World Chess Champion Gukesh Dommaraju remained remarkably cool under pressure during his intense clash with World No. 2, USA’s Fabiano Caruana, on Sunday. In fact, Gukesh had less than a minute left on his clock in the crucial first game of his quarter-final against Caruana in the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour at Weissenhaus, Germany. Despite the pressure, he remained incredibly calm, maintaining a steady heart rate of 60-80 BPM throughout. In contrast, Caruana’s heart rate fluctuated between 100 and 120 BPM. Heart rate, measured in beats per minute (BPM), typically ranges between 60 and 80 BPM for healthy adults.

What were the exact heart rates of Gukesh and Fabiano?

Despite Caruana applying pressure, Gukesh remains relatively calm with a heart rate of 78 BPM. Caruana, who had 35 seconds more on his clock, was in a similar position on the board, but he appeared more tense, with his heart racing at 124 BPM, indicating his heightened stress level.

Commentator David Howell pointed out to Caruana that his heart rate was much higher, fluctuating between 100 and 120 beats per minute. Meanwhile, Gukesh’s heart rate remained impressively steady at around 60-70 BPM, even during the intense time scramble. For context, heart rate is measured in beats per minute (BPM), and a normal rate for healthy adults typically ranges from 60 to 80 BPM.

Various reports indicate that Caruana was taken aback upon hearing David’s comment, exclaiming, “His was around 70?” He added, “That’s quite impressive… Magnus’s heart rate doesn’t elevate much either.” The American Super GM reflected on his own experience, recalling that his heart rate had spiked to around 170 during a game against Levon Aronian last year.

During the Weissenhaus leg of the Freestyle Grand Slam Chess Tour, chess players were equipped with heart rate monitors while playing. As a result, it became clear how elite grandmasters’ bodies respond to stress and pressure during intense situations in the game. Now it has been a subject of discusssions. Yes, but our master Gukesh was completely unfazed, even during the crunch at the last leg.

Paddy Upton’s Take On Gukesh’s Unshakable Coolness

Paddy Upton, the renowned mental conditioning coach who worked with D Gukesh, said the “incredible self-awareness” of the 18-year-old Indian Grandmaster powered him to a historic World Chess Championship title. Mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton played a pivotal role in shaping Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh’s journey to a historic World Chess Championship title. At just 18, Gukesh became the youngest champion in chess history, dethroning China’s Ding Liren with a 7.5-6.5 victory in Singapore almost a week ago. He has spoken about Gukesh’s remarkable willpower.

Highlighting the remarkable qualities that fueled Gukesh’s triumph, Upton wrote in his blog, “This ‘kid’ had just suffered a crushing loss in the 12th (of 14) games of the World Chess Championship. With scores now tied and two games to play, his attitude towards the loss—and the upcoming games, arguably the most significant in chess history—convinced me to take that flight.”

Sharing insight into their preparation, Upton, who also played a crucial role in India’s 2011 World Cup victory, revealed, “For six months leading up to this match, I spent over 40 hours on weekly 90-minute video calls with Gukesh, preparing him for this moment.”
The chess prodigy’s triumph is only the beginning. Gukesh will face Magnus Carlsen, the world’s top-rated player, at the Norway Chess Tournament in Stavanger next year. This highly anticipated event, set for May 26 to June 6, 2025, promises to draw chess fans from around the globe.