want to improve this skill. So in this newsletter, I have tried my best to list ways to improve at writing good annotations (in my opinion).

“I have a journal of everything I’ve ever climbed since 2005. For the entry about free soloing Half Dome, I put a frowny face and added some little notes about what I should have done better, and then underlined it. Turns out that is one of my biggest climbing achievements.”

Alex Honnold

1. Clarity and Simplicity

Annotations should be clear and understandable. If you are writing something very complicated it might be a sign you do not fully understand it. The same goes if you are following a long engine line without really understanding why. Stop and try again. By shedding overly complicated lines and opting for clear explanations, you will force yourself to understand the position.

If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.

- Albert Einstein

2. Structure

A chess game, like a good story, has a beginning, middle, and end. Set the stage with an overview:

• What was your state of mind going into the game?
• Where, and when was the game played?
• Who was your opponent?

Delve into the middlegame with detailed breakdowns of key positions, and wrap up with reflections and lessons from the game.

3. Highlight Key Points

In the narrative of a chess game, some moves dramatically alter its course. By emphasizing these important moments, you guide the readers through the game's most crucial junctures. It is also a healthy exercise in itself to locate these moments. Fellow Substacker FM Nate Solon has also mentioned is a good idea to spend time analyzing the moves you spent the longest time on during the game. Why did you think so long and was the analysis correct?

Example: Pointing out, "Move 17...Qh4 is the turning point, because.." can help you and readers to understand the importance of a specific move.

4. Use Emotions

Some like to think of chess as a pure rational game, but chess is as much a battle of emotions as it is of tactics. Sharing how a move or decision made you feel can provide readers a glimpse into the game's psychological dimension. It might also help you understand what caused a specific mistake.

Example: "After 25...Rxd4!, a surge of excitement mixed with caution hit me when I played this move."

5. Get Feedback From Your Peers

It can be helpful to get feedback on your annotations either from a coach or fellow chess players. Sharing your thoughts and getting feedback will hopefully result in questions that you did not think of and will make you think further about the game.

6. Active Recall

Before diving into databases or engines, pause. Try to recall your thoughts during the game, also what did you calculate? A practice that not only strengthens memory but also ensures authentic, non-engine annotations. On Lichess you can write notes down while you play in the side panel, which can be helpful to review your training games.

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Example: "During the match, I believed 20...Nxe4 was solid. But post-game analysis showed me its flaws due to 21. Re1 pinning the Knight..."

7. Learn to Speak Chess

Effective annotations weave specific moves into the broader concepts of chess principles, tactical combinations, and strategic plans enhancing their instructiveness.
Learning the names and language used about chess concepts and relating them to your own games should also help connect dots in your mind for when a similar moment happens in future games. You can add to your vocabulary by reading master games collections or just chess books in general.

Example: "15. a4 is a classic overprotection strategy on the queenside, emphasizing the control of the b5-square before expanding."

8. Personalize

Personal anecdotes or reflections make annotations memorable. They reveal the human side of the game, relating specific moves to your chess journey.
It will also make it more fun to write and read your annotations if they are not only dry lines.

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Annotating chess games is more than a simple review, it allows you to reflect, learn, and grow. Each game tells its own story and carries its own lessons. As you delve into your moves, emotions, and decisions, you will hopefully gain new insights.

This concludes my 8 ideas for improving your annotations. Hopefully, you found something useful. I’m at least motivated to work on upping my annotations.

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/Martin