Mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton has revealed that a small adjustment in room temperature played a crucial role in helping D Gukesh overcome fatigue during his victorious campaign at the 2024 World Chess Championship.
Indian chess prodigy D Gukesh made history by defeating reigning champion Ding Liren of China in a gripping 14-game battle in Singapore. At just 18 years old, Gukesh became the youngest World Chess Champion, a feat that required not just immense skill but also mental resilience.
Paddy Upton, a key member of Gukesh’s support team, played a vital role in addressing various psychological and physical challenges that arose during the tournament.
The Power of Small Adjustments
In an insightful blog post titled The Winning Mindset, Upton shared five key takeaways from his time working with Gukesh. Among them was the significance of making small but impactful changes.
"As the tournament dragged into its final days, fatigue became as much of a factor as skill," Upton noted.
One particular challenge was Gukesh’s struggle with sleep. The young grandmaster mentioned that he was taking longer than usual to fall asleep, which affected his recovery and performance the next day.
The Game-Changing Solution
Upton and his team revisited Gukesh’s meticulously planned 15-point sleep hygiene routine and identified an area for improvement—adjusting the temperature of his hotel room.
"We found one area of improvement—reducing his hotel room's temperature from 24 degrees C to 22 degrees C. This minor change worked and left his mind and body fresh for when it mattered most," Upton wrote.
This small tweak contributed to Gukesh feeling more well-rested, ensuring he was mentally sharp for the decisive moments of the tournament.
The Philosophy of Continuous Refinement
Upton emphasized that achieving high performance is not always about groundbreaking changes but about refining small details consistently.
"High performance isn’t always about chasing massive breakthroughs," he stated, highlighting the importance of optimizing everyday habits to sustain excellence.
A Legacy of Mental Conditioning Success
Paddy Upton is no stranger to high-pressure sporting events. He was part of the Indian men’s cricket team’s coaching staff during their historic 2011 ICC World Cup victory under M.S. Dhoni’s leadership. His expertise in mental conditioning has proven invaluable across multiple sports, and Gukesh’s success is yet another testament to his approach.
Initially, Upton was hesitant to work with Gukesh. “Somewhere in the middle of 2024, I got a phone call asking if I would consider working with a 17-year-old chess player. Initially, the answer in my head was no,” Upton admitted in a video on his YouTube channel. He explained that he typically works with older athletes who have greater self-awareness and that he had no prior experience in chess.
However, after learning about the unique structure of the chess world and Gukesh’s historic achievement as the youngest-ever winner of the Candidates Tournament, Upton decided to have a conversation with the young Grandmaster. That conversation proved to be a turning point.
“Very soon into that conversation, I realized I was talking with a very special human being,” Upton said. “His ability to self-reflect was remarkable. The quality of his questions, the mental and emotional maturity was so far beyond his years. And it was no surprise that at 17 years old, he was the youngest person ever to win the Candidates.”
A New Challenge in Chess
Upton, who has worked with 19 different sports, including cricket and hockey, admitted that chess presented a unique challenge. Unlike other sports where the body is the primary performance tool, chess relies entirely on the mind. “Chess is the first time where I work with someone whose primary performance tool is the brain,” he said.
Despite his initial uncertainty about the applicability of his methods in chess, Upton was impressed by Gukesh’s clarity and focus. “I said, yes, let’s give it a try. But I really don’t know if my work is that applicable in chess,” he recalled.
By making simple yet effective adjustments, Upton helped Gukesh stay mentally and physically resilient, ultimately guiding him to one of the most prestigious titles in chess history.
