There is a common philosophy for any partnership. One needs to be truly passionate to thrive in such an environment. For someone like Jaime Jaquez Jr, a breakout star for the Miami Heat, his dream has become his profession. To compete against some of the world’s most skilled players, the 23-year-old needs one thing to get mentally ready. An anecdote he has used since college – playing chess has now become the sophomore forward’s big partner.

In the wake of CloseUp360 realizing Jaquez Jr’s admiration for the game, they and Chess.com emerged with a unique initiative. The Heat starlet now has his very own bot on Chess.com where millions of players can play against him.

“This summer, for my company CloseUp360, while I was directing a documentary with Jaime inside his first-ever Milan Fashion Week, I also discovered his love for chess. So I connected the dots to Chess.com to develop a partnership to launch his bot and produce a special feature around it. Being that Chess.com is a worldwide leader in the sport, and Jaime has roots in Mexico and Norway, I saw it as a special global opportunity,” Jared Zwerling, the founder of CloseUp360, revealed.

This makes him part of a packed roster on the website. Before Jaime Jaquez Jr. joined the team, Chess.com (worth $500 million) also created bots for Luka Doncic, Jaylen Brown, and Gordon Hayward. But, none of them had the global roots that Jaquez Jr. boasts, which was among the major drivers of this partnership.

“NBA rising star, global roots, plays in the hot market of Miami, longtime passion for chess, outgoing personality for engagement, etc,” Zwerling further mentioned. Being someone who plays online a lot, it’s a perfect opportunity for Jaime Jaquez Jr., especially considering he has followed Chess.com for some time.

But the purpose of the game itself helps him achieve something greater.

How chess helps Jaime Jaquez Jr prepare for basketball

To the Miami Heat star, chess has been engraved in his mind from childhood. “I was pretty young and my dad taught me how to play,” Jaquez Jr. revealed. With two siblings in the house, the games became competitive from a very early age for the 23-year-old. That continued into college, where he and his roommate would battle it out on the black-and-white checkered board.

Slowly and steadily, it became the activity that helped him prepare for games. Now, before suiting up for the Miami Heat, Jaquez Jr. relies on chess as a way to get in the right mindset. The “strategic nature” of the game sets him up for success, according to the Heat star. Moreover, with the NBA season being grueling, it also keeps his mind energized.

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“The NBA season is long and can be a grind, so chess is extremely beneficial in combatting any mid-season mental fatigue. Any edge I can get to be my best self on and off the basketball court, I will take, and playing chess is instrumental in that,” he told Sports Illustrated.

As an integral part of the Heat, Jaime Jaquez Jr. has had a slow start to the season. The All-Rookie First Team forward averages 8.6 points and a career-high 5.4 rebounds. However, that’s far from his ceiling as the sophomore carries great expectations within the franchise. A jump is only around the corner, and chess could play a vital role in doing so for Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Will you be playing against his bot on Chess.com? Let us know your views in the comments below.