Gukesh's calm heart rate shows unshaken composure under intense pressure

When his quarter-final match against World No. 2 Fabiano Caruana of the Freestyle Grand Slam Chess Tour at Weissenhaus took place, World Chess Champion Gukesh Dommaraju was as calm as a cucumber.

Though he had nearly a minute of his clock left and overwhelming pressure piling up against him, Gukesh was sporting a heart rate of between 60-80 beats per minute (BPM).

Meanwhile, Caruana's heart rate fluctuated between 100 and 124 BPM as an indication of his heightened stress level in the arduous game.

The much-awaited game saw Gukesh being on the back foot as sustained pressure was mounted by Caruana.

During a moment when there were 11 seconds left on his clock, Gukesh made a move that transformed the game, his heart rate staying stable at 74 BPM.

Even towards the final moments of the game, when he had just two seconds remaining, his heart rate rose only to 78 BPM, demonstrating his immense mental fortitude. Conversely, Caruana saw his heart rate jump dramatically, hitting 124 BPM as he struggled with the anxiety-ridden endgame.

Gukesh's calmness was one of the talking points for commentators and fellow grandmasters.

Commentator David Howell was left astonished at Gukesh's constant heart rate, which made Caruana react in shock, saying, "His was around 70? That's very good. Magnus's heart rate is not raised much either." Caruana also reminisced about himself, recalling when his heart rate had risen to 170 BPM during a nervous game against Levon Aronian, emphasizing how rare it is for Gukesh to be so calm.

The heart rate measurements at the tournament showed the psychology of chess in a most unique manner.

Though all top grandmasters had elevated heart rates during tense moments, Gukesh did not flinch, showing how much control he had over his emotions and thoughts.

Even at extreme levels of stress, his heart rate remained at around 74 BPM, which speaks volumes about his extraordinary skill to remain present in the moment.