While Goh still competes internationally, he is also focused on his role as the CEO of the Singapore Chess Federation (SCF), where he is working on inculcating programmes and initiatives to help players adopt this mindset. “We are trying to help the young players here to understand this and to have a growth mindset and not a fixed one,” he explains. 

While chess is very much a mind game, ironically, he says, the conversation about mental wellness and resilience is still nascent, unlike other physical sports where the role of a sports psychologist has become increasingly common. “You might think that it’s strange because everyone associates chess with something mind-based. But we don’t talk about this area a lot, it’s very understated and under-represented.” 

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This has become crucial for Singapore, where there’s been an increased interest in the game. He says, “The National Schools Individual Chess Championships this year saw a record participation of 1,606 kids, surpassing the previous year’s record of 1,354. In 2024, we are breaking records in almost everything, like the scholastic events, even the programmes we are running at the SCF such as the beginners’ courses and the high-performance training squads.” 

He attributes this growing interest to shows like The Queen’s Gambit and the pandemic, but it’s also clear that his moves as CEO of the federation have successfully attracted a new generation of players. 

In fact, this year, he spearheaded a landmark event in the history of the Singapore Chess Federation: for the first time, Singapore is hosting the FIDE World Chess Championships from November 25 to December 13, 2024. 

Goh initially flagged the idea when he realised the two competing champions would be from India and China. “When we found out [the championship game] was going to be Gukesh Dommaraju, who is the brightest chess talent at this point, versus Ding Liren, who is the reigning world champion from China, we thought that Singapore being pretty much neutral geography—and accessibility-wise, would be an ideal host.” 

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Naturally, he was nervous at first. “You need a big organisation team, a venue and competence.” But Goh managed to secure the support of the government. 

“I think the overall funding was certainly an issue. We didn’t want to give the impression that we were using taxpayers’ funds to basically pay a foreign citizen [the prize money]. So [we had to ask] how does that further the interest of Singaporeans? I think these questions are fair and have to be addressed. But [we believe] it improves our reputation as a strong events capital. We have a lot of ancillary events, like open tournaments, masterclasses, exhibition matches and more. We want to make the locals very proud and very involved in the whole process. This event is good for Singapore and for the community.” 

To that end, they also managed to secure a few sponsors, including Google and Resorts World Sentosa. 

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As Singapore gears up to host the championships, Goh is also laser-eyed on training the next generation of chess players and encouraging them to see beyond their next win. His ultimate goal is for Singapore to win more golds at the SEA Games. So far, Singapore has one gold medal from the 2019 Games, won by Gong Qianyun. 

“I just don’t like losing. I have three bronze medals. At the time, I was very happy with the medals, but now I just think, what were we doing? How could we be happy with a bronze?”

He believes that Singapore can do a lot better: “We have the potential, we have the resources, we have access. We have great trainers at the Federation who are committed. We just need the players to have that belief and mindset, and to be willing to embark on this long journey.”

As he focuses on developing this mindset in the young generation, he compares the mental resilience needed to physical sports: “Chess is philosophical in some sense, but it’s more of a skill-based activity at the heart of it. I associate chess with physical sports, so one needs traits like discipline, resilience and the ability to bounce back.” 

In fact, on a personal level, he believes that he became a better chess player after starting to run. “I started to try breaking my personal best and ended up doing a half-marathon in 2022. I think these things helped me play chess better as my confidence came back—after becoming a grandmaster, I started to have very bad results as I was doing other stuff. To me, if you stay disciplined and focused, you can achieve your goals.”

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While Goh still struggles to keep his competitive streak under control, he has gotten better at coping with wins and losses. But he is mindful about not letting his failures get to him: “There should be some consolation [after you’ve lost], but these things shouldn’t take ages. You shouldn’t spend the whole week sugarcoating the whole thing. And I think that’s the problem we see, and that’s what we’re trying to encourage here: this mindset that when you lose or win at an event or tournament, you should immediately think about why you lost the game. 

“You can feel sorry for yourself, but it shouldn’t take ages. You have to find a way to bounce, regroup, recalibrate and think about what you should be doing better.”

And while Goh is relentless in achieving his goals—both for himself and the country—he is not too fussed about leaving a legacy. “I don’t want to be remembered. [I just hope] that people continue to work and that whatever we have done [so far at SCF], it doesn’t die. That would be good enough for me. At heart, I am still a chess competitor so I would like to be known as a chess player and a chess fan.”

Science of Success is dedicated to exploring the principles and practices that lead to achievement in various fields. Through insightful interviews, expert tips and practical techniques, the series delves into the experiences and perspectives of successful individuals, providing readers with strategies to enhance their own paths to success and unlock their full potential. New stories are out every Thursday.

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