“An amazing book.”

GM Vidit Gujrathi, ChessBase India (full review)

“Grandmaster Jacob Aagaard is one of the world’s premier chess writers and trainers and Grand Master Preparation: Thinking Inside the Box is the sixth and final volume in his self-improvement series of over 2000 pages that is without equal.

The contents of previous books in the series (Calculation, Positional Play, Strategic Play, Attack and Defense and Endgame Play) were largely explained by their titles, but Thinking Inside the Box, arguably the best of the bunch, covers a wider variety of topics… Highly Recommended.”

IM John Donaldson

“With his latest work, “Thinking Inside The Box”, Jacob Aagaard closes the Grandmaster Preparation series and links the predecessors in a very entertaining way, while also introducing new facets. It reminded me of the Scottish tradition of entertaining authors, such as Paul Motwani and Jonathan Rowson, who knew how to entertain in a very personal way, but also gave a lot of chess knowledge.

The level is not too high and every chess friend can take something from the book… For me this is a very strong book.”

IM Dirk Schuh

“Thinking Inside the Box is an immensely rich book…

Very few chess books have stuck with me the way that Thinking Inside the Box has. I think it is Aagaard’s finest work, filled with useful insights, and I find myself reflecting on it frequently as I play and study.”

John Hartmann, Chess Life (full review)

“The Grandmaster Preparation series previously included five parts on Calculation, Positional Play, Strategic Play, Attack and Defence and Endgame Play. The apotheosis is now published: Thinking Inside the Box.

Anyone who takes the trouble to read more than 400 pages, from whatever level, will encounter topics that he or she may never have thought about.”

Bab Wilders, Nederlands Dagblad