---
title: "Thinking process in chess"
url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/thinking-process.md"
canonical_url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/thinking-process"
last_updated: "2026-11-07"
type: "reference"
summary: "A thinking process is a consistent order of questions you follow on each move. A thinking process is simply a repeatable way of deciding."
related: ["https://georgelichess.com/glossary/candidate-moves.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/blunder-check-habit.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/calculation.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/strategic-plan.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/time-management.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/chess-psychology.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/training-psychology.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md"]
---

# Thinking process in chess

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A thinking process is a consistent order of questions you follow on each move. A thinking process is simply a repeatable way of deciding.

A thinking process is a consistent order of questions you follow on each move, from assessing the position and opponent's threats to choosing candidates and checking your choice, so decisions are less random.

A thinking process is simply a repeatable way of deciding. Without one, moves come from impulse, and quality varies from move to move. With one, even a tired player has a floor.

A workable version runs in a few steps. First, look at what the opponent just did and what it threatens. Second, assess the position: material, [king safety](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/king-safety.md), active and passive pieces, pawn structure. Third, choose a few [candidate moves](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/candidate-moves.md), forcing ones first. Fourth, calculate the critical lines. Fifth, run a last [blunder check](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/blunder-check.md) before playing.

Players often stumble by skipping the first step, answering their own plan instead of the opponent's idea. Others spend all their effort on step four and none on the assessment, calculating deeply in a position they have misread. The process should also flex: in a quiet position the plan matters more, while in a sharp one [calculation](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/calculation.md) does.

The practical habit is to keep the routine small enough to use every move, then review games for the step you skipped before each [mistake](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/mistake.md). Over time, the questions become part of how you see the board, and the extra seconds buy fewer blunders.

Also called: thought process.

It sits close to [Blunder check habit](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/blunder-check-habit.md). A blunder check habit is a short, fixed routine run before every move, asking what the opponent threatens and whether the intended move leaves anything undefended, to catch one-move oversights.

A neighboring idea is [Time management](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/time-management.md). Time management in chess is the skill of spending clock time where it matters most, thinking longer in critical positions and moving quickly in routine ones, so that you never face a decisive position with seconds left.

Training ideas such as "Thinking process" work best with a plan built for you, and the [first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md) with George Li produces one from your own games.

## Related terms

- [Candidate moves](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/candidate-moves.md)
- [Blunder check habit](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/blunder-check-habit.md)
- [Calculation](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/calculation.md)
- [Strategic plan](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/strategic-plan.md)
- [Time management](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/time-management.md)
- [Chess psychology](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/chess-psychology.md)

## Guides that go further

- [How to choose a chess coach](https://georgelichess.com/how-to-choose-a-chess-coach.md): What to decide first, the questions to ask, what a first lesson should show and the red flags to avoid.
- [How much does chess coaching cost?](https://georgelichess.com/chess-coaching-cost.md): Published rates for private, group and subscription chess coaching, with the source and the date of each.
- [The first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md): A game review, a read on your level and a written study plan from George Li.

[Book your first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book.md) and George Li reviews your games and builds a study plan around them. Questions about lessons: write to hello@georgelichess.com.

## Related

- [Candidate moves in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/candidate-moves.md)
- [Blunder check habit in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/blunder-check-habit.md)
- [Calculation in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/calculation.md)
- [Strategic plan in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/strategic-plan.md)
- [Time management in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/time-management.md)
- [Chess psychology](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/chess-psychology.md)
- [Chess terms: Training and psychology](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/training-psychology.md)
- [Chess terms glossary: plain definitions](https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md)