The chessboard whisperers

One of the more interesting aspects of Gukesh Dommaraju's successful campaign for the world championship was the induction of Paddy Upton as part of his team.

- DEVANGSHU DATTA

The South African is a former first-class cricketer and rugby international. He's also worked as a strength and conditioning coach.

But his real credentials are as a mental coach, a head whisperer who's worked across 20 different sports and esports. Indians may recall Upton as part of the outfit that supported the winning squad in the 2011 cricket World Cup, and as a consultant with the hockey team that won bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Upton has also authored a bestseller, The Barefoot Coach: Life-changing insights from working with the world's best cricketers, which is now likely to become a cult classic on the chess circuit.

Upton is a self-confessed beginner at chess. When he was approached by Gukesh's sponsor in May, he was hesitant though intrigued. He had never worked at a sport where, as he says, the mind is the main performance tool. But he felt the principles for improving performance in any sport are probably similar.