Indian chess Grandmaster D Gukesh has recently hired a renowned mental expert Paddy Upton ahead of his World Championship Championship 2024 clash against China’s Ding Liren. Gukesh qualified for the World Championship after winning the FIDE Candidates earlier this year. Now, he is set to face Chinese grandmaster reigning world champion Liren in the World title match.
Talking about Paddy Upton, he has also worked with the Indian cricket team previously and helped Indian team in clinching the ODI World Cup title in 2011. The renowned mental coach said that he will focus on Gukesh’s sleep cycle to help him recover better from the training. Gukesh and Ding Liren will face each other in the World Championship final in Singapore between 25 November and 13 December.
Chess differs from most sports because the brain’s ability: Paddy Upton
Paddy Upton said that chess has always been different from other sports as the brain functions differently in this game. The mental expert also believes that deep sleep is also crucial for the athletes and help to regenerate mind and learning. Deep sleep is where the body regenerates, which is important for athletes involved in physical sports. However, REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep is essential for regenerating the mind and learning,” Paddy Upton was quoted as saying by India Today
“As fitness gains happen during recovery, gains from learning new information become more deeply embedded during REM sleep. Chess differs from most sports because the brain’s ability to memorise, plan and think is the primary performance tool. 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,” he further added.
