Full annotation of a tournament game
In short
A full annotation includes the opening (where did we leave theory and why), the middlegame plans, the critical moments with variations, and the endgame technique. Write it before using the engine, then correct it.
By the end you can
- Annotate with variations
- Summarise the lesson of each game
The lesson
A full annotation includes the opening (where did we leave theory and why), the middlegame plans, the critical moments with variations, and the endgame technique. Write it before using the engine, then correct it.
Finish with a summary: the main lesson, the opening improvement, and one training task that follows from it. Over a season these summaries form your personal textbook.
Key points to remember
- Annotate opening, plans, critical moments, technique
- Engine only to correct
- One lesson + one task per game
Examples
Show the solution
21. Nxf6+ Qxf6 22. Qxf6 Rxf6 23. Rxd8+
Homework
Fully annotate one tournament game per week.
More game analysis lessons
- Your first game review (Novice)
- Annotate first, engine second (Class F)
- Tracking your mistakes (Class E)
- Learning from model games (Class D)
- Critical moments in your games (Class C)
- The personal mistakes notebook (Class A)