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The two ends of the annotation scale, and the one part of chess notation nobody issues.
The exclamation mark praises a move, the question mark criticises it. Neither is defined by FIDE: unlike the rest of chess notation these are publishing convention, and two annotators may disagree about the same move.
The exclamation mark praises a move; the question mark criticises it. They are opposites, and the pair is the base of the whole annotation scale.
Drawn from the visual attributes recorded for each symbol. Only traits the two records disagree about are listed.
| Trait | Good move (!) | Mistake (?) |
|---|---|---|
| Built from | lines and dots | lines and dots, spirals |
| Symmetry | vertical | none |
| Good move (!) | Mistake (?) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it expresses | The annotator judges the move good | The annotator judges the move a mistake |
| Who defines it | Nobody — a convention of chess literature | Nobody — a convention of chess literature |
| In the FIDE Laws? | No | No |
| Doubled form | !! marks an exceptional move | ?? marks a blunder |
| Can it be disputed? | Yes; engine analysis has overturned famous ones | Yes, on the same grounds |
| Relationship (from Symbolwise's records) | Commonly confused with Mistake (?) — The exclamation mark praises a move; the question mark criticises it. They are opposites, and the pair is the base of the whole annotation scale. | Commonly confused with Good move (!) — The two ends of the same scale: ! approves, ? criticises. |
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-08-02
Tertiary reference. Cited for how a mark is written and read in ordinary practice, and for conventions no governing body issues. Never cited for a claim that a rule says something — the rulebooks below carry those.
FIDE Laws of Chess, Appendix C: Algebraic Notation
Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) · retrieved 2026-08-02
The governing body's own handbook. Authoritative for the notation FIDE requires in competition — the piece letters, the capture and check marks, castling — and for nothing outside it. Annotation symbols expressing an opinion about a move are deliberately absent from the Laws and are not cited here.
Both arms sweeping forward means play continues and no kick is coming. One arm straight up means a kick is coming and cannot score directly. Confusing them changes whether players expect a stoppage.
The plain black flag excludes the competitor: their race is over. The black flag with an orange disc reports a mechanical problem that endangers others and sends the driver to the pits to have it fixed, after which they may rejoin. Both are shown with a number board, both are black, and confusing them costs a competitor a race they could have finished.
A cross means all ten pins fell to the first ball; a forward slash means it took two. The cross carries two deliveries of bonus and the slash only one, which is why three strikes are needed for a frame to reach thirty.
Doubling intensifies whichever mark is doubled: !! is the highest praise available and ?? the harshest criticism. Read one for the other and you have inverted the annotator's verdict completely.