The Quarterback Mind
Football is played on a field. But the game is won in the mind.
Game Plan: The Strategy of Chess & Sports · World Chess Hall of Fame & Galleries · Saint Louis · On view May 7, 2026 – May 2027
A performance system, recognized.
Poison Pawn uses chess to help athletes improve their decision-making under pressure. Its work spans the highest levels of sport — the NFL, NBA, MLB, and Olympic competition — as well as leaders and executives in high-performance environments. Beyond anticipation and pattern recognition, the system builds emotional resiliency: keeping one mistake from turning into more.
Its clients include UCLA Athletics, the Toronto Blue Jays, and Team USA's Artistic Swimming team — including 2024 Olympic silver medalist Anita Alvarez.
Poison Pawn's performance system — including its custom-designed chess sets and training materials used with professional, Olympic, and collegiate athletes — is featured in the exhibition, alongside artifacts connected to figures such as Garry Kasparov, Wayne Gretzky, and the St. Louis Cardinals.
“What begins to separate the elite top performers is how they process things… how they can almost see five moves ahead.”
Super Bowl, World Series, and Olympic competitors
who train in the Poison Pawn system.
Trains decision-making under pressure through the Poison Pawn system — composure, rapid adaptation, and learning through real-time mistakes, mirroring the demands faced by elite quarterbacks.
Uses the Poison Pawn system to train decision-making under time pressure and uncertainty — translating the demands of the board into high-stakes moments.
Trains with the Poison Pawn system to develop clarity, timing, and control — the attributes required to lead and perform at the highest levels of international competition.
Authentic training on the Poison Pawn board.
"Will you train me after this?"
"Poison Pawn Chess helped me slow the game down."
"At Poison Pawn, we talk about having a process."
"Poison Pawn Chess teaches you to slow down and think ahead."
"There's always an answer to the problem."
"As a QB, you are in the decision-making business."