Gukesh ropes in mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton for World Chess C'ship

In chess, nothing matters more than mastering the mind - and Indian chess’s blue-eyed boy, D Gukesh, has taken that to heart.

As Gukesh prepares for the high-stake FIDE World Chess Championship against Ding Liren of China, he has roped in renowned South African mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton, reported Indian Express.

The World Championship match will be held at Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore from November 25 to December 14.

Gukesh qualified for the World Championship after winning the FIDE Candidates at The Great Hall in Toronto, Canada in April this year.

In September, in a seminal moment for Indian chess, Gukesh, continuing his dazzling form, played a pivotal role in India's Chess Olympiad victory in Budapest, Hungary. 18-year-old Gukesh's 3000+ rating performance at the Olympiad was the highest. Gukesh was among the four Indians who won individual gold at the event.

Upton is a familiar name in Indian sports. He worked with the 2011 World Cup winning Indian cricket team, and several other Indian Premier League teams subsequently.

Upton's most recent work in Indian sports came with the Indian men's hockey team. He worked with Indian players on strengthening their mental health. India won a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. It was Indian hockey's second medal in a row at the Olympics.

With Gukeh being relatively inexperienced and the youngest-ever challenger for the title of World Champion, he is currently honing his mental abilities, under the guidance of Upton, for the marathon match, featuring 14 games.

As per the report, Upton has been working with Gukesh for the last four months.

What would be Upton's role?

One of the key elements of Upton's work with Gukesh will be helping the Grandmaster master his mind and play as a relaxed professional against Liren, who won the Championship last year.

“Everything can be right in the lead-up to the big moments of performance, but if the arrow is not sharp, it won’t penetrate the bullseye. Similarly, you might have a golfer whose game is perfect, but things go wrong if they’ve got a limp wrist at the moment of impact. I think there is now more recognition in the world of sport of how mental gains can reduce these moments,” Upton was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.

With Gukesh, the World No. 5 in the Open category and the top-ranked player in the junior section, in great form, he is being tipped as the favourite for the World Championship title. He will aim to break India's 12-year wait for the World Championship title.

Ding Liren, who has been out of form in the FIDE tournaments, is currently ranked 21st, 16 places behind Gukesh.

The last and only Indian to win the prestigious title is legendary Viswanathan Anand, who won the Championship in 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2012, respectively.

Gukesh will aspire to become the second Indian chess player to win the title.