The cat is out of the bag
February 7th, 2017
No comments
Hi guys, what are you planning to do this spring. Here is my plans…
Categories: Authors in Action, Jacob Aagaard's training tips
Archive
Author Archive
Long awaited publishing schedule
February 6th, 2017
468 comments
Hi guys,
This is a brief publishing schedule. Just wanted to answer a few of the recurrent questions you have been coming with recently. Hope it helps.
| Vassilios Kotronias | King’s Indian – Volume 5 | Spring |
| Axel Smith | e3 Poison | Spring |
| Tibor Karolyi | Mikhail Tal’s best games 3 – The Invincible | Spring |
| Jacob Aagaard | Thinking Inside the Box | Spring |
| John Shaw | Playing 1.e4 – Sicilian & French | Spring |
| Nikos Ntirlis | Playing 1.d4 d5 – A Classical Repertoire | Spring |
| Parimarjan Negi | 1.e4 vs Minor Defences | Summer |
| Mihail Marin | GM Rep – Pirc | Summer |
| Esben Lund | Sharp Endgames | Summer |
| Boris Avrukh | GM Repertoire 2A | Summer |
| Carl Portman | Chess Behind Bars | Summer |
| Boris Gelfand | Technical Decision Making in Chess | Winter |
Categories: Publishing Schedule
Vlog 9 – Wiijk aan Zee and Hanging Pawns from Playing 1.d4 d5
January 24th, 2017
18 comments
After a (quite long!) break we are back!
In this video Jacob shows two interesting positions. The first is a simple positional decision (taken wrongly) and the second one a brilliant tactical combination.
Nikos is showing two hanging pawns examples from his upcoming book “Playing 1.d4 d5”
The pgn file can be downloaded here.
Categories: Vlog
Forward Chess Pricing
January 23rd, 2017
No comments
We have to admit that we are fixated on writing books and don’t know much about the price systems out of our control. But we looked into it after Apple changed their prices in the UK, India and Turkey. Apparently £1 = $1, because the British voters are erratic. Let’s not go there. Looking at xe.com at this moment, £1 = $1.24.
On top of this, the UK charges full VAT on electronic books, 20%. So you arrive at £19.99. As suggested by someone on this blog: Buy the hardback.
We are outside control on this issue with IOS devices. But not necessarily so with Android, as Forward Chess explains:
“1. Apple – there is nothing we can for one country. Once we specify the ‘tier’, all country prices get filled in automatically. You can pick any tier you wish, for any book.
2. Android – when we set up a new book, we specify the USD price and then convert other currencies. Unless we hit this ‘convert’ button later on, the prices do not change.
That’s why you may see different GBP prices for different books where the USD price is the same.
The bottom line – in Android, we can specify any price, for any book, for any local currency.”
We will do just that.
Categories: Forward Chess
Vlog update – we will be back
January 16th, 2017
44 comments
Hi guys! Sorry that there has been a bit silent on the blog lately. John is as always pulled in 27 directions at once. Nikos has been ill and is finishing his book, Playing 1.d4 d5. Finally, I was in America where I managed to play a friendly blitz game with the World no. 4 and play on stage with one of the greatest guitarists of our time… Read more…
Categories: Publishing Schedule
Luther’s Chess Reformation
December 16th, 2016
8 comments
The book is already out on Forward Chess and will be published in physical form on Wednesday (available in chess book shops everywhere!). I managed to have a chat with Thomas about the book in general. Unfortunately I am still in my early days in learning to use this software. Nikos said I forgot to click on bottom, which meant I look a bit slimmer than usual! Apparently it is not that bad…
The Pgn can be found here. There are no variations this week though…
Categories: Authors in Action, Publishing Schedule
The Prize is going out any moment…
December 14th, 2016
10 comments
These will be sent to the winner of the quiz today. 
Categories: Prizes
Doing something difficult
December 13th, 2016
9 comments
I put this on Facebook before realising that it also belongs here.
When you are trying to do something really difficult, it is important to use all of the resources and techniques you have available. Here are a few:
1) Have a plan to follow. It does not have to be too tight, for most people it is better if it is not. But something that tells you what the next step is at all possible moments. A simple daily or weekly routine is ideal.
2) Allow it to take the time it takes. As long as you are following your plan, you are succeeding. Putting an arbitrary deadline on your goal will make you a failure until you make it and be dispiriting when you get there.
3) Keep a track of your progress. Where there is a way, there is will. Once you see progress happening, you will get energized.
4) Find ways to improve your habits; use substitutions to change them. If you are fighting yourself, you will have much less time and energy to overcome the challenge of your goal.
5) Make things easy. Find whatever pattern and technique you can to make things easier.
6) You will lose your way. Get back on track quickly. Smokers on average try 8 times before they manage to quit. Overcoming your own bad habits will be hard.
7) Make yourself accountable for others. Ideally, get into a situation where others will gain from your success and lose out in case of your failure. An intelligent bet can solve this.
8) Don’t go it alone. Find someone who can support you. A gently push when you are losing momentum can be the difference between success and failure. Knowing that someone cares is often everyone.
9) Almost forgot. This is probably the most important. When you are working on your goal, you need to work on it with focus and attention. Too many times we watch the clock and think of when we have “done enough”. It is important that you work hard when you work; you can always play hard afterwards. Work before play, baby.
I am 51% of the way to my goal. More than half way. I am very determined. I have a strong routine. I follow it, thus succeeding on a daily basis. I track everything and can see the progress clearly. I have changed a lot of bad habits, not always at the speed I wanted, and not all of them yet, but enough for it to make a difference. I found easy ways to commit and have made it hard to cancel. I don’t stop for a moment when I go in the wrong direction. I turn around and keep focus. I never get disappointed with myself; I know all big achievements come hard. I have found people to help me and as I progress, I tell more and more people about my goal. I have found a World class bet. One I cannot get out of with any dignity without winning it. And someone saw that I was trying hard and took me under the wing. All I had to do was accept the help offered.
The most important point is that it took me six-seven months to get through the first 25% of the goal and six weeks to get through the next 25%. As the routine is getting stronger, as the faith is growing, I am now on a path that will likely lead to success. And beyond.
When I am done, I shall gladly tell you all about it.
Categories: Jacob Aagaard's training tips
Recent Comments