Hikaru thinks Levy can be GM

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[@Pxe4]

Hikaru telling you to sacrifice that self doubt.

[@pixllo]

And the rook

[@cassidy99ful]

@@pixllo You mean the ROOOOOOOKKKK!!!!!! LOL!!!!

[@Cobra-King3]

​@@pixllofor good luck

[@Pxe4]

@@Cobra-King3 it’s a ritual at this point

[@luizreyes2868]

Indeed ​@@Pxe4

[@jasonpark5247]

Bro really said “you brain strong but mind weak”

[@michaels8386]

And probably he is right about that

[@krzysztof_jablonski]

Omg, I LOL'd so hard at this. Underrated comment.

[@Ishikawa-Goemon]

I agree. Levy is hypersensitive about his performance, because in his mind it isn't only chess, but some kind of intellect war. Poor Levy.

[@razattack1337]

I can be GM too, and develop everything

[@ouderwetsss]

@@michaels8386d de

[@SD-J22]

Maybe the real grandmaster is the friends we made along the way

[@abrarak478]

I mean 😂

[@disruptor6550]

💯💯💯

[@greenboi99]

🏆👏

[@coachcartier8726]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@ramanahveljeyaseelan5406]

I mean Levy is friends with a couple of gms.

[@PokepoppinTV]

A lot of you are looking at this negatively when it's actually a very positive thing. Hikaru is actually saying he has the knowledge and ability to be a grandmaster, and he can do it by changing his mentality, which is entirely possible. This is great news for Levy.

[@romanemperor7]

Yeah and people joke about it too much.

[@luizreyes2868]

Unfortunately

[@Nico-ou6ky]

People in social media are just like that you can't do anything about it

[@antijokecommenter5003]

who looks at this negatively?

[@MrDahunta]

Levy basically stated that himself. He gets cold feet when push comes to shove. He needs to overcome that first.

[@eyto96]

"mentally you're sort of not quite there" someone clip that out of context 😂

[@eggomyeggo]

FR

[@kingboong8343]

Turn it into a sound bite and play it every time Levy chucks a game down the shitter on a stream, lol

[@ruffusgoodman4137]

Just YTP with other videos of Levy raging

[@yopoxikeweapescai9066]

​@@kingboong8343good idea

[@Thetasquared]

best comme t

[@vjkg9020]

The fact THE Hikaru is smiling at Levy while saying this makes it so much better

[@gamingwithmangoandrrr8304]

@@3BodyProblem23ok boomer. “Crash course” pls change ur name 😂

[@3BodyProblem23]

@@gamingwithmangoandrrr8304 whats wrong with you? Please dial 911 for medical emergencies.

[@connorl4344]

​@@gamingwithmangoandrrr8304tf is your deal bro

[@APeaceAndQuiet]

@@gamingwithmangoandrrr8304rko outta nowhere???

[@zedoisxis]

​@@gamingwithmangoandrrr8304Ok gamingwithmango, surely you are over 15 huh

[@ErebusFOG]

to the comments saying hikaru said no, he literally didnt. he said "yeah you definently can be, as soon as you figure out the mental part of it" which, from what i've seen of levy's content, is a very fair critique and something that i know levy is also trying to improve on.

[@iro9486]

Levy may have thought about returning to competitive chess soon... Which explains why even though he's been "studying" he's playing worse in tournaments like tt. . Because of the mental aspect. Hikaru has said dozens of times that he doesn't think Levy will do it. So he is trying to say no, while giving him advice which will hopefully motivate him.

[@downwithmyotp]

What exactly does the mental aspect in chess mean? Just curious as I've seen it mentioned more than once.

[@restingsleep]

@@downwithmyotp i know levy has a big problem specifically with nerves when playing against gms, hes said before that he doubts his own instincts during one of the games and seems to second guess himself and lose his cool/calmness the more the game nears the end against strong players, this sometimes allows him to make mistakes. imo hikaru saying that puts the nail on the head, you have to be able to keep calm and focused without letting nerves take a hold of you, which seems to be what levy is struggling with.

[@NDREI3000]

@@downwithmyotp staying calm, not breaking down under pressure giving 100% focus and not letting things get into ur head. sounds easy but it's one of the hardest things to master in life in general. Levy himself mentioned that whenever he plays a GM he just gets scared and plays worse so he has to work on that

[@ZDTF]

He literally doesn't care

[@rocket-rakun8133]

"I think you can be GM but you don't think you can be GM"

[@woeisme3018]

thats a good interpretation

[@marwashirbin3270]

Thats actually so real.

[@riceislife6487]

basically skills are up there but his preformance lacks due to bad mental

[@goodboy8085]

Hikaru is trying to tell Levy to literally not care

[@Pers.aryann]

LOL

[@jonboybluegaming]

The irony is if he did this and let the stress flow away hed probably snipe a norm or 2

[@dylan67618]

I dont think that's necessarily what he was saying lol

[@omerkeidar95]

That's not what I took from it. Hikaru told him to use people's awe of him, and the "streamer mentality" to his advantage. That sounds to me like a combination of unwavering confidence in game that freezes opponents, and the willingness to grind hours on end, fail, repeat.

[@LandonSillito]

😂😂💀

[@Mopey024]

Levy should start competing again and become a GM

[@Dash220_]

I think he did say he is preparing for otb tourneys during his team chess match with hikaru.

[@theleoita90]

Definitely. I would love to see that, even if he have to give us less content

[@za5528]

@@theleoita90 Road to Grandmaster would be such a great content series though, letting us see what it takes

[@theleoita90]

@@za5528 sure, but he would have to dedicate to it. Considering he wants to spend time with wife, that would leave something behind

[@daniela7815]

Don't you know what happens to Levy when he plays pro? in his streams he loses temper and gets mad way more it's clearly a strain on his mind, so much actually that because of it he stopped.

[@xDEEZKNIGHTSx]

Tbh Levy's main flaw is the mental game, but he knows his stuff. Hikaru nailed it.

[@jenejene9473]

This is so true. In online chess, whenever Levy plays against a GM, he will most likely drop his spaghetti.

[@fruitsnacks155]

@@jenejene9473lol i love the spaghetti analogy. honestly this may sound weird but that really made me laugh. wish we were friends irl because i need that kind of humor in my life😂😂

[@Dismiazs]

I remember watching his games breakdown when he did the gm journey. One thing I remember the most is that he said that he became nervous, doubting himself, then lost the winning position. So yeah, I think mental aspect is really big problem for Levy

[@w花b]

​@@fruitsnacks155chill lol

[@toriancromar]

Hikaru and Levy such a great duo

[@EEEEEEEE]

E‎ ‎

[@coolname9458]

People may laugh at this answer but it’s a genuinely good critique. Like what levy said in the Gukesh interview, the top players in games like tennis and chess are all relatively equal to each other and it’s the mental aspect that determines who comes out on top most of the time

[@infra_Gray]

They all have ridiculous knowledge in all phases of the game so it comes down to confidence and not getting brain fog. Especially when time is a factor, having confidence to play a move and know it'll work out is huge, and not getting caught up in certain lines and seeing the whole board is also important.

[@alonsoACR]

​@RaniaIsAwesome I agree with that comment if and only if it's about the top few players AND there's an exception to Magnus (who's better in all aspects, mentality included) They all still have their own pros and cons so they aren't strictly equal BUT if you actually go and listen to a player's thoughts on where he missed you get: - I didn't manage my time well - I got desperate/anxious/unmotivated - I got tired - I couldn't think clearly - I took risks for points All of them are about work ethic, therefore mentality. Sometimes you hear "I've been outplayed" or "out prepared". Only the first is strictly skill. The second is a mix of skill and ethic. But hearing "I've been outplayed" is rare in my experience. Except regarding matches against Magnus, therefore the exception I said.

[@Aladdindoescubes]

​@@alonsoACRyou hear quite a bit of "I missplayed because I thought this this and this and missed this and this" too though

[@Michojo]

​@@Aladdindoescubes misplayed because of??

[@Aladdindoescubes]

@@Michojo uhh read again probably

[@isaacpianos5208]

Levy has to use that "my enemy is as afraid as I am" People have to look at him and think "omg its gotham chess imma get clipped"

[@dylan67618]

This 100%. Also, something I think is undervalued is lying to your opponent about your mistakes being mistakes. It can break someone's mental if you accidentally do something awesome and they think you're just that good. And when you have accolades under your belt like Levy the opponents are more likely to believe that at face value.😊

[@CidGuerreiro1234]

Like everyone (other than Hikaru and the other top dogs) basically shit their pants when they play against Magnus. Not only they're facing the best, they can't bring their A-game into it because they're too nervous.

[@anonymouscacti8003]

Hikaru basically said “don’t turn into a monkey every time you make a good move levy”

[@sosa7k169]

Levy just needs to know that he is him and play some chess

[@gerardgag]

I actually think that the advice Hikaru gave you about using the fact that your opponents know how big of a deal you actually are as far as being a famous streamer and them being "in awe" of that to your advantage might be the key to beating your self imposed mental blocks, so i think it's pretty invaluable advice if you decide to take it, essentially you should believe in your status and ability and let that impact your opponents mental state instead of trying to be too humble and ending up negatively impacting your own self-belief as a result, just my two cents.

[@Fredman5551]

I agree. He plays at GM level when he's relaxed and messing around and immediately spirals when he gets too serious

[@violetapelaez734]

@gerardgag I loved your answer, I identify with Levy in the sense that a lot of people can tell I have the tools to succeed, but I fail when my mind is playing games on me and I have to "defeat myself first" to get to my objectives. Levy is so amazing when being himself streaming, it's just about feeling confident no matter the result. Go, Levy!!! You're my inspiration.

[@isaacpianos5208]

There's a reason why chess players are so arrogant!! It's absurdly useful!!

[@Damogen]

Yeah, I never thought about that. Imagine the pressure on some random unknown IM, who isn't used to a lot of spotlight, when they play against Levy and know that the game will be watched by over ½ mio. people.

[@dylan67618]

This was exactly how I read it too. It's reminding me of James Holzhauer, who absolutely killed it on Jeopardy - including when he came back to play in the Tournament of Champions against other people who are gods at that game. He openly talks about how he plays his opponents as much or more than he plays the game. Every daily double he has ever done he has gone all in, and it's not just about game point strategy - it has a lot to do with exuding calm confidence that intimidates your opponent while simultaneously putting pressure on them to make them play at their peak. It makes people lose their focus and give up, or get angry, or any other sort of emotion. Then his opponents start being slow to hit the buzzer, or they start buzzing in too fast to try to beat him and then they don't know the answer, or they get a daily double and then *have* to risk it all and *have* to get it right or they've lost, and that is a ton of pressure.

[@YRMW1983]

Back after Levy’s video announcing he’s back on the road to becoming a GM

[@Odysseusf]

link?

[@YRMW1983]

@@Odysseusf it’s the last video on this channel (@Gothamchess) called Road to GM Episode 1

[@Odysseusf]

@@YRMW1983 just watched it. thank you!

[@Odysseusf]

@@YRMW1983 I just watched episodes 1 and 2. Levy is finding so many excuses for himself, like he is nervous.

[@YRMW1983]

@@Odysseusf haven’t watched the second ep yet but I can imagine it. His biggest struggle is the psychological side

[@UnintentionallyAwake]

Hikaru's caculation is correct as always

[@UnintentionallyAwake]

Not to say Levy "needs" the GM title.. but he definitely could if he got over that mental hurdle.

[@iansarmiento23]

What i understood was that Levy has the ability of a GM but he doesn't act like it.

[@user-vu1yv3bd3b]

Your understanding is correct.

[@TheDocbach]

Its deeper than that. He is really talking about the nerves he gets with end games. His openings and middle game are on the level. But he chokes from stress in the end game. Levi knows it. Hikaru knows it. Its not a big secret.

[@xfuttex]

I can't put myself in Levy's position, but Hikaru, being within the top 10 players in the world, says that it is possible for Levy and gives advice on where to improve is a huge compliment.

[@arcverson4963]

Levy: "Senpai, what does it mean to be a real Grandmaster" Hikaru: "To literally not care 🤷‍♂️"

[@AURON2401]

Sempai? no. Sensei.

[@Stromry]

​@@AURON2401 it's senpai here he doesn't consider Hikaru as his teacher. He considers him as a close friend/friend and Hikaru is older then him so it's senpai

[@culturalist]

Lmao cringe ​@@AURON2401

[@luckytrinh333]

Levy full potential = GM, confirmed 🥶🥶🥶

[@thirstforknowledge._]

Levy full potential with prep time + mental boost + dedicated will become super Gm biggest treat 🥶🥶🥶

[@melikmourali2072]

​@@thirstforknowledge._ Mental boost is the hardest thing though, but not impossible. It is the case in any e-sport

[@checkmateewithpj31]

What

[@RAYDENBRYCETCO]

“Mentally not quite there” OK CLIP THAT CLIIIIIIIP- 💀

[@kaibombardier8894]

You’ll get there one day Levy!

[@CapnChillV]

That was a great response.

[@Vishalgupta-uc7oe]

Hikaru at GUN POINT 💀

[@mistertwister2000]

Effectively saying “You have the skill, you just need the mentality to get there” which is a HUGE compliment from somebody as skilled as him

[@Darko1.0]

Translation: "You're already a Grandmaster Levy, you just have to belive..."

[@MatthieuSCHREK]

Fact

[@thejadedxyz]

"He sacrificed his CERTAINITY"

[@Molinaclips304]

"Mentally your sort of, you're not quite there"

[@vanshshah6693]

Bro just gave mental damage in a casual manner......

[@ash_tyro]

He said he has the skill but his too timid

[@SpicyMelonYT]

He needs to sacrifice…. THE DOUBT

[@SuperIdol101C]

"And he sacrifices HIS SANITY"

[@brandonovich6063]

Truly a great thing to hear from hikaru, especially because levy already knows that's his issue

[@CarlHislop]

"Losers - prove me wrong. Winners - prove me right." Robert California

[@Mike_Baldwin]

Hikaru said "Absolutely" - it's like a golf swing - Levy just needs to make some minor tweaks to his game and he's right there.

[@StrawberryCrush2000]

he's got the yips

[@_haidargames]

He said no without saying no😂

[@azzz1578]

It’s funny cause it’s advice that echoes what I’ve heard levy say about himself He just needs to get out his own head

[@ariavachier-lagravech.6910]

I highly recommend Levy to have some sort of anime training where he journey from river to the sea.

[@FLUIDITY_O]

Bro just told him no in the nicest way

[@sneakep]

He’s smiling because he knows the question that is coming.

[@listey]

Levy has bigger priorities than being a GM and I think he's at peace that it won't happen.

[@adayah2933]

That's not so clear, getting a GM title could hugely boost Levy's popularity as well as self esteem.

[@mememe733]

He’s not at peace with it. In a video where he took a lie detector test he said it bothered him a lot.

[@user-ej7sr3ow8b]

"Can he become a GM" is a topic repeatedly mentioned in a lot of videos continuously, I don't think he is at peace about not getting one

[@StrawberryCrush2000]

aged well lol

[@OG_CK2018]

Hikaru trying his best to not crush levy's dreams:

[@eddiemate]

But he's right. Levy does legitimately play at GM level when he doesn't overthink and doubting his ability. The problem is he does that often when he's facing GMs.

[@mitigamespro8757]

​@@eddiemate if you watch Gotham games you'd notice that he does beat GM pretty often nowadays. But he still isn't at the 2.8-3 k elo points like GM's are on that website. And considering he's been playing more blitz than classical it's likely that his blitz playing strength is currently stronger than his classical strength. But we'll see what happens when he comes back to otb.

[@miaoxiang7377]

​@@mitigamespro8757otb classical grinding is a totally different beast from blitzing online. He could have the knowledge and ability like Hikaru said, but in reality, it's close to 0 chance to grind 200 elo otb.

[@user-ej7sr3ow8b]

@@eddiemate Yes, an entry-level GM usually cannot beat IMs that easily. But Levy tends to start getting nervous, overthinks when not necessary and miss tactics/run low on time and get his ass kicked when he knows his opponent is strong

[@yoman6367]

He didnt want to say no...so he predicted Levys next question and answered it

[@Kronosfobi]

''Strong of body, Weak of mind.'' *-Hikaru Nakamura*

[@WiseWackyWizard]

From which video is this clip?

[@darkalman]

It's a very fair critique, Levy himself has said several times that he gets too nervous and locks up during competitive events. If he got passed that he could play competitive quite well and could move to the next level. Or just stick to being a commentator that he's fantastic at. Nothing wrong with that.

[@Boop__Doop]

Hikaru sacrifices LEVY'S HOPES AND DREAMS

[@michaelkaruza490]

And he sacrifices... THE DOUBT!!!!!!

[@Warpath832]

Well nobody asked Levy!

[@konraddapper7764]

Why would you ask levy If hikur hast what it Takes to become a gm . If hikaru on of the best gms in the world

[@iro9486]

Yo I don't get what the point of your comment is... It's his channel and a lot of people are interested.. But can we just come together and appreciate what the other dude that replied just said? What the fuck was that?

[@Warpath832]

​@@iro9486i said it as a joke because at the beginning of the video when he nobody asked

[@Tokai_L4D2]

Hikaru said no politely

[@cIappo896]

"can i be gm" "absolutely" where's the no?

[@user-q8hylm90hg]

Y'all really think that this is a negative response. Hikaru said that HE CAN BE, it's just that he needs to work in his mentality.

[@donkbonktj5773]

Bro has no listening comprehension

[@brandonkravet8350]

Hikaru told him to gambit his bad thoughts

[@wat5]

Hikaru is literally telling you to go insane

[@jayden3053]

Levy got his dreams crushed by Hikaru

[@vicentevazquez3917]

The most polite "nope" that I ever heard.

[@danielrichardson6471]

It's literally "yes, you hav what it takes but if you don't evolve for the better then you won't be"

[@kkarx]

@@danielrichardson6471 Yeah with this definition basically anyone can become GM then 😂

[@danielrichardson6471]

@@kkarx of course. Why wouldn't it be? That doesn't mean you'll get to hear that yourself though

[@dretno]

Bro called him stupid in ancient Greek.

[@PretendKyle]

He sacrificed... SELF DOUBT!!

[@kennyloo137]

hikaru really gave the same speech gojo gave to megumi

[@fredzugs]

This is why levy came back

[@dreamzdemocracy]

Hikaru: doubts levy Also Hikaru : he's way too old to be a gm

[@elilsah]

And he sacrifices THE GRAND MASTER TITLE

[@ybee7090]

Hikaru in the recent lie detector test : no I don't think levy can become a gm

[@poiklp5615]

Even Hikaru fears levy when he sacrifices the rook

[@alessandroboscaini8424]

To me, this was the start of Levy’s glow up arc and the beginning of his path to become a GM

[@davey2487]

I think this definitely helped him with his decision to go for GM.

[@rawtrout3402]

Bro got roasted in the most peaceful way possible

[@H1TM4NB00THY]

Levy sacrificed the CONFIDENCE

[@timmyx97]

hikaru is so gentle

[@SeyrenSamin]

Jesus bro went balls deep

[@kundogb]

It's like a polite boss fireing you.

[@junglemankey]

Levy is already a GM, he said so himself

[@generaljenkins6692]

Hikaru is like: Embrace the 'fuck it, we ball!' mentality

[@georgepapa7620]

“If you wish to beat me, you must draw 100,000 more arrows”

[@_enee]

see levy there’s takes takes there there here takes check there here takes and then you can be a gm

[@cjbtime]

He sacrificed….. HIS ANXIETYYYYYYY

[@davidsault9698]

He doesn't have the killer instinct.

[@rafaelzamot42]

Hikaru just said "use your aura to your advantage"

[@stapler942]

"You've stayed face for too long, Levy, it's time for you to turn heel. Let it all loose."

[@mohammedtorky9299]

But then you sacrifice THE ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOK

[@harrypothead]

Hes basically saying you werent gifted with superb memory.

[@dejazO0]

to simplify he said "nah u can't"

[@jubomalseeco3117]

"hmm... you can, but you ain't got that dog in you."

[@umadbroyo2388]

Hikaru told Levy to sacrifice himself😂

[@mattshuey1]

Hikaru and Levy is like a DBZ arc in the real world.

[@MuscleBandit]

Hikaru never fails to be as nervous in front of Levy as Levy is in front of Hikaru.

[@CMald]

I love papa Hikaru giving young man Levy such great device

[@Zero00024]

He is baiscally saying You need to sacrifice the rock

[@affanshafqute8130]

Levy needs to learn ultra instinct

[@quinn28]

Bro said 'why are you asking me, ask yourself'

[@divangibran8007]

"You're not quite there" - Hikaru

[@nickpower9719]

He told him to lock tf in 👏🏻🗿

[@Danthrax81]

"that move is dubious" "DO IT" - The Emperor

[@kingsolo6241]

That is a very nice way of telling Levy, “No, you don’t have what it takes.”

[@gladiationatior7801]

"You are on this council but we do not geant you the title of Master"

[@UnintentionallyAwake]

Just realized Levy is basically Greed Island Killua

[@Mykel_Maze]

Hikaru low key saying, “ You gotta be a Dawg Levy!”

[@dudewithcomputer]

“Mentally you’re not quite there” out of context is wild tho 😂

[@ShubhamSharma-yb9vl]

If you can scare them, your job is half done.