Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane has repeatedly said that one of the ways he maintains concentration and develops strategic thinking is by playing chess. He regularly plays both online and over the board, considering the game an important part of his intellectual training. However, Kane is far from the only athlete who uses chess to improve professional skills. Footballers, basketball players, racing drivers, and boxers all include chess in their routines, as the ability to think several moves ahead, stay calm under pressure, and make quick decisions is just as valuable on the sports field as it is on the chessboard.
Popularity of chess among athletes
Although chess involves very little physical activity, the emotional intensity of a game can be comparable to that of high-level sporting competitions. Players must stay focused for long periods, prepare for different game scenarios, adjust their strategy when necessary, and avoid becoming frustrated after mistakes. That is why many professional athletes see chess not simply as a hobby, but as an effective tool for developing cognitive skills.
Mohamed Salah
For Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, chess has long been part of his daily routine. He plays online almost every day and has a respectable Chess.com rating for an amateur. One of his stated goals has been to play a game against the world’s strongest chess player, Magnus Carlsen. However, for the Egyptian forward, chess is much more than just a hobby. Salah has repeatedly said that the game helps him switch off after intense training sessions, remain calm, and make well-balanced decisions. The ability to stay composed in decisive moments is especially important for a footballer, who often has only a split second to convert a scoring opportunity.
Lewis Hamilton
Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton regularly plays chess, especially during long flights between Grand Prix events. His passion for the game began in childhood, when he often played with his father, and later developed into a way of maintaining concentration. According to Hamilton, chess helps him train his ability to analyze situations quickly and make decisions under severe time pressure. This skill is particularly valuable in motorsport, where a single small mistake or a fraction of a second can determine the outcome of a race.
Kobe Bryant
For NBA legend Kobe Bryant, chess became a natural extension of his famous Mamba Mentality philosophy. He studied games played by the world’s strongest chess players, discussed strategy with his daughters, and paid particular attention to how grandmasters willingly sacrificed material in order to gain long-term positional advantages.
Bryant viewed chess primarily as a psychological battle. In his opinion, victory often begins before the first decisive move, when a player succeeds in imposing their own game plan, forcing the opponent to hesitate and make mistakes. He applied the same principle on the basketball court.
Source: https://whychess.com
