The Mental Battles in the World Chess Championship: Interview with Benjamin Portheault
Game 7 of the world chess championship gave us one of the most dramatic moments in chess history. Ding Liren entered serious time trouble before the first time control after surprisingly choosing to play the French with Black. In the middlegame, Ding gave up the exchange for a pawn, and the Bishop pair with opportunities to get an advantage. The problem was that the position was complicated and Ding was burning a lot of time.
I played 31…h4 with the idea of 32.gxh4 Rd2, but I totally missed 33.Re2 and 33…Rd1+ 34.Kg2, so after gxh4 I started to think again, and I couldn’t find any way to continue. — Ding Liren (after the game)
After Nepomniachtchi took with 32. gxh4 Ding went in for a think and burned almost all of his remaining time, soon after he blundered and lost. The moment felt really painful and also very relatable. It showcased, I think, the importance of psychology in chess. To follow up on this I have asked a few questions about the subject to fellow substacker and chess enthusiast
. Benjamin is working with performance chess coaching and also has a new course out on the subject, so I thought he would be the perfect person to interview.
First, please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your work as a performance coach for chess players.
Hi Martin and greeting to the Say Chess substack readers. My main job is a data scientist and chess is one of my passions. I grew interested in coaching and noticed that there was a significant lack of professional standards at the top level of chess. After a degree in mental coaching from the university of Paris I set out to help chess players and I’ve been lucky that a few players gave me their trust to get started. One of my highlights was to be with the English team at the Chennai chess Olympiad in 2022.
Coaching-wise I started out with quite a data-driven approach and as I matured and developed my own style I am doing more and more mental coaching.
How do you think Nepomniachtchi's experience in his last match against Carlsen might have impacted his mental approach to facing Ding in the World Chess Championship?
With experience, Nepo has made adjustments to his overall preparation. Against Carlsen he prepped with strength & conditioning coaches of the Bayern Munich basketball team.
He said that they overdid it in 2021, leaving him too tired for the match, and he didn't train as much for this one. It’s a fine line: a small energy deficit is good for brain and memory, but a large one will leave you very tired. He also made changes to his chess team - Vitiugov seems to have replaced Potkin as his main secondant. On the mental side Nepo revealed very little, but in line with chess and physical prep I would not be surprised if he significantly changed his approach.
In your view, what key factors in regards to sports psychology contributed to Nepomniachtchi's loss against Carlsen in their previous match?
It's very difficult to know from the outside what is happening inside the team and weight the different factors because so many things can happen. How did he react after game 6? What caused lack of focus and blunders of subsequent games? We don't really know. One thing for sure is that before the match a very crafty Carlsen said "I’ve said it before, but the biggest advantage is that I am the better chess player,” this was masterful ‘trash talk’ and I think poorly answered by Nepo who said he was also a very good chess player. I would have advised to concede that Magnus was the better player - but that's not what the world championship is about! It's about winning the match. "He's the better player but will lose the match because I want it more" would have framed a better mindset for Nepo.
How important do you believe mental preparation is compared to technical preparation in a World Chess Championship? And what have you observed so far in the match?
I will say that I believe mental and physical prep is extremely important. In Chennai part of my job was get the players healthy and rested on day 1, this involved detailed thinking about jetlag and prebiotic supplements to avoid digestive troubles (which was a concern for at least one high profile team) and mosquito repellent bracelets.
It's very difficult to gauge the Ding team as he seems to mostly travel on his own or with a skeleton crew. He famously arrived jet lagged at the candidates but what part is oversight and what is due to difficulties of travelling out of China in pandemic years?
On the mental side from the press conference, he clearly wears his heart on his sleeve and it's very much double-edged. Nepo can easily gauge if he's down, but then if Ding says he feels great you know he's likely not bluffing!
Nepo keeps his cards close to his chest and it’s difficult to get a read—during games, it's another story!
What mental techniques or routines would you recommend for Ding to address and overcome his struggles with pressure during the World Chess Championship? Also what are your thoughts about Ding’s freeze during game 7?
Spectators underestimate the amount of pressure the players are under. Short of competing, go see a live sport game and the pressure becomes a lot more understandable than on screen. At this point of match, I'd say that Ding should do more of what worked for him after game two, which is seeking the support of close friends and family.
How would you approach the use of the resting area during the match vs. sitting at the board?
As a spectator, I would ideally want to see at least one of the players at the board but as part of the coaching support staff, I'd want my players to be in the best possible condition so I understand the use of the resting area. They have to do what is best for them in accordance with the contract they have signed. Of course, body language at the board can easily project an image of confidence and Ding was a lot in the resting area when he wasn't feeling great in games 1 and 2.
How do you think a sports psychologist could help chess players like Ding and Nepomniachtchi develop the mental strength to handle the demands of a World Chess Championship?
I'm sure it would massively help. Many traditional sports are still not up to the best standards and chess lags massively behind! Esports takes mental and physical prep very seriously and I think this is where a lot of innovation is happening. I'm watching the space closely and try to implement some of the relevant ideas as chess and esports have a lot of overlap.
What common mental health challenges do you think chess players face, and how would you recommend addressing them during a tournament?
During a tournament things go very fast and you ideally need plans and procedures in place before the tournament.
First and foremost handling very strong emotions is the number one challenge. We'd like to cultivate the "Lion's gaze": If you throw a stick at a dog, the dog chases the stick. If you throw a stick at a lion, the he will keeps staring at you! You don't want to chase around every thought that appears in your mind like a dog chasing a stick. Instead you want you mind to be like the lion and stay equanimous (you saw the stick but don't run after it).
When creating my mindfulness course I knew that a session to handle the mind "after a loss" would be a key session and carefully crafted it (I hope it will help most people).
What key aspects of a healthy mindset would you suggest that chess players cultivate?
The best mindset is the one of the "Shokunin" - which is Japanese for craftsman. It embodies the relentless pursuit of improvement and the constant work to master basic skills.
The most useful skill during a game is … to be able to play the position in front of you. It sounds stupid but so many ailments derive from not doing this. Distractions during the game and between games, unhelpful thoughts that bring you to think about the position you had 10 minutes ago or the one you may have in the next round! Being able to get back to here and now and play the current position is the most important.
Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring chess players looking to develop the mental resilience required for long tournaments?
I have released a unique course "Mindfulness for the Tournament Player" and it is a series of guided meditations to use a la carte during your tournament: before a game, after a loss, after a win, between rounds, at the end of the tournament. There's also a section about setting up a pre-game routine (which is also very neglected by chess players). You can get the course at:
https://mindfulness-for-the-tournament-player.teachable.com/
I also have a substack where I've written about many topics from chess analytics to nutrition and of course mental prep:
And of course follow me on Twitter.
In addition to my own work there are of course many great books available, I would recommend "Fear Less" by Pippa Grange and "The practice of Groundedness" by Brad Stuelberg.
Yesterday we witnessed another drama when Nepomniachtchi had a winning position around moves 24-26 and then he suddenly collapsed while playing fast with 34…f5?? in a complex position.
It definitely seemed like the nerves got to him as Anand observed. Meanwhile, Ding mentioned during the press conference that he had trouble focusing on the game. Ding shared his struggles with focus, feeling as if no one was watching.
I have had this sensation before, as it seems that the pressure can dissipate when you are in a losing position. Perhaps it was this feeling that Ding experienced when he had a lost position and a subsequently lost world championship match.
Regardless, the mental aspects of chess remain crucial, and the psychological battles between these exceptional players continue today.
The remaining two games of the World Chess Championship will be a true test of who has the ability to stay calm and seize the moment.
/Martin
Great work Martin and Benjamin. Our chess heroes are much more interesting when their mortality is on full display!
This was a really insightful piece. Reading this after 2 more games have past is good. Both players seem to really struggle with the pressure of this match. It's the thing any professional chess player wants to play for.
As the match goes on I'm glad Carlsen isn't playing because the drama is so good this time around.