Grandmaster Preparation - Thinking Inside the Box by Jacob Aagaard (hardcover)

This Grandmaster Preparation - Thinking Inside the Box by Jacob Aagaard is an English-language hardcover chess book and the final volume in the respected Grandmaster Preparation series. It focuses on practical thinking at the board: making better decisions, analysing your own play and training with more purpose.

Rather than offering another narrow set of variations or positions, Jacob Aagaard uses this book to bring together the ideas developed across the series and show how they work in real games. That makes Thinking Inside the Box a strong choice for players who want to improve their decision-making process and understand their mistakes more clearly.

What the book covers

This final volume ties together themes from the earlier books on calculation, positional play, strategy, attack and defence, and endgame play. Among the topics Aagaard explores are:

• chess psychology,
• the four types of decisions made during a game,
• play in simple positions,
• what calculation really is,
• how to analyse your own games,
• and other practical aspects of chess improvement.

The strength of the book is its broad approach. Instead of focusing on just one training area, it shows how different parts of preparation affect the quality of your moves over the board. If you are looking for a chess book about thinking, training and self-improvement, this is a very relevant title to consider.

About the author and the series

Jacob Aagaard is a grandmaster and one of the most respected chess authors working today. He won the British Championship on his first and only attempt, and his writing has received major awards including the Boleslavsky Medal, ACP, Guardian, ECF and ChessCafe Book of the Year honours. He has trained grandmasters from four continents and has helped players succeed from school events and national championships all the way to the World Cup, Candidates and Olympic gold medals. The Grandmaster Preparation series runs to more than 2,000 pages in total.

Edition information

• Language: English
• Binding: hardcover
• Page count: 408
• Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-907982-35-4
• Hardcover publication date: 7 June 2017
• Paperback ISBN: 978-1-907982-34-7
• Paperback publication date: 17 January 2018

At over 400 pages, this is a substantial study book for players who want a deeper look at practical decision-making.

Key details

• Product type: hardcover chess book
• Series: Grandmaster Preparation
• Title: Thinking Inside the Box
• Author: Jacob Aagaard
• Scope: practical chess thinking, decision-making, self-analysis and training
• Series position: final volume in the Grandmaster Preparation series
• Page count: 408
• Binding: hardcover