GothamChess Answers Tough Questions in Game of Lie Detector Chess

How much money does @GothamChess make a year? Does he like Andrea Botez?! We put GothamChess under a lie detector to REALLY see what he's thinking!
Produced by Chandler Toffa
Shot by Andrew Ventura
Polygraph Test Administrated By David Robbins
Edited by Vladimir Isaenko
Learn more about what happened behind the scenes: www.chess.com/article/view/li...
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[@chess]

Who do you want to see play lie detector chess next?

[@smileychapt3420]

Hikaru and Magnus would be sick

[@jjjmethosjjj]

Kramnik

[@LL-jl9qq]

Hikaru and Magnus

[@MHamoush]

Bobby fischer

[@kevster1276]

Hikaru and Magnus

[@GothamChess]

This was fun

[@blues05]

Big fan Levy!

[@klaushoward9158]

You guys showed and incredible amount of candor and I'd love to see more of that kind of content. Massive fan of yours here too!

[@TheMarkODonohue]

@@klaushoward9158this 100%. Isn’t it crazy that people being candid is so much more endearing than a bland piece of “you boost me up then I’ll boost you up” my respect for both these guys just went up another notch. Loved it.

[@snoophoggg]

Post today's video🗣️🦅🔥🔥🔥 ragghhh🦅🦅🦅🦅

[@bhavypratap2844]

I just want to know. What's Lucy's reaction to the question - do u like andrea botez and u said yes. Please tell in one of your videos or in comments 😂. I m really curious.

[@inambience]

For something that seemed like it was going to be somewhat salacious, this actually turned out to be one of the more wholesome pieces of chess content.

[@l1amg]

Thank you for making this comment - it's the thing that encouraged me to watch it! I was going to skip after the summary at the start!

[@KiheiOfficial]

Salacious? 😳

[@WilliamPembertonBrown]

@@austinewing526 That's because of a neurochemical. Is that not the equivalent of saying yeah, that's because of contrast and arm or leg?

[@T4gProd]

Yeah! I mean, this is marketing clout. Lie detectors are mostly bullshit. There's the editing and scripting and all that. But as a market piece for such a tiny sport like chess this was nice and pleasant. I come from a martial arts background where the marketing is "I WILL KILL YOU!!! NO I WILL KILL YOU MORE!!!" "SEE THE KILLING NEXT SUNDAY! Yeah, I prefer the wholesome vibe a lot more.

[@pregerzoreo4886]

​@@T4gProdw

[@Modislickbaul]

Imagine not asking "Have you ever cheated in chess?"

[@user-bc2fm8zc3q]

Its possible they did ask and just didn't want it in the final cut of the video. Also they must have asked do you think Hans cheated

[@Tateygb]

@@user-bc2fm8zc3qno way can they ask about hans, they don’t want to get sued

[@user-bc2fm8zc3q]

@@Tateygb they can ask and just not put it in the video. Plus the lawsuit ended a while ago

[@joeknapp9162]

But what if they had tricked a friend by stealing a piece off their board when they looked away and it turns into a real conspiracy regarding their actual profession???

[@gondel5537]

​@@Tateygb Can someone get sued for this? I mean isn't there a difference between accusing someone and saying "I personally think someone cheated"?

[@MattyThomas]

The lie detector guy is so talented. Not only can he fix broken toys but also do this!

[@jonahprate8192]

Ayo. Why is this so on point. Havent seen toy story in decades but this is 1:1

[@mattkim96]

That Toy Story guy is Geri, he originally appeared in the short “Geri’s Game”. Where he’s shown to be a chess player too! It’s all wrapped back around.

[@MattyThomas]

@@mattkim96Oh ye!! I remember watching that when I was younger. It’s all come full circle 😆🔥

[@Wayf4rer]

I'm dead

[@franciscoalonso108]

I remember that short movie being in the begining of the bugs movie ​@@mattkim96

[@oliloc2692]

this content was goated, now do one with magnus and hikaru xD

[@DanielEtukudo1122]

Petition to make this happen 🖊️ 📓

[@SeleniumBalls]

They would never agree to that but we can always hope

[@TheAdsfasdf4]

and Hans

[@TheLyingLeft]

This would be the next best thing to the Vegas thing, which isn't happening. :(

[@TheLyingLeft]

@@TheAdsfasdf4 Hans' lawyers are typing up terms of agreement as we speak. Hahahahaha.

[@trevorwilliams7384]

I really respect Levy for still wanting to be a GM and being willing to admit that his acceptance is more coping than genuine. He still wants it, and I want it for him. He's had good enough games and good enough performances that he could probably reach for it, but he's talked about his mental blocks and anxiety that hold him back. That's hard to come to terms with and be honest about, and I respect the crap out of him for talking about it publicly.

[@Daniel-ng8fi]

The ironic part is while it seems harder, I actually think fixing your mental game and performance anxiety issues would take less time than acquiring the knowledge to make the next move to GM. So if he already has the knowledge and skill (or close to) to be a GM, I think the hardest part is done, he just needs to seek out a good sports psychologist and therapist.

[@d-rockanomaly9243]

At this point in his age and Elo trajectory... Becoming GM would be a highly irregular and exceptionally rare accomplishment. At one point maybe there was a path to it, but it would be hard to accomplish while running a busy KZbin channel. Hikaru had the benefit of already being a gm when he started making videos.

[@d-rockanomaly9243]

​@@Daniel-ng8fiI don't think he has the knowledge though. When you see him analyze top level games, or even when playing Hikaru... He's often amazed at the moves they make, in a way that, to me, seems like he doesn't intuitively understand top level moves without analyzing. He's close in terms of ELO as just a number... But even 100 rating points at that upper level is like an entirely different and distant plateau of understanding. Close, yet so far away. Plus, his age. Learning chess, or anything for that matter is significantly harder as you age. Him becoming GM now would be a very atypical path to gm. I think it's the opposite. Psychologically he can can handle it, but he just doesn't have the practical knowledge to be a gm. I can't imagine being able to build a channel like his, and becoming a gm at the same time. If he focused on becoming a gm from a young age, throughout his career, I have little doubt levy could have been a gm. But her shouldn't be so dissatisfied. His career as a creator is way more lucrative, he's got way more recognition than any gm besides Magnus, his job is much more social and interactive and enjoyable than that of a GM's (Hikaru aside lol), he likely has a far bigger impact and influence over the chess world as the top chess creator. The only gm anyone cares about is the #1 for the most part. Everyone else is basically a side note in history. Surely he would ideally want to be a gm AND have his channel... But from where I'm standing, his KZbin career is a much better choice if having to choose between the two.

[@kobeischildren]

​@@Daniel-ng8fiman that's exactly what i thought. But i guess the mental part might just be harder for some people

[@amanuelamogne9749]

I love how they showed the Lie Detector being calibrated in the beginning.

[@theherk]

“Calibrated”

[@colinrikhotso3220]

Looked like a scene from a movie

[@aja3longhorn375]

Very much like the intro to Mindhunter

[@ProjectEdge]

I swear I go vibes from toy story where the toy man stitched up Woody@@colinrikhotso3220

[@AJ23mady]

*Polygraph. Lie Dectectors don't exist

[@KrumovBobby]

Danny's honesty about jelousy is actually great, it shows in this recent content that he is in fact comfortable in front of a camera, he does want to create content and this video is spectacular! Hope to see more from this, it's never too late to start making good quality content and help the industry grow!

[@Jared_Witte03]

*jealousy you missed the a

[@KrumovBobby]

@@Jared_Witte03 🧢

[@Jared_Witte03]

@@KrumovBobby What does the hat mean? That you don't care about misspelling?

[@KrumovBobby]

@@Jared_Witte03 yes, it means 'cap'. Not sure if that's how you use 'cap' but you nailed the meaning regardless. Almost like how no matter how I spell 'jelosy' you'll still get the point. Because spelling is dumb like that. Or humans are smart like that... idk

[@fhudufin]

@@Jared_Witte03 cap = lie "bro i got a million dollars" "CAP!" = "youre lying"

[@sqttttt]

Okay that was way more wholesome than I expected

[@christian9387]

Danny is really a peach of a man, and Levy is always damn entertaining.

[@outdoorcoaching]

Very well said‼️

[@ArcticChess1]

Levy never fails to be in chess videos

[@dailyfunnytv358]

because of partnership?

[@undeniablySomeGuy]

i mean that's true

[@OrchestralButterflie]

Except that time he and Lucy were in Kitchen Nightmares

[@AUniqueHandleName444]

And he never will, until the day chess speaks for itself

[@martinkrajscak4381]

I clicked for the lie detector content, but the actual video was phenomenal... The evening atmosphere of deep talks was making you hold your breaths much longer than normal... Every question you kept expecting them to get savage about each other...but turns out they both love and respect each others work and skill a lot. Wholesome friendship story and a bit of sneak peak behind their real personalities and some small fragments of info about their personal life or life stories... Dude. This video frickin slapped! Definitely do more, this is gonna get way more views than any other chess videos (maybe excluding the cheating scandal....). However most importantly these kinds of videos will make people realize chess is a great game of mature people bonding over the board. Games tend to be toxic and look at these two gentlemen showing you great example how relaxed you can be while playing a rival...

[@horshamhobo8373]

I comment on almost NO Chess videos. I consume them voraciously, but almost never comment. This video needs to be seen by everyone. Well done, guys, and I'd like to see more of these between other players/content creators.

[@BlunderDownUnder]

Completely agree. Hence commenting on your comment (and one other haha). These two always struck me as not being anything other than honest and this video showed that in the best way (didn't need the actual lie detector as they both immediately said yes to the supposedly embarrasing answer).

[@dafeac]

the machine would blow up as soon as Hikaru enters the room, I love hicky he is deceptive as a kid, I dont even know how much selfaware he is of it

[@Guzm4nn]

do you like andrea botez was wild fr

[@InvestorsHeaven]

Frankly I don't think there is a better chess commentator than Robert Hess. Danya is definitely great too, but Hess is just something else when it comes to that.

[@timwheeler8523]

Leko ....

[@iamalittleboat]

Totally agree! He is the best English speaking commentator

[@felixmenday1719]

For me personally, it's definitely Jan Gustafsson who got me excited about chess again. The combination with Peter Svidler was great, especially the World Championship match between Carlsen and Karjakin

[@Copystrike]

Sagar Shah is great aswell

[@mattias2576]

Especially with david howell

[@broad_cat]

Such huge respect to Danny for his honesty. He just seems like such a standup guy.

[@isaacdiboss]

David Robbins is 100% the guy from Toy Story 2

[@merxellus1456]

Ah now u mentioned it.. especially from the cinematic shot at the intro with the background music.. definitely looks like him

[@gabrielabrahao4383]

Isn't that the same character from that short Pixar released of two old guys playing chess?

[@isaacdiboss]

@@gabrielabrahao4383 it is indeed actually! Wow…

[@Meritzio]

Honestly refreshing to see two men speaking from the heart, so much better than bottling it up and acting toxic

[@d-rockanomaly9243]

Speaking from the heart, and the rate at which it beats.

[@tessa8230]

i would watch the *hell* out of a chess podcast like this. Good talk, ambient music, good chess, good vibes.

[@matthew1812]

We need more content with these two, also a podcast would be amazing.

[@joshmountain9705]

I've never seen a lie detector video that felt wholesome before. Great job guys, that was a treat.

[@richardrapport1237]

16:12 is what y'all are looking for 👍

[@tansarbol]

Appreciate that

[@yrtocsavu1996]

Are you the real Richárd Rapport?

[@ezplaygamer]

@@yrtocsavu1996he isnt

[@Bt-cq6te]

theres also 15:37

[@Matsenau]

This was a great video! I loved the conversation and especially the honesty and the way Danny spoke

[@DaanBruins]

11:45 levi casually sacrificing THE ROOOOOOK

[@jimmydean1831]

Actually an insanely good lie detector test video. Seems like it's not scripted like most, good shit.

[@kemal6039]

I love how they/Danny asked the lie detector man about his name, how he got his job, about his previous works... I've seen many lie detector videos, and I believe some of them had this man, and no one ever even asked/said his name. You got my like 2 minutes into the video.

[@chessbergen]

All the answers we need, good chess content and just overall engaging, thanks for the video

[@genedios4473]

Hey props to whoever shot this. Editing is solid as well but definitely keep making content with this level of photography.

[@LVilleBoys]

Very wholesome video. Such a great dynamic between Levi and Danny.

[@AnishGiriOfficial]

Goodstuff.

[@2sleepy2silly]

hi anish

[@user-bc2fm8zc3q]

15:57 a career of thousands of people destroyed in an instant

[@FeeLikesChriZ]

I like when Danny is involved . His street interviews are always funny.

[@jeffreyperdue1606]

This may be the coolest video you all have done. Would love to see it with other players!

[@DagGror]

Wow, this video was a lot more emotional than I thought it was going to be. Loved it!

[@parkerjacobs973]

Great step in the right direction. The camera work, lighting, chefs kiss. Honestly I think the honesty helped me this a reality!

[@tjhallett]

Levy seems not to be honest with himself, and it spills over. Danny was in pure confession mode. Great video!

[@d-rockanomaly9243]

But he seemed to believe he was telling the truth. So is this detector actually able to pick up his subconscious, true beliefs? Or was it just giving false readings? Personally I am an over thinker. I could imagine myself making myself nervous and throwing off the results lol

[@mohammadtamimi1591]

I love this community and its figures, knowing Levy and others, was one of the best thing happened to me.

[@DungeonDragonBall]

Best Chess video in a Long time. Great production skill, great people and sublime theme for YT video.

[@ushiman]

This was great content. Seriously. Great job Danny and Levi.

[@stoyannikolov3792]

Amazing video, great idea, great format, make a series out of it :) best of luck for 2024

[@denverdave12]

It is very cool that two of the most influential individuals in the online chess world would agree to do this. And then you come away thinking that they are both legitimately great people who enjoy what they do and truly love the game of chess. This was awesome. Thanks Levy and Danny.

[@gabriellopeznieves5458]

Really good content. Enjoyed it from start to finish. I wish to see more content like this.

[@Ricanadian]

I’ve watch both of u for years, and this is the most entertaining video from y’all ever. Honesty is the best policy and Chess is the best game. Keep the dope content rolling.

[@ThomasLiljeruhm]

This was incredible to watch. We need more honest conversations like this (with or without a lie detector).

[@jarrodthekidder1]

This was SUPER entertaining and awesome. Loved it!! Please do more!

[@rebel.taylord]

This is so much fun to watch, more content like this please!

[@business_time2610]

Some of the most entertaining chess / non chess content I've ever seen - thanks so much gents :)

[@WhatMACHI]

This was great! They had such a good chemistry together and Gothams closing statemt was wholesome as heck.

[@late8641]

David Robbins is such a sweet and amicable person, I loved his vibe!

[@GandoTheBard]

Very cool interview/conversation. I am sorry to say I watch yts and forget to like sometimes but Levy, I like yours more than most. Danny came across as much more likeable than I expected him to. Now to see more lie detector chess games! :D

[@ambars5747]

Brilliant video. Perhaps my favorite chess video of all time. Thank you so much for such amazing content!

[@RyanHellyer]

You guys are killing it with the videography.

[@ZerosiiniFIN]

20:58 I don't know why but I just find it so cute how Danny finishes the knight move for Levy

[@kiddgaming9588]

This was a crazy good vid i expect more of these.❤

[@AbdullahHassanQumber]

this is super good, we need more of it

[@nyztan0]

Actually my favoruite chess event EVER was the Chess WCC 2018 commentary ever commentated by Danny & Hess. And they had guests on like Nakamura when he first started to become a streamer, it was AMAZING to behold as a new chess viewer... Danny & Hess has amazing commentary chemistry.

[@whiskbiscuit7199]

Would watch this podcast every week!

[@JoeDF]

Yessss! Love this kind of content! We're are all people, and sometimes it's very funny to just think back and share things.

[@andredobbs5390]

That last statement by levi saying he looked up to him was epic and very kind

[@jackjordan1141]

Please make this a podcast, these guys would be great

[@alphalance9408]

Heartwarming video❤ Levy and Danny are legends ❤️❤️❤️

[@blbl126]

Pathetic.

[@JussonCypher]

Fantastic ! This should be a series.

[@Kewickviper]

Fantastic video, especially the ending so wholesome!

[@melzz]

Even there are no Magnus, there are still a lot of Magnus….oh Levy 😂

[@melzz]

But this is such a heartwarming content, didn’t expected that to be honest ❤

[@mikem7662]

This was cool and wholesome, nice job guys

[@hunkydory1862]

This format needs to be a series!

[@ADAMSTRAINCHANNEL]

What a great, wholesome finish to the video. Excellent stuff.

[@freduleror]

Wow, Im super impressed with Danny's answers.

[@deeeeeeps]

11:33 "no deception" as he rubs his ear lol I think he needed the lie detector test on him.

[@Jeffrey_Tyler]

This was super cool. I would love to see more of these.

[@Milehighssc5280]

This needs to become a series.

[@Zahkia]

Thats so refreshingly honest

[@Darrian.]

Wow Andrew, amazing job on the videography!!

[@Arhey]

Love this. Would watch Podcast with these guys

[@chadsmith3171]

This is amazing content. You guys are brave for doing this. So entertaining!

[@johnjenson8783]

This is currently the best piece of chess content of all time and will be remembered forever. 🐐🐐's of the chess BOOM pouring their hearts out. Forever honorary GM's and I hope you both eventually get there, we know you can.

[@Mati-zc2ym]

13:35 Danny: I'm in the box Detector: And that's a fking lie

[@viperhd70]

Well, technically he was in the box, but the bishop prevented him from catching the pawn.

[@Rukazor]

This was super wholesome and an awesome insight into the world of Chess!

[@thejoker5958]

I love the chemistry and vibe here.

[@corygetchell849]

Honesty is rough. Exposing your self is hard. Even though i think Gothem is a bit full of himself i applaud his honesty. Great video 👏

[@user-py8kl5gh2q]

"lie detector" tests are in reality no better than a coin toss in determining deception.

[@MikkoRantalainen]

Lie detector does work if the subject believes into it hard enough. Then even monitoring the pulse will be enough.

[@xtheconvicted]

@@MikkoRantalainenThese machines just check for a reaction, be it pulse or blood pressure. Being afraid to get caught in a lie can of course cause such a reaction, but answering uncomfortable questions honestly can also cause the same reaction. These tests are useless. Fun to watch though

[@MartinWasTaken]

@@MikkoRantalainen No it's completely useless technology for detecting lies, the guy who invented this technology hated how people started using it. People are different, anxiety and stress plays a huge role into how your results come out.

[@Harevald]

If they were valid they would be used everywhere commonly. Imagine how much easier it is to just connect people to a magic lie detector and ask questions than hire an investigation crew and try to find evidence of crimes

[@AlexEEZ]

Very confidently wrong.

[@gregoryharrington8557]

this was great i like the social of chess branching with content creation. makes it alot more fun and this can divulge into alot of reels to outreach.

[@alexk9568]

Very cool project, im looking forward for more of that

[@abhinavshankar414]

We need a Hikaru and Magnus one

[@milesreynolds4943]

The ending was so wholesome

[@AkeelaGaming]

Wholesome and brilliant content. Watching Gotham vids has become a daily occurance for me lol

[@gebb]

amazing video, respect you both !

[@ZerosiiniFIN]

Danny didn't even seem to attempt to lie a single time :D

[@ritikakela]

This video is much appreciated ❤ thank you..!!

[@simonbullinger7949]

That was extremely wholesome. Thank you guys.

[@spydersweb2]

There is good chemistry here between the two of you. Do more sitdowns where you just talk. Could be very informative.

[@pauls6025]

I hope Danny got Wesley's permission for this

[@klefdnb]

Levy being caught lying and thinking he is more influential in chess than Magnus, Hikaru is honestly hilarious 😂

[@2sleepy2silly]

he kinda is

[@F3zyX]

as a player? obviously not. as a chess promoter? yeah

[@Oberon44]

he is definitely more influential

[@ricobarth]

@@F3zyX Exactly. A bunch of my son's friends play chess now because of Levy.

[@mariojoia1337]

Being "influencial" isn't just about being at the top pf the game, it's about the involvement in the entire scenario.

[@zayd162]

This was so damn wholesome, love you guys

[@dhama5804]

Props to the camera crew here getting the prep shots from David and great interview all around.

[@kitnfall]

Nowadays chess community has the best and most entertaining content. I'm all for it

[@bullpaxton2001]

Wow was one of the deeper lie detector things ive seen haha

[@barneyrubble5801]

by far the most entertaining video you have put out.

[@Proxoa]

what a wholesome conversation that was.