World Chess Champion Gukesh’s Heart Rate Stays Super ‘Cool’ Even in Crunch Moments

During Freestyle Chess, Gukesh’s heart rate stays in the 70s, while rivals have much higher BPM. Renowned mind guru Paddy Upton credits this to his ability to stay focused in the moment.

The tension of the end game takes a grip as World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju has under a minute left on his clock in the crucial first game of his quarter-final against the World No 2, USA’s Fabiano Caruana, on Sunday.

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Despite the pressure exerted by Caruana in their Freestyle Chess battle at Weissenhaus, Germany, Gukesh’s heart is trotting at 78 beats per minute (BPM). Caruana has 35 seconds more on his clock than Gukesh. Despite the position being equal, Caruana is on the edge, his heartbeat a gallop at 124 BPM.

With the Weissenhaus leg of the Freestyle Grand Slam Chess Tour fitting chess players with heart rate monitors during games, the physiological responses of elite grandmasters to high-pressure situations has become apparent.

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“How does he do it? Who is he!” asks an astounded grandmaster Peter Leko on the official commentary on Chess.com as chess legend Judit Polgar chuckles.

Gukesh’s Secret to Calmness: Staying Focused in the Present

“Both these things lead to an elevated heart rate. One of the reasons Gukesh does not suffer so much from pressure, fear, nerves and anxiety is because he does not spend so much time fixating on the result. He’s able to maintain his focus in the present moment. Anyone who is able to be fully present will have a lot more calmness and won’t have an elevated heart rate. So Gukesh’s ability to keep his heart rate down is an indication of his focus on the present moment,” Upton said.

Renowned mind guru Paddy Upton, who recently worked with Gukesh for six months, says he did not work on managing heart rate with Gukesh as he plotted his way to the World Championship title.

“It’s got nothing to do with managing heart rate. Heart rate is the body’s response to a message from the brain, or some perceived threat from the outside world that passes through the brain and sends messages to the body. The solution is to manage thoughts, and heart rate naturally follows.

He explains that athletes experience elevated heart rates (even when sitting) because of two reasons: the pressure that comes from chasing success in the future; or the feeling of nerves, anxiety and fear because you’re scared of something going wrong or making a mistake.