Mindfulness when playing chess I want to start with this Buddha quote from the Dhammapada


  As rain breaks through an ill-thatched house, passion will break
  through an unreflecting mind.


Ch. 1: The Twin Verses, verse 13

Last night I was playing chess with a close friend and he beat me 4 times consecutively .The first time I almost beat him but my performance worsened linearly .The last time my performance was the worst.

Aside from realizing that each time I lost the more I wanted to beat him ,I realized that while playing I was constantly thinking about the possible moves and wasn't mindful or aware during the game.Its almost like I was constantly surprised by unanticipated moves  

Its during the game that the feeling of defeat struck me and during this I was thinking about the plan .

How can watching and strategic thinking occur,if when I watch there is no thinking?. 

A fellow here stated that thinking and watching are antagonistic .I think this has some truth as when I watch the thread of thoughts subsides.

I think this leads to a more general question and that in any sport or activity that requires a certain skill .How can mindfulness be incorporated during that activity?.

I know there are already related questions but,there doesn't seem to be a clear cut answer.
In contrast to the other answers, it is my perception that mindfulness and deep intellectual thinking complement each other.  

Sports are not about defeating the other team but rather raising your own performance to a higher level.  The higher level of physical or mental (chess) performance is a result of this alignment between the mind, body and spirit.  

As a skilled chess player, my best games come not from furious concentration but rather from an openness to the possibilities and patterns of the board. Indeed many chess players compare their state of mind to Zen or Taoist mindfulness.  As with a koan answer, the right move often comes as lightning.  

The mind can be trained to be present and creative at the same time. Both take a lot of practice however.  A novice chess player will be looking for the next move and confused by all the possibilities.  Just so, the novice meditation practitioner will be confused by all the stray thoughts.  

I'd encourage you to quiet your mind and emotions during a competitive chess game (not easy) perhaps the deeper possibilities on the board will be revealed.