Indian hockey team joins chess masterclass for strategy
In a unique initiative, the Indian men’s hockey team, two-time Olympic bronze medalists, participated in a chess masterclass led by former international chess player and co-owner Prachura P. Padakannaya at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) campus in Bengaluru. The session aimed to enhance the players’ decision-making skills by drawing parallels between chess and hockey, focusing on principles such as planning, anticipation, and patience.
Prachura outlined how the three key phases of chess — the opening, middle game, and endgame — correlate to hockey. He compared the opening to a strong start in hockey, the middle game to controlling the midfield, and the endgame to a striker’s precision in finishing. Prachura also analyzed India’s Tokyo Olympics Bronze-medal performance, likening it to a perfect endgame, where mental toughness was key in maintaining a 5-4 lead against Germany in the final moments.
Relating chess pieces to hockey positions, he described pawns as defenders, rooks and bishops as structural players, knights as unpredictably moving, and the queen as versatile and dominant. Prachura noted the players’ curiosity and engagement, highlighting how many had played chess in their downtime. Indian midfielder Vivek Sagar Prasad and Captain Harmanpreet Singh took part in a friendly chess game, drawing further parallels between their roles in hockey and chess.
Vivek found the session insightful, noting that while hockey requires thinking two to three moves ahead, chess involves thinking seven to eight moves ahead. He likened himself to both the knight and the queen in chess, reflecting his role as a versatile midfielder. Harmanpreet also praised the session, emphasizing how learning from chess could give the team a more holistic approach to their game.
Indian men’s hockey coach Craig Fulton lauded the initiative, saying chess teaches players to think several steps ahead, a crucial skill for hockey. He believed that sessions like these would sharpen players’ decision-making and keep them engaged during their free time, hinting at the possibility of an intra-squad chess tournament in the future.
