The Dhoni Connection: Here’s How India’s 2011 Coach Inspired Gukesh to Win the World Chess Championship

Indian grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju quickly mentioned that former India cricket captain MS Dhoni was his “idol” while growing up, after winning the World Chess Championship on Thursday by defeating title-holder Ding Liren of China in the final game. There’s also another connection to cricket, or Dhoni, in the 18-year-old’s historic win in Singapore.

Gukesh’s Chess Journey: The Dhoni Connection

Competing in any major tournaments at a young of 18 can be more of a mental challenge than a skill test. In 2013, 23-year-old Magnus Carlsen, during his first World Championship against Vishwanathan Anand, felt his hands shaking. Anand also noted that high-pressure matches often cause self-doubt and panic.

After winning the Candidates tournament, Gukesh sought a mental conditioning coach and contacted Paddy Upton, a South African who had worked with the Indian cricket team from 2008-2011, helping them win the ODI World Cup under Dhoni. It has to be noted that a few months ago Paddy Upton also coached the Indian men’s hockey team a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Gukesh incurred two setbacks en route to becoming the youngest-ever world champion. He lost the opening round and later was handed a reality check by the Chinese in the 12th game, shortly after sneaking a lead with a win in the 11th game. But Gukesh bounced back splendidly on both occasions, especially in the final moments of the 14th game, where he admitted that he was late in realising Liren’s blunder with the rook move to claim the title.

How Gukesh Prepared for the World Chess Championship

After Gukesh won the World Championship, Upton, speaking to a leading media explained the Indian grandmaster’s preparation for the match. He explained:

“If you want to do well in an exam or test, you need to study the whole book exceptionally well. Then you can go into that exam with confidence. You don’t go in with hope,” he said. “And in terms of studying the whole book for a World Chess Championship title, Gukesh has studied the whole book. In every minor bit of detail, down to how he manages his sleep, how he manages his downtime, to how he manages himself moment to moment within a game. We’re seeing an exceptionally well-prepared professional.”

Upton didn’t share specific details of Gukesh’s mental preparation over the past six months but mentioned they focused on the small details of his strategies. During the three weeks of the World Championship, Upton helped Gukesh manage his time for sleep, eating, and exercise. This preparation showed in the match, as Gukesh often spent time meditating with his eyes closed, leaving Liren unsure of his reactions.

“We’ve discussed in minute detail about both cases: when he’s making his decisions about the moves to make and at the same time, how he’s managing himself and his mind while his opponent is busy planning his move,” added Upton.

“Other aspects of his strategy we’ve discussed is how to manage himself when he’s ahead in the game; how to manage himself when he might be behind in the game or under pressure within a game. We’ve discussed how he would manage himself if he’s ahead in the tournament, like one game up; if he’s behind, if he’s got a 6-6 position. So not only just within a game, but within the championship as a whole, it’s very clear strategies of how to manage himself when behind, when level and when ahead.”

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