Standard NAG values

Standard NAG (Numeric Annotation Symbol) values defined in the PGN standard are:

1 Good move (!)
2 Poor move (?)
3 Excellent move (!!)
4 Blunder (??)
5 Interesting move (!?)
6 Dubious move (?!)
7 Forced move
8 Singular move; no reasonable alternatives
9 Worst move
10 Drawish position (=)
11 Equal chances, quiet position (=)
12 Equal chances, active position (=)
13 Unclear position (~)
14 White has a slight advantage (+=)
15 Black has a slight advantage (=+)
16 White has a moderate advantage (+/-)
17 Black has a moderate advantage (-/+)
18 White has a decisive advantage (+-)
19 Black has a decisive advantage (-+)
20 White has a crushing advantage (+-)
21 Black has a crushing advantage (-+)
22 White is in zugzwang
23 Black is in zugzwang
24 White has a slight space advantage
25 Black has a slight space advantage
26 White has a moderate space advantage
27 Black has a moderate space advantage
28 White has a decisive space advantage
29 Black has a decisive space advantage
30 White has a slight time (development) advantage
31 Black has a slight time (development) advantage
32 White has a moderate time (development) advantage
33 Black has a moderate time (development) advantage
34 White has a decisive time (development) advantage
35 Black has a decisive time (development) advantage
36 White has the initiative
37 Black has the initiative
38 White has a lasting initiative
39 Black has a lasting initiative
40 White has the attack
41 Black has the attack
42 White has insufficient compensation for material deficit
43 Black has insufficient compensation for material deficit
44 White has sufficient compensation for material deficit
45 Black has sufficient compensation for material deficit
46 White has more than adequate compensation for material deficit
47 Black has more than adequate compensation for material deficit
48 White has a slight center control advantage
49 Black has a slight center control advantage
50 White has a moderate center control advantage
51 Black has a moderate center control advantage
52 White has a decisive center control advantage
53 Black has a decisive center control advantage
54 White has a slight kingside control advantage
55 Black has a slight kingside control advantage
56 White has a moderate kingside control advantage
57 Black has a moderate kingside control advantage
58 White has a decisive kingside control advantage
59 Black has a decisive kingside control advantage
60 White has a slight queenside control advantage
61 Black has a slight queenside control advantage
62 White has a moderate queenside control advantage
63 Black has a moderate queenside control advantage
64 White has a decisive queenside control advantage
65 Black has a decisive queenside control advantage
66 White has a vulnerable first rank
67 Black has a vulnerable first rank
68 White has a well protected first rank
69 Black has a well protected first rank
70 White has a poorly protected king
71 Black has a poorly protected king
72 White has a well protected king
73 Black has a well protected king
74 White has a poorly placed king
75 Black has a poorly placed king
76 White has a well placed king
77 Black has a well placed king
78 White has a very weak pawn structure
79 Black has a very weak pawn structure
80 White has a moderately weak pawn structure
81 Black has a moderately weak pawn structure
82 White has a moderately strong pawn structure
83 Black has a moderately strong pawn structure
84 White has a very strong pawn structure
85 Black has a very strong pawn structure
86 White has poor knight placement
87 Black has poor knight placement
88 White has good knight placement
89 Black has good knight placement
90 White has poor bishop placement
91 Black has poor bishop placement
92 White has good bishop placement
93 Black has good bishop placement
94 White has poor rook placement
95 Black has poor rook placement
96 White has good rook placement
97 Black has good rook placement
98 White has poor queen placement
99 Black has poor queen placement
100 White has good queen placement
101 Black has good queen placement
102 White has poor piece coordination
103 Black has poor piece coordination
104 White has good piece coordination
105 Black has good piece coordination
106 White has played the opening very poorly
107 Black has played the opening very poorly
108 White has played the opening poorly
109 Black has played the opening poorly
110 White has played the opening well
111 Black has played the opening well
112 White has played the opening very well
113 Black has played the opening very well
114 White has played the middlegame very poorly
115 Black has played the middlegame very poorly
116 White has played the middlegame poorly
117 Black has played the middlegame poorly
118 White has played the middlegame well
119 Black has played the middlegame well
120 White has played the middlegame very well
121 Black has played the middlegame very well
122 White has played the ending very poorly
123 Black has played the ending very poorly
124 White has played the ending poorly
125 Black has played the ending poorly
126 White has played the ending well
127 Black has played the ending well
128 White has played the ending very well
129 Black has played the ending very well
130 White has slight counterplay
131 Black has slight counterplay
132 White has moderate counterplay
133 Black has moderate counterplay
134 White has decisive counterplay
135 Black has decisive counterplay
136 White has moderate time control pressure
137 Black has moderate time control pressure
138 White has severe time control pressure
139 Black has severe time control pressure

Other proposed NAG values for Chess Informant publication symbols include:

140 With the idea ...
141 Aimed against ...
142 Better move
143 Worse move
144 Equivalent move
145 Editor's Remark ("RR")
146 Novelty ("N")
147 Weak point
148 Endgame
149 Line
150 Diagonal
151 White has a pair of Bishops
152 Black has a pair of Bishops
153 Bishops of opposite color
154 Bishops of same color

Other suggested values are:

190 Etc.
191 Doubled pawns
192 Isolated pawn
193 Connected pawns
194 Hanging pawns
195 Backwards pawn

Symbols defined by scidCommunity for its own use are:

201 Diagram ("D", sometimes denoted "#")

(Updated: scidCommunity, February 2026)