ROAD TO GM: EPISODE 1!

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[@_JeffJeff_]

Levy got that 3 AM motivation

[@Anaanani]

Lmao

[@jaredpinto8614]

real

[@brentgroen3204]

💀

[@ItsDeveloper_]

so real lmao

[@Nocaplol]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@luukipuuk3537]

Hikaru: “Mentally, you’re not quite there.” Levy: “And I took that personally…”

[@Hgffyhv]

Real

[@k0nstixd]

But if thats what it takes to make levi a fing gm, then let it be 😂

[@Rio-lv2zp]

BRO HIKARU LITERALLY PREDICTED THIS

[@holyphainesthai286]

HHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAH

[@ponnadaharish7149]

Lol this is the first thing that struck my mind after seeing the thumnile😂

[@pedramhaqiqi7030]

"i believe in you" button

[@tayls316]

Hell yeah

[@damianpizarro1896]

Hell yea

[@Devilfish6666]

In a hundred years, ppl will remember 3 things about chess: - 11th of May 1997: Deep Blue beats Kasparov - 20th of July 2022: Magnus Carlsen forfeits his WC title - 23rd of April 2024: LEVY ROZMAN IS BACK! In all honesty man, this is great news. Its such a pleasure for us, your viewers, to be with you on this journey. I hope you can enjoy it as well and remember you are never alone. 5 million ppl will always root for you no matter what happens. And you have a great wife and doggo:)

[@mapsgillnet6762]

I concur! Levy is one of the few chess masters that have social skills and a personality. I've loved chess since I was given a 100 year old set as a kid, but I could never break into it, because it was dominated by overly-serious condescending nerds, overly competitive dweebs, and pompous dbags. Levy got me back into it and took me from 900s to 1100 in like 6 months. I hope he keeps doing it. The win at chess series taught me so much

[@samuelk3076]

+ xqc losing in 6 moves

[@MrSupernova111]

Levy is never going to be a GM. lol

[@Evan-ph7jh]

Hell. Fucking. Yeah.

[@prxxyanshu]

im going to touch you

[@Will-zs6ln]

PIN THIS BABY LETS GOOOOOOOOOOO

[@H34L5]

Moin moin

[@GnuReligion]

Ah, but the real question is: Does Levy want the GM title enough to give up weed?

[@apersonthatlovescats]

This is what I thought when I saw this video

[@_JeffJeff_]

"I am coming back to competitive over the board play" LETS FUCKING GOO!!!!!

[@andreamorbello2507]

SAME REACTION

[@_JeffJeff_]

FR FR THIS GONNA BE INSANE

[@System.Error.]

Well, he said he won’t be playing unless things regarding his mental health does not substantially change.. so…

[@The_Lahmacun123]

This nice to see this

[@The_Lahmacun123]

I opened up youtube, so maybe i got an idea of which opening i can learn and My favourite IM posted an unexpected thing

[@gcollins1992]

"They're not better than me!" is the most relatable chess thought other than "I'm trash, why do I even do this?"

[@ChessDoctorsOrigins]

But they are... lol. Thats where ego goes too far. They might not be better in even raw skill, but they are better mentally or physically or in time management or in the other 16000 things that make up a strong chess player and you need all these things!!! He will find out soon enough

[@gcollins1992]

@@ChessDoctorsOrigins I mean yea, I agree with you. Just because it's a thought we all have from time to time, doesn't mean it's correct. On different days, I can crush a 1500 or get crushed by an 1100. But that 1500 is thinking "Man sometimes I can crush a 1700, and sometimes 1300s crush me." Chess is a funny game, but Elo rating measures consistency and closely approximates skill. An IM is IM strengh until proven otherwise, just like we really are what our rating says until we prove otherwise.

[@LukeKowaletti]

Proud of you Levy. Congrats on getting your mental back on track, that's huge, and no easy feat. I'll be rooting for you, regardless of outcome. Remember, you've already accomplished more than virtually anyone in the history of the game as far as outreach and education goes. GM would just be a cherry on top of your already fantastic chess career. Thank you for everything you've done and continue to do, and for sharing your journey and struggles so openly. Love you!

[@ShakirFazal-os4lv]

Yeah

[@MrSupernova111]

Rich middle aged guy. Life must be hard.

[@ShakirFazal-os4lv]

@@MrSupernova111 middle aged?

[@yairziv4890]

Can't wait for Levy shouting "THE ROOOOK" in the candidates

[@aryansingh7270]

😮😅😂

[@globularjalapeno]

[@DDKKAY]

Or just Pre-moving the Checkmate in 8 before going to rest romm 😂

[@tapsofosiris3110]

He's never going to be in the candidates. If he makes GM he's gonna do it by farming corrupt tournaments and his fide rating will never be over 2550.

[@barryweaver8833]

the GM title doesn't mean Top Level GM.

[@CB-lh4ph]

23:06 Something that gets taught to high level athletes is to never think in negatives. Your brain doesn't know what "don't" means. If you think "don't mess this up" you're going to think of all the ways you could mess it up. If I tell you "don't think about giraffes," you're going to think about giraffes, whether you want to or not. Instead, say "I need to clutch this," or something to that effect. "Make sure I win." and you'll think of all the ways you can win

[@markrobs2954]

So instead of thinking "don't mess this up" instead think "mess this up" got it

[@TheBlueAkumu]

Don't shit yourself Now suffer as your mind shifts through the many ways you could accidentally and spontaneously mess up your clothes.

[@MrSupernova111]

High level athletes are 1) obsessed and 2) are not worried about losing because they come back stronger. Levy doesn't have neither of those two qualities. But whatever.

[@BariBunger]

"My opponents frequently play one person, which is me. I frequently two people, my opponent and myself". These words honestly hit close to home, and I understand how you feel levy. The road to grandmaster is and has been challenging for you, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. With your honorable courage, I hope you know that you can make it against all odds. If you can't make it to GM, then that's perfectly fine too. Even though you probably won't read this, I hope you know that your journey, though treacherous, is possible! What you do expresses who you are, and you doing such a task is truly inspiring and expresses your maturity as a person. Have a good day :)

[@tylerw.6060]

Hikaru said he had a chance at GM and Levy really took that to heart. LOL

[@nikolauric3880]

All jokes aside, the motivation that anybody would get from a grandmaster saying you could reach that level, let alone Hikaru,should be huge and a massive step in the right direction

[@bjwkusgxjdks]

Blud he got to 2450, he had to win 5-7 more rated games and he would’ve gotten the title. It’s not hard for him, the only one stopping him from becoming GM is himself.

[@Mawble]

Didn't Hikaru say he believes the main reason Levy isn't GM is because he gets in his own head when he plays higher rated players?

[@Phant0m51]

​@@bjwkusgxjdksI genuinely believe that a performance coach would be huge for him. Someone that specializes in helping people deal with performance anxiety and self doubt.

[@OA_Fury]

Fr lmao

[@mistergolfer7]

Bruh we want you to become a GM sooooo badly. You deserve it. The chess community owes you a debt of gratitude for your education and entertainment. All the best!!!

[@Larencia91]

Not yet. He doesn't deserve it - yet. Levy needs to earn it on the board. ...but yes. We're all waiting for the day that we can call him GM Levy Rozman.

[@playfog]

He literally Deserves it. He's just lazy.

[@jerppazz4525]

how does he "deserve" it? just because you spend time in something doesnt mean youre owed something.

[@somesec5919]

@@jerppazz4525he means he deserves it because he has worked hard. it doesn’t mean that he has earned it yet, he still has to prove himself as worthy of being a gm.

[@KrakenIsland64]

​@@jerppazz4525 where did he say it was because of time spent? I believe he was referring to Levy bringing millions of people daily chess content, teaching hundreds top level chess lessons, and being a top 1% player. Why does that bother you so much.

[@MyAmazingHands]

"They had one opponent, Me, I had 2, them and myself" Making me reevaluate how I approach competition. Thank you

[@bensay8442]

This is so motivating, not only for chess bus also for overcoming my weaknesses in other aspects of my life. Congratulations, Levy! That's a hard decision to make, but it sounds like you have a clear plan to make it happen and we all believe in you!

[@RudolfMaster.]

he realised what hikaru was saying on why he isn't a gm and is improving on it, massive respect.

[@saikrishna1813]

What did Hikaru say??

[@nitinchennam]

@@saikrishna1813 He said that Levy has the analytical and tactical skills to be a grandmaster, he just needed the confidence and the mental fortitude

[@youwatchireact6308]

I think levy could do it but it would take a while because like Hikaru said he needs to be in a better mental space I think he has the theory down so on and so forth

[@DarkMavid]

Seeing this video after seeing Hikaru's answer really makes me smile. I hope Levy keeps this up and gets his title!

[@Jiten-pm5lz]

​@youwatchireact6308 at Levys prime elo on 2021 he was 4 wins away from GM as he already has the norms. It won't take as long if his mental state improves.

[@JohnBartholomewChess]

Good luck, Levy! It'll be fun to follow your journey. Happy to play some training games or stream some commentary when you're playing if you like.

[@knightla1126]

I love your scandinavian course on chessable, it was my first opening so thank you!

[@cftpafan]

That would be so sick

[@ZDTF]

Edging attack

[@MrSupernova111]

Levy is never going to be a GM and you know it.

[@calebwomack7532]

I’m so excited to hear this. I was torn for you back in 2022 when you “quit chess” due to all the pressure. Always been rooting for you through it all. Way to set an example of taking time to mentally heal and never giving up!

[@whoopsbess]

Love this for you!! I got a little emotional as I'm 30 next year and I've been looking at some of my 'life goals' and trying to battle that voice that says it's too late. Wishing you all the luck in the world, looking forward to the journey! ✨

[@thebattosai7814]

Levy: beats a grandmaster live and then shows us the game Kramnik: interesting🤔🤨

[@suvid9490]

I’m sure there’s gonna be allegations when he becomes gm

[@chandramoulimukherjee6653]

Not levy as well😭😭

[@Mawble]

Is this a bad thing? I think I'm missing some context.

[@vitae3786]

@@Mawble kramnik basically accuses everyone of cheating

[@isaacbugalho]

Let's do the procedure...

[@masterlukson]

Genuinely nice to see Hikaru making such an impact

[@jaiveersingh3415]

Ikr!

[@trashthethrasher]

What hikaru said in his interview with levy definitely motivated him

[@TmOnlineMapper]

I'm sure Levy was working on himself for a while. But that interview is probably what pushed him over the edge so to speak and actually follow through

[@strategicsage7694]

@@TmOnlineMapper Agree. Hikaru said similar things a couple years back I think it was. Basically at that time said Levy had the potential but he was playing not to lose rather than playing to win, he didn't think it was realistic anymore to think Levy would be a GM for that reason, etc ... didn't have the same impact at that time. Levy probably wasn't ready for it. Hopefully he is now.

[@akshathkumar9135]

@@trashthethrasher could u tell me what he said

[@cinziarossello3934]

Thank you for sharing L. I’m a big fan because you made chess possible for me at the age of 60, when during covid I started playing and following you. It takes courage and compassion to be so open ❤ 🎉 I can relate and I feel less frustrated about myself because you create value by being human no matter what the rate is…and on top of content your entrainment makes it fun!

[@creedisagoodband]

Love this

[@Jorge_Ramirez584]

This video and the announcement made me smile. Not simply because I have been subscribed to Levy for over two years and regularly enjoy his content, but because the sheer motivation this video represents is incredible. Not only does it make you think he can do it, but it's also one of those "you can do anything you put your mind into if you believe in yourself" things. And that is, in my opinion, the most wholesome thing of Levy's content and of chess in general. It's one of the many things that make you challenge yourself every day and do better next time. I know Levy will get there sooner or later, and we will all be there to accompany him along the road and celebrate it with him when he gets it. Go get 'em GM Rozman!

[@nazarenoalmiron526]

23:02 "I don't just play them, I also play myself." Great to see Levy taking Magnus advice.

[@BowshotReal]

💀

[@Larry__.]

Tip number 10 💡 Sit at the chessboard 🪑 And play with yourself 😳 It’s amazing.. ah okay 🏳️

[@aboi9865]

But that got me out if the tournament

[@Mrvorace2010]

I’ve probably watched 100+ videos and have never left a comment until this one. Good luck in the journey Levy, we’re all rooting for you!

[@jabberwockee3]

Exactly what I wanted to say.

[@brycepeddicord6763]

Gotta love he refused to pin good comments like this😅

[@ThomasLiljeruhm]

Levy: "Top-level chess is a full-time job"... (Hikaru: Hold my beer.)

[@nymbusDeveloper86]

Levy, I'm so glad you're back at it! Many of us were really hoping for that! We could already tell you are GM level in terms of knowledge and understanding of the game, and you can definitely put up a fight to any GM. If you can pull yourself together mentally, I am sure you will succeed. Wishing you the best! God bless you, man.

[@avepllov]

"When you're winning, you're not as good as you think you are. When you're losing you're not as bad as you think you are." -Wise Guy from a podcast I came across from a short

[@SomeCarney]

"If you can dream and not make dreams your master, if you can think and not make thoughts your aim; if you can meet with triumph and disaster, and treat those two imposters just the same" -Kipling

[@b00gabr0s]

"pee in the shower don't shower in the pee" - my dad

[@bernardovidigal1306]

@@b00gabr0sits better to piss in the sink than to sink in the piss

[@emeralff881]

Pretty sure that’s from a Modern Wisdom episode with Alex Hormozi. Very good podcast

[@macsdojo]

“Momentum makes you look better than you are. Lack of momentum makes you look worse than you really are.”

[@siddhantchopra9416]

I have been following you since 2022, and oh my god did i fucking flip on hearing this. A very hearty congratulations on rekindling that fighting spirit, and I'm here till the end of this amazing journey man, show them bozos what you're made of.

[@strike2jz]

did you actually got up and did a flip?

[@achyuthankarthikeyan3287]

yeah can confirm he did a flip

[@owenfeilds]

I hope he did a flip

[@atomicpiano]

Legend has it they're still flipping to this day

[@siddhantchopra9416]

sorry to break it to you all, but i actually did 2 flips

[@huskiek1693]

LFG Levy!!! I love when you play comp chess. It’s really enjoyable to watch you recap your own play. I know the journey is hard but I’ve always hoped you can get back and keep going at it. Seeing the g pawn push is a good sign. That used to be something you’d get caught up in from my humble opinion. Looking at the action on one side and missing the simple pressure on the other. Rooting for GM for you my dude!

[@nickdueber2586]

I can't wait!! good luck! this is my favorite content you've made in the past is your tournament games. If its too much to make the videos while you're in the tournament dont worry about it. just focus on you man. Talk positively to yourself when you're in the games and after the games.

[@moali7441]

Levy never fails to become GM

[@Thricecube57]

The GM of our hearts

[@adlad1563]

Doesn't he though?

[@motion3102]

Gm Levy incoming….💛💛💛

[@B-fq7ff]

except for one thing...

[@user-hg4dw4fl3b]

Ouch..

[@NemeanIndustries]

It’s awesome to see. Hikaru doing what a real friend does and being brutally honest with you on your shortcomings. Rather than you getting upset about it, you took accountability of it and are actively working to overcome those shortcomings. And the perspective and maturity to know that it’s not going to be easy, it isn’t a switch you can flip, that it’s going to take time… all awesome stuff. I’m really excited to see you achieve this goal. Belief in yourself is the most important thing, the skills and knowledge are all already there. Good luck!

[@adlex1212]

I think real friends are brutally honest in private, not on stream in front of 5k people.

[@rauniksharma3116]

​@@adlex1212it wasn't on the stream unless I am on drugs

[@t3hNinj0r]

Glad to see you coming back to the GM grind! Your tournament recap videos were great. Even though the grind might take years, it will be worth it. You can do it. Good luck!

[@bransoncoburn5907]

I been following you since 2020 man. Bought your book. Learned a lot from you and continuing to do so. I was very sad as a fan of yours when you quit, but I knew you'd continue to be a great content creator. Needless to say...SO glad to hear you are returning to competitive chess. I, and we, all believe in your journey. Keep killin' it Levy.

[@retard69420]

Levy got kidnapped and the kidnappers forced him to be a gm

[@SuperJewster-ub6ts]

bro give him back to america

[@gw6667]

Sounds like he just needs to use zen mode exclusively for a while

[@Sncedayone]

You learned his first name so you say every comment like you know him personally. But you also say it because you want everyone else to know you know it.

[@razznote7586]

@@Sncedayone And he is going to say here in the comment "I know...". Because he knows, he know, that is why he wants everyone else to know that he knows it.

[@retard69420]

@@Sncedayone I feel like your overthinking my comment

[@user-li9vt5mi2n]

Your road to GM has for me been one of the only online things that’s been sentimental for me, but Ive always had hope for you. It makes me very happy that you’re picking it back up and I’m rooting for you.

[@DjentZilla]

Gotham is the man. 🦇

[@mrmasrawy92]

Literally just decided to throw away my business degree and pursue music seriously. This couldn't have come at a better time

[@theglobalswede760]

@@mrmasrawy92 What kind of music do you do?

[@starmj5247]

Levy never fails to not clickbait us. (I NEVER THOUGHT THIS DAY WOULD COME!)

[@quentindebiais9378]

Neither would i but better later than ever 🎉😂😂

[@reillyleblanc1930]

Awesome. My favorite content has honestly always been watching you play or you examining your own games. Also I’ve been at this channel ever since I was a 300 rated noob and your videos are the sole reason i decided to try and improve my game. So to see you rekindle your goal of GM is amazing and I’m happy I get to watch and cheer you on throughout your future wins and losses. Best of luck

[@akiamendoza8859]

Hi Levy! I just want to share that for the past 9 or so months your videos have helped me get back into chess after not playing for 3 years. Your game commentaries and tutorials, aside from being fun to watch, really helped me improve as a player and gave me the confidence boost to participate in my Uni's intramurals which ended recently. I made a lot of mistakes especially early on but I made sure to keep my mental, played my best chess, and eventually won the whole thing. I never would have accomplished this without you. I appreciate what you have done for the game and the community, and while I might just be an intermediate player, I really want to see you become a GM more than anyone else. I believe in you Levy, best of luck to you amigo.

[@AJ_Cricket_Fish]

YES. Seriously hyped for this. Hands down my favourite content was the last Road to GM series and I was totally gutted, though sympathetic, when you decided to call it a day. Huge props for having the courage to dust yourself off and have another go. We shall be watching with interest. Very best of luck

[@mikoajp.5890]

I've read an article "The secret to lasting love for chess" from GM Avetik, where he recognizes a recurring pattern in those who struggle with quitting: players see wins as a given, and stress on losses. They get (almost) no joy from a win, they feel the full impact of a loss. With losses happening more or less as often as wins, this gives us a psychical net loss! You've mentioned same pattern in own reasons for quitting the fight for GM. With same results. We should, in chess and outside of it, be very aware of this pattern of taking good things for granted and stressing over the bad ones. It's becoming more and more common, and more and more damaging. Yes, of course I repeat it myself. In my case, in office context. I won't quit though because I'm very passionate about my kids not starving to death.

[@nbassasin8092]

your wins are never as sweet as losses are bitter is a common phrase for any game, and many aspects of life, can sum up what you wanted to say a bit more concisely

[@user-jw6hs9mf4z]

This actually really spoke to me, not only in terms of chess, but life as well. I sometimes consider myself to a perfectionist, being critical to the point that I'm unsatisfied with everything I do unless it is perfect. This just ends up with it not being enough most of the time, and it wearing down my mental state. I've been trying to make myself more aware of this lately and I felt this put words into some of the thoughts I've had for a while now. Thank you

[@mikoajp.5890]

@@nbassasin8092 it's more concise, but it also misses the point. The point is: if a naturally occuring net ratio of positive and negative outcomes results is not net neutral or net positive for your Psyche, the best case scenario for you is disinterest and burnout, be it chess or any other part of life. Active care needs to be taken to avoid this trap, and huge part of that active care is to not take positive outcomes for granted.

[@ZDTF]

My friend had the same losses problem He never seemed to Improve And eventually quit

[@cdw2468]

i just read the article, thanks for the recommendation

[@rainbuckets]

Honestly so excited for you, I feel like there's a very real difference in how you're thinking about the games already and it shows. You're absolutely on the way there! Now you gotta go out there and prove that us older people can still kick butt in chess (haha I'm only 27 but in chess years that's a lot).

[@christophermiller9863]

I'm excited to hear you are coming back to over the board play! Any road worth walking takes time. I respect the challenge you set for yourself and wish you all the best with every step.

[@SoyVictoria-NeedsYou]

I remember the days when I was waiting each evening for you to be loading a new video of your games from tournaments. It was quite heartbreaking to see this last one where you won a game and said that you won't be playing the classical anymore. Your games were expiring as the all «Road to GM» series was. Very proud of you and can't even tell how much I enjoy your decision to get into this again. Keep rocking!

[@imadetheuniverse4fun]

bro not the reasonable comment + the onlyfans girl profile pic + the phishing scam link in your profile 💀

[@josegvaldizonmayo105]

​@@imadetheuniverse4funLMAO I hadn't noticed the profile, nice catch

[@HussainAli-hn2ef]

Bro these bots getting crazy...

[@harstar12345]

​@@imadetheuniverse4fun your games were expiring. Bots literally making typos, I'm so confused.

[@mohamedalhusni6255]

@@harstar12345are they actually bots?

[@davidcorcoran1715]

I find it crazy that hes so hard on himself, even though in a short span of time he managed not only the most subscribed to chess youtube channel but a trend setter in the chess youtube ecosystem. Hes a big reason that chess has grown and will not die anytime soon and he should be proud of that.

[@Mrwutevah]

I relate to it a lot; I'm my own harshest critic even when others tell me I'm doing well. Therapy can help in starting to see why one does it to themselves, but it takes time to work through.

[@lukasbrown6114]

Of course, becoming GM in chess should not be some social brag either. It is reserved for the best players and it is to be dictated as such. Why do you think FIDE doesn't have some voting system? Levy is an amazing chess player but GM has to be earned like everyone else.

[@kanwalashalpal1497]

Its amazing that you have returned to comprtitive otb chess and i really missed your tournament and prep videos so its great to see you motivated, and you have our support

[@adityaverma4690]

i can relate to levy everything he said about mental health, being unable to meet expectations and fighting myself, ego, not enjoying anything. instead in my case its career related. i am glad i clicked on this video. i felt encouraged knowing i am not alone in this.

[@92hyadav]

Levy comes over the board... Sees a 12 year old opponent.

[@SaunavaGhosh]

I have been watching you since 2020 and rooting for you from way back then, when you quit over the board games , I was so sad but then you came back today, so happy for you!

[@m.schutt4338]

As a sports mental trainer for golf and chess, I wish you only the best. As a viewer, I am happy to be able to accompany you on your journey. The insights you mentioned clearly show that you have understood that a positive error culture is required in order to be successful. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you and it's not just the journey to becoming a chess grandmaster, but also a journey that takes you to places where you meet strangers and have encounters that will inspire you far more than you might imagine today become. Go on Levy, you can do it!

[@japhethcarlson6791]

Best of luck, Levy!! Thank you for sharing your personal journey and giving us courage to reach our own goals.

[@UmniChrenof]

Levy should be a GM

[@agneum7838]

Shoulda Woulda Coulda.

[@Jumper123_]

​@@agneum7838trigger, digger,

[@plavyn]

Why?

[@MagicTin]

​@@plavyncz u can't😊

[@plavyn]

@@MagicTin by your logic, I should be a GM because you can’t 🤨

[@benjaminborrero1022]

I mean Hikaru did tell you that as far as analyzing, theory and overall play you are already there and it's just your mentality that needs adjusting means you are already GM level but you need to have confidence in yourself and forget about your opponents rating. I would suggest treating every opponent as if they were lower rated than you to get over that mental block of anxiety and fear. You are an amazing chess player and once you find the confidence to also believe you are an amazing player thing will fall into place. Been waiting for you to get back into tournament chess and get that GM title. We all believe in you and it will take time but I know you will get there eventually. A winning mentality is crucial for you. If you just think of it as being just a game and that even people like Hikaru and Magnus loose games. It's ok to loose but it's not ok to panic and always think your gonna loose when you have great chess knowledge, theory and skills. We are rooting for you and for the day when you finally achieve GM status. You play like a GM but fall apart mentally and loose winning positions cause you think these guys are better than you when they aren't. You are at their level and sometimes even have a higher level than them but you let doubt creep into you. Always stay calm and stop seeing ghost where there aren't any. You can do it.

[@waynekasmar4401]

I like how your negation of losing means you don't even spell the word properly.

[@ojus8725]

yo ass yapping

[@benjaminborrero1022]

@@waynekasmar4401 it is my second language. 🤷‍♂️

[@MC-ql3nu]

Dude Levy! So happy for you man. Been following since you first started the channel. Watching the smile on your face was incredible. Cheers 🎉

[@elbalisong5672]

Been watching ya since about 2020, just after Queen's Gambit got big and looking up a breakdown of the Sherlock v Moriarty scene I'll be honest about not having watched much of your games, but I've watched enough of your vids to get a picture as to why you didn't play competitively anymore Holy moly I admire your courage to go for it now You've been an inspiration to me both in terms of feeling seen amidst the feeling of "playing two opponents" And now going for GM For what it's worth, Imma watch with baited breath your journey to the title And I'm rooting for you to finish your story Adrenaline in my soul GM Gotham Levy Roz(man)

[@enexified]

I’ve watched you since 2022 and have followed ever since, even buying your Chessly courses. Your love for the game, the community, the players is so pure. I was so sad to see your inner saboteur blocking you all these years and I CANNOT be happier to see you having this renewed sense of confidence and fire to give it another shot. I know the pressure is going to be a lot given how big you’ve gotten, and I hope you remind yourself it isn’t just the wins but also how you analyse your losses and get back up from there - as that’s also what all of us players will feel inspired by and also learn from. Rooting for you so much!

[@andreamorbello2507]

I started following you during that tournament in Las Vegas, I am so happy that you're coming back to play, hoping that's good for you mental health witch is the most important thing. I will so happily follow you in this jouney and take inspiration for my own chess journey. LET'S GO GET THOSE NORMS BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY LET'S HAVE SOME FUN PLAYING THE MOST FUN GAME IN THE WORLD ❤

[@danielp1810]

I played in that tournament. Levi was 4-5 people ahead of me in line to get coffee one morning and I was too afraid to say hello to him.

[@calebcortez1120]

LETS GOOO!!! i love watching your videos but the best videos are the ones where you go over your own games! I’ve waited 2 years for this moment🙏Even if you lost, you going through your thought process and analyzing the games was still the best to watch. Glad you took a break for your mental, but im overjoyed that your back🫡🫡 why do we fall gotham? SO WE CAN GET BACK UP‼️‼️‼️

[@rolfbuchner3991]

I'm rooting for you and I sincerely hope you accomplish al of your goals and more. Best of luck in all you do, on and off the board.

[@Shellback13202]

Great lesson on mindset. I mentally resign after losing a pawn, while I've lost to opponents after I've gained an advantage. "I'm going to make you beat me" is a great mantra.

[@magicsquirrel8827]

Hi Levy, I just wanted to offer my support for your GM endeavor. I've been watching since 2020 and I was so sad when you decided to step away from becoming a GM. I know one person doesn't matter much, but I sincerely believe in you and your chess. Win or lose, you will always have my support. Lots of love from Wisconsin.

[@samueldavenport7233]

Relatively new to the channel here, about a month and some change in, but I gotta tell you I have been binging and absorbing all the information I can from you about chess. You're a fantastic instructor, and bring some fun personality to the game, and I am really looking forward to seeing you move towards the GM Title. Got get it!

[@mrzacarias]

I remember the first Road to GM. I am very glad you worked on your mental health and was able to find out the weak points. Even more glad that you have a plan on how to overcome them. I wish the best of luck and I will be cheering for you, you are a very talented Chess Player and you deserve the GM title. :)

[@shortking611]

levy is just wanted to say i bought your book! im a 500 elo player and i went to a chess tournament last Wednesday, everyone i played against was around 800-1400 and i won 3.5 out of 6 games. i decided to start playing chess seriously and i bought your book! i love it

[@hutchmusician]

Great performance! Good luck in your journey. :)

[@jennymulholland4319]

Huge well done from a fellow low ELO player!

[@yessirBR]

Meanwhile I fell off (1100 to 930)

[@mothmusic81]

Congrats brother

[@ajp1653]

Dude, hell yeah! Congrats on the outcome and super proud of you for putting yourself out there 💪💪

[@Knihomol550]

Good luck Levy, will cheer for you all the way❤

[@ethalydon8888]

Congratulations on the win and the new found motivation! I wish you good luck on your road to GM. The ambition is really inspiring. Also have a nice stay in Germany! If Stuttgart is on your bucket list, feel free to give me a heads up. I can tell you about nice places to stay/see. Btw: May 1st is a holiday here and my local chess club has a 1 day rapid tournament that day. You'd surprise quite some people If you wanted to play there.

[@user-tl3hs7ze7w]

Been waiting for this for years Levy!! I dont expect you to win em all, but dive into prep and go get your well deserved title! Happy for you man!

[@aravensfeather2874]

I don’t think I’ve ever commented on a Gotham video before but dude I was so STOKED when I saw the title, 100% cheering you on on this journey man, best of luck!

[@Legacy_Inc.]

Larry Kaufman became Grandmaster in 2008, at the age of 60. Hi earned his IM title in 1980. Also at age 60, Enrico Paoli was only half a point from getting the Grandmaster title. He got an honorary GM title later.... You are not even 30 yet. You can definitely do it. Not only have you already had a FIDE rating of over 2400 (which you can surely get again), you are also in a great position with access to great chess players in your network to learn from. I am no expert here, but there's no law of nature saying that you cannot do this with the right work. We believe in you, and we will root for you as you climb this gigantic mountain, with all its ups and downs. Even if it takes many years. Take care, and play well!

[@joshuafranklin3756]

Levy, your journey will be inspiring for many people. Lots of us deal with negative self talk when we try to accomplish greatness. We trick ourselves into thinking that it makes us better, but in reality it just breaks your spirit down bit by bit. You do not know me, but I'm rooting for you bro, and many other people are. It's not pressure, it's pure love from a lot of us. We love you!

[@Crazyoldman84]

This is what i want dont you dare quit I've been rooting for you. This is the inspiration people need. You can absolutely do this. Stay focused your GM without the title already.

[@mitsossvi5778]

This is incredible news, I LOVE this type of content and it doesn't even matter how well you do it's always such a treat how much fun this journey you take us through is (like your previous recaps of yourself playing classical tournaments). Can't wait , good luck !

[@Scorey__23]

If levy gets gm he will gain access to new levels of clickbait

[@LionBaller15]

Levy, I appreciate your content and I am enjoying your book. You inspired me to start learning how to actually play chess! So thank you for that, it is a beautiful game. I am rooting for you!

[@Jdanielford]

I am so psyched for you to be back. You inspired me to get back into chess at the age of 40, though it was 2 more years before I played my first OTB event. I hope this goes well for you, but more than that I hope you enjoy it and that it remains healthy

[@yoppelpanger]

OMG YESSSS!!!! Love the positivity and self-awareness, it's a long journey and everything about this time around (as opposed to 2021) feels more mature and respecting of the fact that it's a slow, nearly full-time grind! Hope to see more of Levy loving his chess💗

[@trickogamerx6081]

I am actually getting inspired by you and Gukesh because controlling your emotions and holding your nerves feels so damn gooddd! I mean it feels like you are a perfect human. I am trying to apply these things in my real life work

[@valerioadrianozuccarello]

He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

[@EliteArsenal]

You don't really control your anger and frustration, you sort of channel it into good things

[@trickogamerx6081]

I think only my comments reply section is this much positive

[@slidewayz9477]

Been following you for many years, back when you had 10k followers, feels like I've been on this journey with you! Super happy to see you dedicating yourself to "unfinished business"....not only a great motivation for you to achieve an amazing lifetime goal, it will also bolster your content (ie. revenue) and continue expanding your platform. Can't wait until you win the world championship...who knows, maybe Magnus will come out of retirement to try and defeat you...*grabs popcorn*

[@michaellegeyt8273]

always enjoy your videos, you have taught me to be a much better chess player and have learned so much from you. Keep it up!!!! you can do it.

[@kaiyubi9052]

Wow, this is massive! Wish you the best for the road ahead. Also, nailed the pronounciation of Köln!

[@milang.4992]

Which conference could that be?

[@jaskaranaklia]

I hope you make it dude. It's great to set personal goals. What's amazing is that just by trying (not even hitting GM), because of the size of your audience, you will inspire hundreds! Good luck!

[@RubberSheep]

Maybe even dozens

[@rgallitan]

Count one person inspired right here. With God as my witness by year's end I will reach 600!

[@jaskaranaklia]

@@RubberSheep I didn't want to say thousands but also didn't want to say dozens lol. I thought hundreds was a nice middle. But it doesn't matter, inspiring even 1 person is an enormous thing.

[@LinusSchalk]

bro i am so proud of you that you wont give up and try again to play professional chess an serious chess. whit that you are motivating i think all of us and we will support you no mather what. you can do it bro

[@calebburrell9920]

Love this. Just started a PH.d program at 37. After failing to get in, and having to focus on family and work in my 20s and mid thirties. Never to late to work toward a goal!

[@skeyenexus]

4:59 had me ROLLING. You got this levy!! Your amazing. I don’t care weather you win or loose, im here for content either way.

[@Wargasm54]

Oh boy. Here we go again 😂. We’re pulling for you Levy! Just remember, put the anxiety to rest. You are doing better now because you have nothing to prove. When you feel yourself getting sweaty and your heartbeat starts racing just take a deep breath and say to yourself, “I’m a made man, why am I stressing?” You got this levy. The only obstacle in your way is fear of failure. But this is not a real obstacle. You’ve already made it in life. You got this man👊🏻

[@gcg8187]

With God in his heart, he cannot fail!

[@k3rvyn]

@@gcg8187 Isn't it cheating if he gets help by god?

[@hmsawesome7055]

Ahhh! I'm so excited! This is the best news, I can't wait to watch you absolutely rock this

[@yiqingtan4079]

Regardless of the outcome of any game to come, we're with you. Am so proud of your new mentality. Tbh, I need some of that small incremental change towards good in my psyche as well. Thank you for letting us in on this honest journey. ❤

[@gameknowledgeandit8934]

2026: levy: I BECAME GM!!!! hikrau: can i beat the lowest rated gm down a queen?

[@fields0020]

Hell yeah man. Love the journey, the transparency, the challenge to yourself, and you can count me rooting for you in any of your games. Good luck my dude

[@Krahner1979]

Way to go Gotham, I have no doubt you’ll get it done. You’ve inspired me to pursue the IM title, your book is awesome btw, love the KZbin content as well.

[@JeffPHamm]

Good luck on your journey. Looking forward to seeing the recaps of your classical tournament games.

[@sleepysoundz7573]

Thank you so much Levy. My chess too has followed the same trajectory as yours (Although my strength is nowhere close). And what I realize is that we are so good at gaslighting and convincing ourselves that we deserve better than other people and that we should be at a certain level. The ego is very subtle and in my opinion is the most common obsticle people face when they try to get better, even though they don't realize it. Embracing the struggle and going through this journey with complete honesty to ourselves is the only way to inherit virtue and fulfilment from the game. Everybody's improvement happens at a different pace. But that truly doesn't matter cause what we truly seek is only found when we destroy the small obstcles that stand in our way with our personal skills of determination and perseverance. That makes this journey lonely at times. But to see you come to terms with your weaknesses and progress at your own pace with wisdom you have gained along the way is very inspiring. I wish you all the best!

[@Carleslc]

I love to hear that! I watched your videos in your last tournaments with you being mentally devastated, and that was not healthy at all. I hope you learned that you need to believe in yourself without the worry and anxiety of the losses. Your road to GM is not a series of videos, is a life journey, keep that in mind! We're all supporting you, but you should not feel any pressure by us, there is no one you have to prove anything to, not even to yourself! Take your time, and enjoy the journey. You don't even need luck, you just need to believe and relax along the way.

[@wowZhenek]

As an avid watcher of your content, I'm extremely glad that you are taking this step. Extremely motivating

[@williamtoler4196]

You’ve got a ton of people in your corner rooting for you. Chess content creators, especially of your quality, are truly reviving this amazing game. Best of luck in this endeavor. You got this!

[@sapphirewoolf14]

hell yeah Levy! You can do anything you set your mind to. There's potential for greatness in each of us. I'm rooting for you. Much love!

[@mahnoorzaidi6943]

I'm so incredibly happy you're doing this! I started watching you about a month ago with your series of candidates being the best one yet! I really do hope you achieve your goal because you truly deserve it!

[@leonromer567]

This is awesome. Best of luck Levy!!