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

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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.