To Succeed at Chess, Start with Why – Online Chess Coaching by Rathish Ravi

The Real Secret: To Succeed at Chess, Start with WHY

I get asked the same questions over and over again: "How do I keep my concentration?" "How do I find the energy to work?" "How do I stop feeling crushed after a painful loss?" It seems like there should be ten different answers, right? But there isn't. The answer to all those problems is just one word, and it’s inside you.

You just need to answer the toughest question of all: WHY?

What is your WHY? Why do you want to become a Grandmaster, or hit that 2000 rating, or finally beat that annoying guy at your club?

If your answer is strong enough, all those “how-to” problems—concentration, energy, motivation—will disappear.

The Knockout Punch and the Mother’s Promise

You probably know the story of Mike Tyson versus Buster Douglas. Douglas was a massive long-shot. Then, just before the fight, his mother died.

In the eighth round, Tyson knocked Douglas down. Nobody ever got up after a Tyson punch. But Douglas did. And then, he knocked Tyson out in the tenth.

In the interview afterward, Douglas broke down crying and said he won, “Because of my mother.”

The question wasn’t HOW he got back up. It was WHY he got back up. His WHY was stronger than the hardest punch in the world.

Your Chess Career Will Hit You

Listen, chess is going to hit you in the mouth. You will make painful blunders. You will lose when you shouldn’t.

If you don’t have a strong WHY, you’ll be knocked down, and you’ll stay down. That’s why so many people give up on their goals.

I had a student who was a busy CFO. Full-time job, family—no free time. But he had an incredible WHY: His dad was sick, and he wanted his father to see him become a Grandmaster before he passed. That man found the time and the energy. He became a Grandmaster.

His WHY was stronger than his job, stronger than his sleep, and stronger than any problem he faced.

The Simple Takeaway

So, stop asking how to find motivation when you feel lazy. Stop asking how to concentrate.

The answer is simple: Find your strong WHY.

The WHY is always more important than the HOW. If you get a big enough WHY, you will always find a way to figure out the HOW.

Don’t answer this in five seconds. Think about it seriously. The strength of your WHY will be the only thing that decides whether you reach your goal or get sent to the knockout bench.

Ready to Level Up Your Chess?

Coach Rathish offers personalized chess coaching for all levels—kids, teens, and adults. 15+ years of experience, proven student success, and a passion for the game.