CHENNAI: Much like any sporting discipline, chess too requires its players to have physical and mental toughness. In a bid to keep the players in the best possible shape during the tournament, the England women’s team that arrives for the chess Olympiad --- starting on July 28 --- will be armed with their performance coach Benjamin Portheault. He has been a performance coach for basketball players in France and also worked with numerous chess players.
Interestingly, this is the first time that the England women’s team has made use of a performance coach’s expertise and players are already beginning to see the change. “I see the difference. It makes me feel mentally stronger. There are a lot of (sporting) disciplines that are using performance coaches. That’s why it is nice to try one in chess,” Jovanka Houska, the senior-most player in the line-up, told TOI. Jovanka’s teammate Akshaya gave an overview on Benjamin’s work. “He is a great addition to the team. Benjamin has been helping us with the more psychological aspects of the game, organizing pre-game routines and identifying common values amongst the team,” Akshaya mentioned.
