In chess, a blunder is a very bad move.

It is usually caused by some tactical oversight, whether from time trouble, overconfidence or carelessness. While a blunder may seem like a stroke of luck for the opposing player, some chess players give their opponent plenty of opportunities to blunder. What qualifies as a "blunder" rather than a normal mistake is somewhat subjective. A weak move from a novice player might be explained by the player's lack of skill, while the same move from a master might be called a blunder. In chess annotation, blunders are typically marked with a double question mark, "??", after the move. Especially among amateur and novice players, blunders often occur because of a faulty thought process where they do not consider the opponent's forcing moves. In particular, checks, captures, and threats need to be considered at each move. Neglecting these possibilities leaves a player vulnerable to simple tactical errors.[1] One technique formerly recommended to avoid blunders was to write down the planned move on the scoresheet, then take one last look before making it.[2][3] This practice was not uncommon even at the grandmaster level.[4] However, in 2005 the International Chess Federation (FIDE) banned it, instead requiring that the move be made before being written down.[5][6] The US Chess Federation also implemented this rule, effective as of January 1, 2007 (a change to rule 15A),[7] although it is not universally enforced.