South African mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton, who was instrumental in helping the Indian cricket team win the 2011 World Cup, is amazed to have observed India’s young chess prodigy Gukesh. 

The 18-year-old D Gukesh, the third-youngest Grand Master in the world, has been working with Paddy Upton for the last six months as part of his preparation for the World Championship. 

Upton describes the intense interactions that expand even more than hours as in-depth, complex, interesting, and challenging. 

The South African, however, highly appreciated the young Grandmaster for his self-awareness and hunger to learn. “I am just amazed at his self-awareness and maturity. Not just his game, but his awareness about himself, his processes, and his mind," Upton says. 

However, Upton was initially not mentally prepared to accept the challenge when Gukesh invited him 18 months ago. 

He revealed to Indian Express, “I wasn’t sure about working with him initially because I tend to not work with people who are too young. They haven’t really matured or evolved. But Gukesh has been a blessing and a gift to work with. He is super-intelligent. We're able to have amazingly detailed and deeply complex conversations."

D Gukesh is preparing for a highly anticipated match against reigning world champion Ding Liren. Upton disclosed his role has changed compared to his previous job with Indian cricketers. Instead of emphasizing fearlessness, as he often does with cricketers, Upton is helping Gukesh strike a balance between confidence and caution.

 “We have had conversations around the concept of underestimating versus over-respecting your opponent. Gukesh is very well aware of some of the narratives that are out there around Ding’s form. And he’s seen it for himself. But to what degree do we over-emphasize or over-respect the opponent versus under-respect them,” Upton explained.

Working with D Gukesh has reminded Upton of some of the legendary players he’s guided, such as Rahul Dravid, known for his humility, and Virat Kohli, known for his fearless performance under pressure. 

“One thing about Gukesh is that he is one of those who delivers his in the crucial moments. Someone like Virat Kohli in the (T-20) World Cup earlier this year. Gautam Gambhir and Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the 2011 World Cup also showed the same quality which I call 'big-match temperament. Gukesh is someone who has shown all the signs of being that,” said Upton.

Upton sees the upcoming World Championship as a chance for Gukesh to elevate his game to new heights. “The bigger the match, the better chess he’s most likely to play. I think this World Championship is going to bring the best out of him,” he predicts confidently.