I’ve always felt that the biggest truths don’t hide in complicated places. They sit right in front of us, in the middle of everyday mess. You notice it not when everything is calm,  but when the heat is at its peak—stuck in traffic, facing a suffocating deadline, or handling one of life’s sudden curveballs. In those moments, the line between panic and poise is thin. And those who choose poise? They become unforgettable. 

Calmness is not the absence of chaos—it’s the art of walking  right through it without losing your balance. The more I look around at people who thrive under pressure, the clearer it becomes: calmness is a trained skill, not a lucky trait. 

So let’s look at some examples. From a chess prodigy who stuns the world, to a cricket captain who rewrote finishing, to world figures and even astronauts. And at the end, we’ll bend the chessboard into a circle and see how calmness plays out there too. 

When the clock ticks, Gukesh doesn’t flinch

Imagine this. You’re sitting in the Candidates Tournament, the gateway to the World Chess Championship. Every move matters. Every second counts. Cameras are flashing, the internet is buzzing, and thousands of eyes are watching you live. For most of us, our nerves would betray us long before  the position on the board did. 

But watch Dommaraju Gukesh. He sits there—steady posture, calm expression, no nervous tapping or restless shifting. Just quiet focus. The teenager who shocked the chess world in 2024 by winning the Candidates didn’t just win with moves; he won with presence. 

What I find fascinating isn’t only his calculation, but his ability to dissolve pressure. Opponents often look at him and realize—this guy isn’t cracking, no matter what I throw. That calmness itself is a weapon. And that lesson doesn’t belong only to chess players. 

Dhoni: the captain who never hurried

Switch scenes. 22 yards, a billion hearts pounding, World Cup final 2011. India chasing. Tension as thick as it gets. Every fan could feel it. And then came MS Dhoni. He walked in as if the scoreboard didn’t exist, calm face, unhurried steps. While the crowd’s heartbeat raced, his didn’t. Ball by ball, he tightened his grip on the game until that famous six sailed into the stands. No wild celebration, no shouting. Just a composed smile and a slow walk back, like he had simply finished another task on his list. 

Dhoni proved something deeper: the calmest person in the arena doesn’t only survive pressure—they bend it in their direction.

Calmness in the wider world

This pattern isn’t just about sport. History itself carries the same thread. 

Think about Nelson Mandela. Locked up for nearly 27 years. Every reason to explode in anger when he was freed. Yet he walked out with dignity and patience, not bitterness. That calmness gave South Africa a chance to heal instead of burning further. 

Or the story of Apollo 13. Oxygen running out, astronauts stranded far from Earth. Panic would have been natural, maybe even expected. But they chose calm, step-by-step problem-solving with ground control. Because of that, they came home alive. 

And in business, look at Warren Buffett. When the market crashes, most investors panic and sell. Buffett stays steady, waits, and makes his decisions with patience. That calmness has built him into one of the most respected investors in history.

Different people. Different fields. But one connecting string: staying calm under fire opens doors, panic will always slam shut…

What’s the takeaway?

So, what can we learn here? Calmness doesn’t fall from the sky. It’s not some mystical gift. It comes from habits: 

Preparation – Gukesh putting in endless study hours. Dhoni practicing for years in the nets. Mandela reading, learning, and shaping his mind in prison. 

Detachment – They didn’t cling to fear or outcome. They focused on what was in front of them, one step at a time. 

Perspective – They understood that one match, one move, one crisis never defines the whole story.

Calmness is not magic. It’s trained, like a muscle. 

CircleChess: training calmness

Now let me shift gears for a moment. Chess is still the same game on 64 squares; that part hasn’t changed. What has changed is the way people are learning and training today—and that’s where CircleChess really makes a difference. 

CircleChess isn’t about changing the board into something strange. It’s about changing the way you grow as a player. It gives you tools and guidance that actually help you stay composed when things get tough.

��‍�� Caissa School of Chess 

CircleChess runs the Caissa School of Chess, where learning goes beyond memorising openings. The big highlight for me is the psychology class. Every week, players can join live sessions that focus on how to manage nerves before a game, stay calm in critical positions, and recover quickly after a loss. It’s the kind of stuff we all wish we had learned earlier. 

�� GM & IM Coaching

It’s not just theory dumps. You actually get live classes with Grandmasters and International Masters, who explain the “why” behind the moves. They show you how strong players think, not just what they play. And trust me, that makes a huge difference when you’re stuck in your own games. 

�� Mental Coordination

One thing I really liked is how CircleChess blends chess with mental coordination training. Instead of separating psychology and chess, they tie it together. You learn how to think better under time pressure, how to make decisions when your position looks shaky, and how to stay focused even when the environment gets noisy or distracting. 

�� Practice Tools

On top of the classes, they’ve got tools that keep your practice structured. Visualization drills,  exercises, and trackers that don’t just throw random puzzles at you—they actually help you build habits and measure your progress. 

Here’s something exciting. Circle Chess isn’t just a fun idea; it’s also training for the mind. On the platform, you can actually learn under the guidance of grandmasters. Gukesh himself, along with other top players, shares how to handle tense situations on the board.

Think about it: what do you do after a blunder? Most players tilt, panic, and collapse. But champions? They breathe, reassess, and fight back. That’s one of the features Circle Chess brings—you don’t just learn openings and tactics, you learn mindset. 

Access to grandmaster coaching sessions. 

Special courses on handling pressure positions. 

Exercises that sharpen focus, even when you’re behind. 

A completely new board format that pushes you out of comfort zones. 

So if you want to build calmness into your thinking, CircleChess is more than a game. It’s training ground for resilience, decision-making, and composure. 

Conclusion :

Calmness under pressure isn’t just rare—it’s the separator between  ordinary and extraordinary. Gukesh sitting unshaken at the board. Dhoni  finishing with a smile instead of a roar. Mandela walking free with dignity. Astronauts fixing problems in silence. Buffett waiting while others panic. Every story points to one truth: calm minds carve the sharpest paths.

And for you? If you want to build that same calm, you don’t have to wait for a World Cup final or a space mission. You can start with the board, the circle, and the guidance of those who live this every day. Whether it’s chess, cricket, business, or life, one line keeps repeating itself.