Levy Rozman's Road to GM: Triumph or Trial?
Levy Rozman, widely known as GothamChess, is the most famous chess YouTuber and a strong International Master. Some time ago, he embarked on a new endeavor (I always wanted to say that). His project, "Road to GM", has been criticized but also highly praised. In this blog, we will look into the psychological aspect, Levy’s recent chess strength (or performance), and the mathematical predictions surrounding his objective. Without further ado, let's start.
Table of contents
2.3 The extension to hide usernames
This journey to GM is as much a psychological battle as it is a chess one. That is a fact. This section will not be long, as I will only focus on the impact his audience and Chessly produce on him.
In his recent videos, he has admitted his struggles with his skills. The immense expectations placed on him can be a double-edged sword. While the support of his fans provides motivation, it also adds a lot of pressure. He has had painful losses in recent over the board tournaments, which have led to frustrations that he has openly discussed on his streams.
Chessly is thriving. This online platform, full of classes, exercises, and games, has attracted thousands of chess players. There is just one problem. Managing content creation, video editing, and running a business takes time away from rigorous GM-level preparation.
Levy's online performance remains strong, particularly in blitz and bullet. But online chess doesn’t always correlate to over the board play, which has added physical and psychological pressures that come from playing in front of actual opponents.
For over the board classical games, the slower pace often reveals weaknesses in long-term strategic planning, an area where Levy will need to progress to reach GM level. Obviously, he needs to get more Elo and have better time management. His peak is 2421. A very high number, but he has gone down a bit.
The extension to hide usernames
One of the more unique things about Levy’s chess career playing online is his usage of a browser extension to hide opponent usernames. He is doing this to lessen the psychological weight of his opponent, who is a titled player or playing from a random account and focuses solely on the moves. Though powerful in online games, this tool has no use over the board; for there, all that is truly meaningful is psychological stamina.
Recently, Hans Niemman has announced he would be glad to be Levy's coach for free. Surprisingly, Levy has accepted. I think that will probably boost Levy's chances to become a GM. If their coaching dynamic clicks, Hans could provide his expertise and advice for achieving those GM norms. Before seeing my prediction, tell me in the comments what YOU think.
This is my favorite part. Based on maths and probability, I will try to predict the outcome of this journey.
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Requirements for the GM Title
- Achieve a FIDE rating of 2500.
- Earn 3 GM norms by performing at or above a 2600 level in specific tournaments.
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Levy's Current Data
- FIDE rating: 2353 (January 2025).
- Recent performance ratings: 2277–2438.
- Peak FIDE rating: 2421 (in 2018).
I will not use complicated math, at all. I will also try to explain my thinking process to the best of my ability.
Firstly, we use simple maths to find the rating gap of 2500.
ΔR=2500−2353=147 points.
With consistent performance and preparation, he could improve by 20 points per year on average: estimated based on Levy's past performance, the difficulty of reaching GM, and coaching benefits. His peak rating shows potential, but the estimate is just that – an estimate.
T = ΔR / Annual Growth =147 / 20 = 7.35 years.
It is impossible to figure out the time needed to achieve GM (already being an IM). However, my guess (the one above) is based on some previous tournaments and the usual improvement. I am not done, though. Hans' coaching is a great factor that must be taken into account. I will assume it will provide a 15% improvement rate.
15% of 20 = 3
115% of 20 = 23
Let's do the math again:
T = ΔR / Annual Growth =147 / 23 = 6.39 years.
Hans could probably shorten the journey by nearly one year. I firmly believe he is capable of achieving this aim. I will remark that he also needs three GM norms. A ‘norm’ is essentially an outstanding performance in specific tournaments, at least 2600 estimated Elo.
To sum up, Levy Rozman would have to work quite hard to get to the GM title. He needs a lot of consistency performing at closed tournaments and strong willpower. Thoughts have also big part in achieving the GM title. His honesty regarding psychological issues and willingness to work on them offer an optimistic sign for his chances of attaining this incredible milestone in chess.
