Weak-point annotation symbol

In international chess annotation, × means weak point. A weak point is a positional feature that is hard to defend or open to repeated attack. It may be a square the opponent can occupy, a pawn needing protection, a poorly placed piece, or even an entire sector of the board.

The mark directs attention to a strategic target, but it does not prove that an immediate combination exists, meaning a concrete move sequence that gains something through tactics. Nor does it guarantee that the target will fall. Exploiting it may require improving pieces, preventing defenses, or creating a second target. It often appears beside a square or inside commentary that identifies the weakness.

It should not be confused with the capture x in algebraic notation, as in Bxe5. The weak-point mark is normally the multiplication character × and acts as commentary; the capture x is part of a written move.