How 2011 Cricket World Cup coach Paddy Upton shaped D Gukesh's Chess Championship win

Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh (L) listens to Physical trainer and mental-conditioning coach Paddy Upton, D Gukesh (Pic: AFP)

Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh on Thursday became the youngest world chess champion at 18 years after beating title-holder Ding Liren in the last game of a nerve-wracking showdown to herald a new era of dominance for the country's chess players.

Taking forward the incredible legacy of the great Viswanathan Anand, Gukesh became only the second Indian to clinch the coveted prize after the iconic player, who owned the crown five times in his career.

Following his historic win, Gukesh credited his team of coaches, seconds, and training partners for their unwavering support throughout his preparation. Among the key members of his team was mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton, whose work behind the scenes helped Gukesh stay mentally strong and focused during the intense World Chess Championship game.

Besides Upton, the team included Polish grandmasters Grzegorz Gajewski and Radosław Wojtaszek, Indian chess stalwart Pentala Harikrishna, German prodigy Vincent Keymer, and Polish stars Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Jan Klimkowski.

Also Read: Gujrathi hails Gukesh's World Championship title win, predicts boost for chess

Upton is no stranger to the Indian sporting landscape. The South African-born mental coach has had a remarkable career, working with the Indian men's cricket team during their victorious 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup campaign and later with the Indian men's hockey team, helping them win the bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

In an interview following Gukesh's world title victory, Upton revealed the depth of his work with the young chess champion. 'Mental coach Paddy Upton says he's spoken to Gukesh once a week for the last 6 months, with the plan to have him so ready no contact was needed during the match. He says a big mistake players make is to think they need to do something completely different in their 1st huge event', read a tweet by Chess24.

Gukesh secured the requisite 7.5 points as against 6.5 of his Chinese rival after winning the 14th and last classical time control game of the match that seemed headed for a draw for most part. As winner, he will walk away with a whopping USD 1.3 million (approx Rs 11.03 crore) from the 2.5 million prize purse.

"I was dreaming this moment for the last 10 years. I am happy that I realised the dream (and made it) into reality," the soft-spoken Chennai-lad told reporters after the historic triumph.

(With inputs from agencies)