FM Mateo Arcos

Hi! I'm Mateo, originally from Uruguay, where my journey in chess began at the age of six. Now residing in Madrid, Spain, I bring over 20 years of playing experience and a deep passion for the game. While my roots are in chess, my academic pursuits led me to study psychology, earning a bachelor's degree and later a master's degree in performance psychology.
As a mental performance coach, I currently collaborate with esteemed chess players, including International Masters and FIDE Masters, offering tailored support to optimise their performance on and off the board. My holistic approach combines psychological expertise with technical insights, empowering players to develop their mental skills and overcome challenges while achieving their career goals. With a wealth of personal and professional experience, I am dedicated to guiding players towards excellence and helping them navigate the complexities of competitive chess.

With over 20 years of competitive play, I've participated in numerous international and national tournaments, achieving remarkable results. Notably, I competed in nine Pan American Youth Championships, where I gained invaluable experience in the continent's toughest stage and even faced some of the later to become top talents in the world, like Caruana. I secured top-10 finishes twice, including a shared third place.
Additionally, I clinched victories in multiple age divisions in Uruguay, including U-10, U-14, U-18, and U-20 categories. Attaining my FIDE master title during the Zonal 2.5. World Championship qualifier further solidified my credentials as a seasoned player. Throughout my extensive playing career, including more than 1500 classical games, I've gained firsthand insights into the challenges and nuances of tournament play, honing my understanding of the mental demands and best practices of chess performance.

Over the past three years, I've transitioned into coaching, leveraging my background in psychology and chess to support aspiring players in their pursuit of excellence. My coaching philosophy revolves around a comprehensive approach that integrates psychological principles with chess-specific strategies. Working closely with students, I've helped them achieve success in international competitions and attain norm-worth performances. Drawing upon my expertise as a performance psychologist, I provide personalized guidance to address each player's unique needs and challenges, fostering their growth and development both on and off the board.

In addition to my work in chess coaching, I've also served as a football coach, with a focus on professional development and high-performance training. Through my experience in football coaching, I've honed my leadership skills and gained valuable insights into player motivation and team dynamics. Furthermore, my involvement in esports coaching has provided me with a nuanced understanding of the mental aspects of competitive gaming, which share parallels with chess. These diverse experiences have enriched my coaching repertoire and equipped me with a multifaceted approach to supporting athletes in various domains.

As an avid -now informal- player, my forte lies in tactical prowess and imaginative gameplay, which gives me an extra understanding to help develop mental models around calculation with my clients.
In coaching, my greatest asset stems from my extensive playing experience, allowing me to empathize with players and provide valuable insights into the tournament experience. Moreover, my interdisciplinary background enables me to incorporate diverse knowledge domains, including psychology, neuroscience, sleep science, nutrition, and exercise physiology, to enhance players' overall performance and well-being.

My coaching methodology is structured around short to medium-term training cycles, typically spanning two to three months, during which we focus on improving specific mental skills relevant to chess performance. These skills encompass areas such as pressure management, establishing effective routines, enhancing motivation, fostering self-regulation, bolstering self-esteem, and refining mental models. With a tournament-oriented approach, I guide students through a progression cycle, which includes assessment, skill acquisition, competitive application, evaluation, and adjustment. Emphasizing a collaborative coaching model, I work alongside players to develop and integrate mental skills into their chess progression journey, ultimately striving for excellence on the chessboard.