Paddy Upton: The mind behind 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.
After eight draws on the trot, Gukesh took the advantage as he aims to become the youngest classical chess champion in history. After one of the most exciting games of the match, in which both players spent almost an hour on one single move, he defeated the champion Ding Liren and set the match score at 6-5 with only three games to go.
“It was a very difficult game for me. Already on move four, I wasn’t sure if I had made the correct choice. I remembered a game I played in a rapid tournament against GM Adhiban but I couldn’t remember the other moves. I spent 40 minutes calculating some nonsense variations” a visibly sad Ding explained after the game.
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On this occasion, the lack of time was decisive. With only seven minutes to go, Ding blundered on move 28, dropping a piece in a one-move combination. Instead of 28…Nb4, giving back his extra pawn with decent drawing chances, he played the losing 28…Qc8 and after 29.Qxc6 had to resign.
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Gukesh was very appreciative of his team of coaches: “Full congratulations to my team for their effort in the preparation of this opening, which caught my opponent by surprise. Then I did some stupid things, but I am happy I was able to get it back together” were his first impressions after the game.
In an attempt to remain positive, Ding Liren recalled that in the previous match, he managed to make a come-back in game twelve.
“In the last match I made a comeback on the twelfth game, so I am hoping to play well tomorrow”.
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