HANGZHOU—A short walk from the thunderous roar of Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium lies Hangzhou's quietest venue.

Hangzhou Qi-Yuan (Zhili) Chess Hall, a 14-storey building surrounded by residential blocks, hosts the Mind Sports events—Chess, Xiangqi (Chinese chess), Bridge and Go.

But unlike other competition venues, Hangzhou Qi-Yuan (Zhili) Chess Hall is only open to athletes, officials and accredited media. No spectators are allowed.

Decisive wins in medal matches are accompanied by the orderly shuffle of chairs rather than surges of loud cheering, as athletes quietly leave the field of play. A library-like air prevails.

The muted atmosphere is necessary, however. "If spectators are admitted, there will be lots of distractions, and the players need to concentrate," explains Indian chess team technical official Bh Vasanth.

While most contenders across Hangzhou Asian Games venues thrive off the backing of a lively crowd, the Mind Sports athletes are not looking for encouragement.

"They don't like people praising them or clapping," said Vasanth.

All Mind Sports events feature multiple concurrent matches so when one person is about to win, another is thinking deeply and needs silence.

"Each move is very important," said Vasanth. "One small error and they may lose the game. After they win, then they can enjoy."

Fans of Mind Sports are not entirely excluded though. Fans can follow most of the events via official websites.

Bader Alhajiri (R) of Kuwait competes in the Chess Men's Individual Round 9 of the 19th Asian Games, 27 September 2023.

Nilufar Yakubbaeva (L) of Uzbekistan and Vo Thi Kim Phung of Viet Nam compete in the Chess Women's Individual Round 9 of the 19th Asian Games, 27 September 2023.