Mental resilience and calm focus are a must for chess players
Eighteen-year-old Gukesh Dommaraju from Chennai recently became the youngest World Chess Champion, defeating 32-year-old Grand Master Ding Liern. The analyses of the legendary and nail-biting 14 series games showed strong mental resilience and razor-sharp, yet “calm focus” displayed by both players. By all accounts, yoga, and meditation have been an integral part of Dommaraju’s regiment cultivating mental strength! Why am I not surprised?
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As a yoga teacher, I often interact with avid and budding seven to 13-year-old chess players. So, I often resort to chess-related examples to discuss yoga philosophy with this cohort. By no means do I coach on developing a resilient chess mentality; rather, my goal is to help these kids simply internalize the learnings of yoga and yogic philosophy by using the analogy of a chess game.
Focus and concentration development are naturally derived from yoga practice, so every now and then a keen chess-playing-yoga student of mine will mention how yoga helped them navigate their relationship with chess and the pressures that come with the game, especially when competing at tournaments.
Here are some examples of how chess players can employ yoga and yogic philosophy to develop that sharp, yet calm focus.
Mindful breathing and meditation
Pranayama, or long intentional inhales and exhales are central to yoga practice. Such long and mindful breathing techniques help us stay calm, composed, and grounded. A fun fact: Dommaraju too practices breathing, yoga, and meditation to cultivate mental and emotional resilience and stability. Emotional stability can also help while playing the game of chess as it can in life. Think! approaching each move as it comes, without getting lost in past mistakes or future possibilities is the key!
So, to drive home the importance of Pranayama with my chess-playing-yoga students, I encourage them to do simple breathing exercises (long inhales and exhales; box breathing, etc.) or meditation before a game to sharpen focus and become more mindful. When the pressure is high, or when they’re losing steam, I tell them how closing their eyes for a second or two to breathe will likely buy them more time on the clock in the long run.
Letting go
I start by building a scenario for my chess-playing-yoga students: say, you lost a game. How not to lose your next game? Just let go! Don’t brood on the past, instead forge ahead. This is what Aparigraha is all about! Attachment or clinging to a prior loss can jade the mind into a downward spiral toward another loss.
Instead, I ask them to employ the philosophy of Aparigraha and use their Buddhi – intellect, good judgment, and knowledge towards a positive roadmap. As seen in the latest World Chess Championship games, instead of despairing after losing game 12, Dommaraju admitted that “this game is not a huge blow for my chances, it’s still evenly-matched. I’ll just try to play good games!” and we know how things ended for the youngest World Chess Champion!
Focusing on the journey not the end result
“Visualizing a win” is beneficial. But getting “attached to the idea of winning” is not. Within the context of Karma Yoga, or right action, I ask students to focus on their actions or karma (board awareness, strategic development of pieces, etc.) not on the fruit or end result of their labor (winning). Doing your best now on the board without your mind on the win will help cultivate that calm focus and mindful presence that’s critical in a highly mental game like chess. When Liren blundered in the decisive Game 14, Gukesh didn’t rush to capitalize on the mistake. Instead, he calmly assessed the position and went for the kill. His composure under pressure demonstrated both his skill and mental strength.
Being true to yourself
Like Aparigraha, Satya or truthfulness is one of the Yamas enumerated in Patanjali’s Yogasutras. Satya isn’t just speaking the truth. It’s also about knowing ‘your’ truth. As the Bhagavad Gita states – “Yoga is a journey of the Self to the Self through the Self.” So, knowing Your True Self is critical. Relating it to chess, I often tell my young chess-playing yogis, “Be aware of your true skill level and where you stand; these are all part of being true to yourself. If you haven’t practiced, or are a newbie/rookie player, you can hardly hope to win that big shiny trophy.” After losing game 11, Liren was self-aware enough to acknowledge and learn from his mistake. He admitted, “I just spent too little time on the critical moments and spoiled a very good position.” And we all know how Game 12 went for him!
Being kind to yourself
Ahimsa or being peaceful is another tenet of the eight-limbs of yoga. Ahimsa should be applied to ourselves too. I remind my students not to talk down to themselves during a loss (“I’m bad at chess,” for example). Silent words of encouragement to yourself will help you see what’s going your way or not. Chin up! Stay positive, relax, and breathe. This attitude was demonstrated several times by both of these awe-inspiring chess players, especially when things didn’t go their way!
Consistent practice
Tapas is about being self-disciplined and consistent in practice. It’s part of Patanjali’s Niyamas. Practice makes perfect. We’ve all heard this some time or another. So, I ask my chess-playing-yoga students to walk the talk! Creating a weekly schedule to practice consistently, committing to it, and following through, etc. are all ways to get better and practice hard. Without practice, or Tapas we’re toast!
As demonstrated by both Dommaraju and Liern, the game of chess is so much more than just a board game. In the words of Anatoly Karpov, former world champion, “Chess is everything: art, science, sport.” In his seminal work, The Art of Learning, Josh Waitzkin, eight-time National Chess Champion and a Tai Chi Chuan Push Hands National Champion talks about the importance of mental and physical disciplines to enhance focus and performance in not only games like chess but also in life! Waitzkin emphasizes the importance of mindfulness, presence, and the ability to stay calm under pressure — skills that can be cultivated through the practice of yoga.
I couldn’t help but smile when my 11-year-old avid chess-playing yoga student recently said, “The days I do yoga before a game, I seem to win those games.” That’s yoga in action!