Here is a Jacob Aagaard–style weekly training plan, inspired by the training philosophy of Jacob Aagaard and his work in the Grandmaster Preparation.

This plan is designed for serious improvement players (1400–2200 level) and focuses on deep calculation, structured thinking, and mental discipline.

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♟ Jacob Aagaard–Style Weekly Training Plan

Goal: Improve calculation, decision-making, and thinking discipline
Daily Time: 60–90 minutes
Rest Day: 1 day per week

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🔹 Monday – Deep Calculation Session (90 mins)

• 3–4 very difficult positions

• Spend 20–25 minutes per position

• No moving pieces

• Write down full variations

• Evaluate final position clearly

After solving:

• Compare with solution

• Identify where calculation failed (candidate move? evaluation? visualization?)

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🔹 Tuesday – Candidate Move Training (60 mins)

• Take 5 complex middlegame positions

• Step 1: List 3–4 candidate moves

• Step 2: Calculate each briefly

• Step 3: Select best move and justify

Focus: Quality of candidate selection

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🔹 Wednesday – Endgame Calculation (75 mins)

Study calculation-heavy endgames:

• Rook endings

• Pawn races

• Minor piece endgames

Work from:

• Grandmaster Preparation: Calculation

• Or advanced endgame manuals

Goal: Precise calculation with minimal pieces (no guessing).

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🔹 Thursday – Attacking Calculation (60–75 mins)

Solve attacking positions where:

• King safety is critical

• Forcing moves dominate

Focus on:

• Checks first

• Forcing lines

• Defensive resources

Calculate until the position becomes quiet.

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🔹 Friday – Practical Game Simulation (90 mins)

• Take one classical game position

• Think 15–20 minutes per critical move

• Write down thinking process

Afterwards:

• Compare with master move

• Understand why your evaluation differed

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🔹 Saturday – Error Analysis & Reflection (60 mins)

Review:

• Mistakes from week’s exercises

• Blunders from recent tournament games

Ask:

• Did I miss a candidate move?

• Did I stop calculating too early?

• Was evaluation incorrect?

This is critical in Aagaard’s system.

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🔹 Sunday – Rest or Light Study

• Light strategic reading

• Review model games

• No heavy calculation

Mental recovery is essential.

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📌 Coaching Instructions (Very Important)

As a coach:

• Do NOT allow moving pieces during calculation

• Encourage writing full variations

• Reward correct thinking process, not quick answers

• Increase difficulty gradually

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🎯 Key Principles from Aagaard

1. Hard positions > easy tactics

2. Struggle builds strength

3. Calculation is a skill, not talent

4. Honest self-criticism is essential

5. Deep work beats fast solving