Good book on calculation but not any book!

Hey guys,
I'm at a point where I really want to get rid of the blunders in my game, I know that there's no shortcut around hard work, and I am willing to work, hard, but I believe in the saying I think it's by Michael Jordan "Hard work doesn't make perfect, perfect work makes perfect." So I don't want my practice to be just working on 1000 tactics a day like evryone else does, because I believe working on tactics is just training your mind using the same calculation techniques and habits you already have, and as a new player I'm sure that I have a lot of bad habits and that must be why I make blunders sometimes. My idea is to start working with a book that teaches you calculation techniques first, I want to have perfect technique first, and then train it with solving tactics, I know tactics is like 99% pattern recognition because we're not computers and time is limited, but I don't want to build my game on a weak base and just pile up on that.
So the book I'm looking for is one that teaches you calculation techniques and suggests exercices at the same time. NOT JUST TACTICS.
PS: ...............
(I'm somwhere between 1450 and 1600... not sure as I started chess exactly 12 months ago, and I only started playing OTB tournaments, the first one was a complete disaster (3/7) after a sleepless night, and the second was very okay 6/9 as I beat 2 1500 players and comfortably beat all the below 1500 I played against and lost to 2 1500s and a 1800.)
Thank you in advance

Don't agree with 99 percent tactics as there is more to chess as opening theory and strategy like open files outposts etc. but some have posted here on the forums about a book chess tactics from the scratch. give it a try.

I didn't say chess is 99% tactics, I said tactics are like 99% pattern recognition for us humans.

Thanks for your comment

your right sorry

Thanks I'll check it out! 

You need to be careful, because most chess blunders at amateur level aren't so much bad calculation as simple blindness: we overlook a move.  Calculating more or calculating deeper won't help if you don't notice the move in the first place.  A chess book by itself won't help with that.

Igor Smirnov posted a series of YouTube videos about blunders (his videos are generally excellent, though his guest authors are more hit or miss), and one of his simple recommendations was to always ask "What can I attack?" and "What can my opponent attack?"  If you ask these questions, you will see most simple tactical threats and overcome much of your blindness.

If you are blundering not from just blindness but calculation-related errors, then a book may be helpful.  I believe Kotov gets into the concept of candidate moves, but I'm unsure if his work directly addresses calculation technique itself or if its just decision-making in general.  Jacob Aagard has produced a calculation book recently that has good reviews, but I believe it is for a more advanced audience.

Here's your answer.  It literally is what pushed me up rapidly from 1400 to 1800 back in the 90s.

The book was re-printed in 2014.  The original came out in 1994 I believe.  It's called "The Inner Game of Chess" by Andrew Soltis.  Teaches everything that someone at the 1500 to 1800 level needs to know about calculation.  Then, when you get to about 2000, I suggest the Grandmaster Preparation books, the first of which is on Calculation.  The link for The Inner Game of Chess is below!

https://www.amazon.com/Inner-Game-Chess-How-Calculate/dp/1936277603/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=910E6J6MP1FG86NBKPJ1

"Grandmaster Preparation: Calculation" by Jacob Aagaard...

https://www.amazon.com/Grandmaster-Preparation-Calculation-Jacob-Aagaard/dp/1907982302/ref=wl_mb_wl_huc_mrai_2_dp?ie=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1907982302&pd_rd_r=0Q4SKTV08BRY49YRYBWD&pd_rd_w=s8ZHy&pd_rd_wg=K38dC

Check out "Chess Tactics from Scratch: Understanding Chess Tactics" by Martin Weteschnik. This is not your typical tactics book, but instead is a relatively advanced (for a beginner) course in chess tactics and combinations, focusing on methodologies for analyzing tactics. The uniqueness of the book is that the author attempts to systematize the process of examining any position in order to determine if certain conditions exist which would make the position amenable to a given type of tactic. The tactical themes are arranged by chapter.

As a beginner, I know the answer well (because I checked about 14,15 books in my college library). Do you have a specific first move that you love to play but not yet a specific opening? (1.e4 vs 1.d4 for example). If you do, "Starting Out: 1.e4" or "Starting out: 1d4!" may serve you well.

If you already have a specific opening to study, then I suggest either "Pawn Structure Chess" or "Chess Structure". They provide you specific tasks/plans for each side after the first 5-7 mainline opening moves.

If you already know your basic task/plan, then tell me, do you prefer strategy (pawn structure, positional play) that take time and patience or tactics? If you prefer tactics, I suggest "Planning After the Opening", it gives you the idea about how to set up a tactics, like "lure" his piece into your trap.

If you prefer strategy, I suggest "Planning in the Middlegame". It shows you how to evaluate your pieces and how to improve them.

If you think your only problem is careless move, not strategy or tactics, then "Is Your Move Safe" or "Danger in Chess" should be what you are looking for.

If you believe that your blunders is caused by weak sense of danger, then "Invisible Chess Moves" train you well.

Have fun and Good luck

https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7676.pdf

https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7752.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708091717/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review851.pdf

https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/Chess-Tactics-Scratch-excerpt.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708233835/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review457.pdf

http://www.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Grandmaster-Preparation-Calculation-77p3705.htm

https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/CALCULATION-excerpt.pdf

http://www.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Inner-Game-of-Chess-The-77p3897.htm

The GM Preperation: Calculation book is too advanced for his level at this time!  He should go with the Soltis book.  This is something he should be reading in like, 3 years!

I agree that Aagaard's Calculation book is very advanced, and generally not appropriate for the beginner-novice.  Although it appears you did recommend the title (without specifying the author) in your comments above?

Ok 97.5% then

Yeah, I purposely left out that URL so as not to encourage the purchase right away.  Just threw out the tidbit so that he can research it when time became appropriate.

At this point in time, "The Inner Game Of Chess" is far more appropriate, and the one he should be buying today, hence the link.

I heard about this book,  I think I don't have it yet.  In any case. I'm a big fan of learning by spaced repetition. This is why I would rather take a book which can be reviewed in Chessable.  I will nevertheless have a look at Soltis' book.