Imagine sitting down for six hours of back-to-back college final exams for nine days in a row with Mental strategies. That’s what playing in a professional chess tournament is like, according to chess grandmaster Maurice Ashley. The only difference is in chess, “the finals fight back,” Ashley tells CNBC Make It.
And no matter how much Ashley prepares, his opponent “figure[s] out how to out-prepare me,” he says. “It’s like a battle royal.”
Ashley is an international grandmaster, which is the highest title a chess player can achieve. In 1999, he became the first Black person to achieve the title of grandmaster, and today he is a chess commentator and coach.
The game of chess requires intense mental concentration and stamina, especially at the elite level, where thousands of dollars of prize money is on the line.
“You have to try to control your emotions under that intense pressure as well, because you know if you lose this game, that can be your livelihood,” Ashley says. Although chess players seem calm and composed in their demeanor, it requires a lot of mental work to think ahead and stay present.
Even now as a chess broadcaster, Ashley says he has to keep track of multiple games at a time, and process what’s happening in real time. “Your brain has to be fresh for hours,” he says.
So, what Mental strategies, tips and tricks help Ashley stay in the game?
READ FULL ARTICLE HERE ON CNBC
Contact us at Speakers Inc and follow us on LinkedIn
No results available
Practice These Skills to Become a Great Resilient Leader When my friend Petra was diagnosed with cancer, not once, but twice, life gave her no choice but to be strong. When she went into remission for the second time, she decided she was going to wake people up to the precious gift of time. Through […]
Solly Moeng is an experienced professional Political journalist and Branding Speaker with a career that has seen him manage a variety of branding projects in various sectors and in countries spanning several continents. He is an established independent media professional with specialisation in Reputation Management, Stakeholder Engagement Strategies, Strategic Internal & External Communications, PR and […]
Over the last four weeks, I’ve elaborated on what I call the Closing the Loop. You can find the articles here. This consists of: Step 1: Recognizing the Unsaid – Unspoken things in your culture’s organization to recognize that your people aren’t telling their entire truth. Step 2: Seeking to Understand – Leaning in to […]
BEING MINDFUL OF MINDSETS and The Power of a Growth Mindset by Grant Driver In July 2019, I experienced one of the most significant and yet most daunting moments of my career as a professional speaker. I had been invited by Discovery Healthcare to present a 3-hour workshop to thirty Neurosurgeons on my research into […]
IT’S A NORMAL DAY ON ALIWAL SHOAL. ABOVE TWENTY DEGREES CELSIUS, BLUE WATER WITH SMALL PARTICLES, A LITTLE BIT OF A CURRENT PUSHING, WE DRIFT ALONG WITH IT, WAITING FOR THE SHARKS… (THIS IS THE STORY OF MY FIRST EVER FREEDIVE WITH SHARKS) It’s a clear blue sky, warm air and a slight breeze- winter […]
When it comes to diversity and inclusion as a leader you need to understand one thing, you need to understand that; It is more than just activism, minorities vs the privileged, and correcting the injustices I’ve observed the efforts of many organizations and leaders when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion, to be more civil society […]
Connor Fields More Than a Champion, A Symbol of Resilience and Peak Performance When it comes to selecting the right speaker for your next event, you’re not just looking for someone who can fill a time slot—you’re searching for someone who can inspire, connect, and leave a lasting impression. If your audience values grit, resilience, […]
Make Your Email Subject and Content Fun, Compelling, Curious, and Commanding To Get Quicker Responses that Pay Off! By Joy Baldridge Have you ever been surprised or frustrated by how few return emails you receive when reaching out to your prospects and customers/clients? Responsiveness is at an all-time low. Everyone is overwhelmed and inundated with emails. […]
No results available
Our Mission:
© All rights reserved 2025. Designed using Voxel