GM Jacob Aagaard - A Deep Dive into Strategic Decision-Making

Video Description

https://killerchesstraining.com/ https://www.newinchess.com/ https://amzn.to/4igE5Qg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Aagaard https://www.chessable.com/author/JacobAagaard/ The Art of Exchanging Pieces:https://www.chessable.com/the-art-of-exchanging-pieces/course/82374/ 🔵 My Chessable Courses: https://chessable.com/drcan ♟️ Find me on Chess.com: DrCanChess ♟️ Find me on Lichess: cantosh 🏆 2022 Chessable Community Author of the Year! https://www.chessable.com/blog/announcing-the-winners-of-the-2022-chessable-awards/ 🏆 2023 Chessable Best Tactics Course of the Year! https://www.chessable.com/fundamental-chess-calculation-skills/course/123333/ 🏆 2024 Chessable Author of the Year! https://www.chessable.com/blog/annoucing-the-winners-of-the-2024-chessable-awards/ Connect on https://bsky.app/profile/drcanchess.bsky.social Connect on https://twitter.com/Drcanchess Go Chessable Pro using this link to support the channel: https://chessable.com/drcanpro 00:00 Intro 02:20 Mastering Chess Exchanges 06:46 Woodpecker Method 13:45 Jacob Tests Me: Position 1 16:28 Jacob Tests Me: Position 2 22:44 Effective Decision-Making 31:46 Jacob Tests Me: Position 3 34:26 Rules/Principles vs. Concepts 40:08 Improving Tactical Vision 47:19 Volume and Focus 55:40 Jacob Tests Me: Position 4 01:05:52 Jacob Tests Me: Position 5 01:12:23 Abdusattorov's Bad Decision 01:13:33 Jacob Analyses His Recent OTB Game 01:30:07 I Test Jacob: Position 1 01:30:58 Chess Instructor's Most Valuable Quality 01:34:34 3 Questions 01:40:44 When We Should Stop Calculating 01:41:50 Gelfand's Almost-Religious Insight 01:48:25 I Test Jacob: Position 2 02:03:20 Why Modern Engines Are Crap 02:07:51 I Test Jacob: Position 3 I had the great pleasure of sitting down with Grandmaster Jacob Aagaard—one of the most prolific chess authors in the world—for a conversation that quickly became one of the most meaningful episodes I’ve recorded. Jacob was incredibly open, thinking out loud through challenging positions and showing what high-level problem-solving really looks like in real time. Jacob and Reiner Castellanos recently published the book 'Mastering Chess Exchanges'. We tested each other with positions—Jacob using exercises involving piece trades, and I brought a few from my upcoming course, Workbook for the Art of Series. We discussed exchanges in depth, including themes like good vs. bad pieces, positional vs. tactical justifications, and how to make sense of tension on the board. What stood out most was Jacob’s emphasis on clarity: how simple questions, if asked at the right moment, can organize your thinking and lead to better decisions. Beyond strategy, we explored how players learn. I shared insights from cognitive science, including how reducing extraneous cognitive load helps players process ideas more efficiently. Jacob spoke about the power of volume and focus—how long-term memory, built through serious, undistracted effort, allows strong players to recognize relevance instantly. If you’ve ever wanted a front-row seat to how a world-class coach thinks about chess, this episode is for you.