Sport Psychology Session with Dr.Janki Deole

As Project Checkmate 2.0 launched on June 5th, the first session was conducted on sport psychology with the renowned Indian sport psychologist Dr.Janki Deole from Samiksha Sports Pvt.Ltd. Dr.Janki has a PhD in the field of sports psychology from the Straffordshire University in the U.K. and has been practising in this sector since a number of years. She has worked with a variety of  sports players including those at the initial stages of their career along with those at the very peak of their journeys. Some of the partnerships that she has had are with the Olympic Gold Quest, BCCI, Indian Men's Hockey National Team, Paris Saint-Germain, amongst others. She has also worked with a number of chess Grandmasters, which made it quite useful for our players, who received a first-hand account of some of the experiences that such GMs have faced while competing on the circuit. 
During the session, Dr.Janki emphasised the importance of knowing what pressure is all about. She spoke about three kinds of pressures that exist for chess players- first about their ratings, second about time trouble during matches, and finally about the hurdles of the last game in a tournament. She mentioned that one's current rating has no value for the actual worth of the player on that particular day. It has no indication for the vision that one has for oneself. She spoke about how to control one's thoughts during time pressure in tournament games. She emphasised the importance of not panicking as this will make one take incorrect decisions on the board and have a serious effect on one's intuitive power. Talking about the pressures of the last match in a competition, Dr.Janki said that it is vital to prepare from before about the consequences of the game. She explains that players don't take this seriously enough and only start worrying in the end, which makes them lose focus on their match. 
A strategy that Dr.Janki mentions to follow is to concentrate on oneself while playing and not on one's opponent. On being asked a question about how to avoid distractions during a game, Dr.Janki says that it is only one's own mind that one can control, so one should just prioritise that instead of worrying unnecessarily on other external factors that may arise. Besides, she also mentions that one must learn how to trust one's instinct, intuition, and experience. She speaks about the vitality of controlling one's breathing and paying attention to it during one's games. Constant practice of a routine is crucial for success in tournaments. Moreover, she exclaims that anxiety is not always bad. Sometimes, a bit of anxiety is necessary to be a competitive player. So, the trick is to not have excessive amounts of anxiety, and when such a situation arises, one must learn to focus on one's thoughts and channelise them into positive ones. The ultimate goal for anyone should be to stay in the present and not focus on the past or the future. In conclusion, she also mentions about the importance of being consistent even when one has won a match. Thus, the regular post-game analysis should be done irrespective of the result of the encounter. 
Overall, Dr.Janki had a great impact on the participants. Learning about sport psychology and how they can use some techniques enhanced their vision for their ongoing chess careers. Project Checkmate 2.0 would like to thank Dr.Janki for her valuable time for our program in partnership with the All India Chess Federation for the Blind (AICFB). 
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