Paddy Upton: The Mind Behind D Gukesh's Historic World Chess Championship Triumph

From the cricket field to the hockey pitch, Paddy Upton has carved a legacy as a master of mental conditioning. His latest feather in the cap comes from the chess board, where he played a pivotal role in helping Indian Grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju claim the World Chess Championship title on Thursday, becoming the youngest world champion in history. At just 18 years old, Gukesh's victory against reigning champion Ding Liren of China marked a monumental achievement, as he became only the second Indian, after Viswanathan Anand, to hold the title.

Behind the scenes of this incredible feat was Upton, the South African mental conditioning expert renowned for shaping champions across disciplines.

The collaboration between Upton and Gukesh began in mid-2024, facilitated by Anand and WestBridge-Anand Chess Academy (WACA). Recognising the mental challenges of competitive chess, WACA sought an expert to prepare Gukesh for the psychological rigours of a high-stakes World Championship. Sandeep Singhal, WACA's co-founder, identified Upton as the ideal fit due to his stellar track record with elite athletes.

Though Gukesh already had a formidable team of chess experts, including Polish gMs Grzegorz Gajewski and Jan-Krzysztof Duda, India's Pentala Harikrishna and German GM Vincent Keymer, the mentorship of Vishnu Prasanna besides the guidance of Viswanathan Anand, it was clear that a mental conditioning coach was essential for the young prodigy to excel at the highest level.

"We always discussed psychology as a prominent feature, even in our training. And to bring in somebody with the expertise of Paddy (Upton) was very important. It was arrived by Vishy (Viswanathan Anand) and WACA (WestBridge Anand Chess Academy). I had a book written