My Best Game So Far 

It's not easy to break down your own games publicly when you aren't playing as good as you know you can. I think it shows a lot of character and makes me want to support you more. Good luck with the last few games of this tournament!

Still rooting for you Levy. Happy you finally got a good game in.

levy analysing 10-15 moves ahead and finding the second/third best move: "i should have found the best move, damn" 900s with stockfish: "bruh that's obvious"

The off topic moments, are the most entertaining moments. There are many, many other creators that talk about only chess. I'm here because Levy is different and love it!

this man said hold up let me eat this pizza real quick what a legend

Hell yea levy! Play with the gut and instinct against 2700’s the same way you would against an 1800! Trust yourself more

Know that we’re all still rooting, no matter the outcome of this one tournament! Honestly next time you need more time to prepare just TAKE the time. Trust me, we WANT you to fulfill your dream of becoming a GM, even if that would mean not getting videos as often for a little while. We can celebrate once it happens 🙂 And also, CONFIDENCE, CONFIDENCE, CONFIDENCE! Stop second-guessing yourself and go for the throat, play for the win, don’t have mercy on anyone you play against, otherwise it seems like it’s less likely to beat them. Also don’t let others discourage you, just push forward and you’ll get there. I hope this is good advice haha 😂 Good luck!

"I wouldn't trade this career for anything in the world" And we wouldn't trade you for any other chess player in the world.

Ah yes the greatest Gotham Chess Quote: “I’m gonna take a bite of my mushroom slice”

I'm having a rough tournament too Levy. Right there with you bro. this streaming and playing thing is ridiculously tough

Clicked faster than Bobby Fischer trapping his own bishop

10:24 I feel seen! Yeah on RU-vid it's more like "revealing your true self" than "breaking the fourth wall" haha. Real life Levy eats food, who'd have guessed?

I’m proud of you levy, I’ve always been, even when you were losing but now I’m super proud

The light and energy in Levy’s eyes at the intro of this video gave me much hope/happiness

LMAO the "all the backseaters saw" is so funny to me

Levy ALWAYS REMEMBER: WE LOVE YOU. IVE GONE FROM 600 TO 1300 IN 10 MONTHS Thanks to you. So what if youre playing bad chess rn, it happens. Always remember your audience watches you because you are significantly better than them . Never forget that❤️

Ever considered seeing a sports psychologist? It seems like you just psyche yourself out of a lot of these games, especially once you have a bad showing. I suck at chess so I don’t understand the exact pressure you’re under here, but I’ve competed in sports for most of my life and think most people don’t realize how important the mental game is. Gotta believe in yourself before you even step up to play.

No reasonable person will think less of you for having one bad tournement. These haters just sit in front of a chess engine and think they're a GM.

It's been a rough ride, but hey, a draw against a GM when you are feeling really low is a good result!

I watched this game live and damn levy was on fire throughout the whole game, always playing what the engine recommended. He only had an average 15 centipawn loss, insane.

Honestly this feels refreshing, of course I’ll and many others will always support you and we’re hoping you win but it feels nice to know that Levy is human. We all make mistakes and get nervous or don’t have good days. But these videos let me know that when I’m having a really bad night at chess that I just have to keep working towards it instead of giving up Also if not anything else you have gained my upmost respect for calling yourself out on your mistakes and using yourself as a staple for what not to do or being like “I shouldn’t have done that this was stupid” in an effort to teach us and yourself To me you’ve been a grandmaster role model better than some other grandmasters and have really helped us learn We gonna clown you sometimes but ofc it’s out of love bc u clown us and we have a family (now the ppl that actually be hating yeah forget them) Also one last thing bc this message is long enough. Off-topic LevyI feel is the best Levy. When I started chess a few weeks ago there’s MILLIONS OF VIDEOS ON IT But I suck to you because you give it a chef kiss with your personality that i feel others can’t and that’s why i love watch your videos We love you man

It’s been incredible to see someone I’ve learned so much from continue to keep learning and fighting and takes the punches with humility. Thanks for the consistent and honest recaps and keep it up!

I was a soccer goalkeeper. I used to not get great warmups, and for the first couple shots I was hoping for something easy to get into the zone. If I got that I was probably going to have a really good game. If I didn't I was going to spend the whole game anxious, unconfident, and probably make some bad mistakes. Then I got onto a team with a really good coach who used to give me a really good warmup, and I could go into the game in the zone instead of try and get there 20 minutes in and let in an easy shot in the process. It changed everything and turned me into a much much better player. I don't know what the equivalent in chess is, but I hope you find it.

Levy if this is your worst tournament, then surely that means things can only get better. You have over 1M people worldwide supporting you on this journey and so don't give a damn about anyone who isn't. Here's to the Next Round and hoping things start looking up 🙂

Just keep going Levy, you'll get there eventually, we're rooting for you and we are confident you have the potential to become who you dream to be. Just trust yourself and put in the work necessary. Also exercise, it helps the mind focus.

Remember 99.99% of viewers only got cocky because the engine analysis exists. Otherwise they have nothing to say. Some Joe on the street can't just tell an IM how to play chess.

Keep grinding Levy!!! This is some of my favorite content you’ve ever made and I’m sure it takes a lot to put yourself and your skill out in the open like this. You’ve got our support 100% and we can’t wait to see you hit GM!

10:30 I love when you go off topic Levy, your MMA comments and all your other jokes, tangents, or passions are just as interesting as the awesome analysis!

Watched this game on the lichess live board, some people were complaining about draw while computer says you're ahead but you played some great chess and found amazing only moves, keep grinding, some work to do but this was a great view into what you are able to do. Feel free to take time off and rest after this tournament if needed, I'm sure those of us that aren't complete trolls or cynics understand the reasons and will be at your side whenever you may return!

Man it's hard to watch you beat yourself up so much. You re-kindled my chess passion after not playing for a year. It may be frustrating, but you've got a lot of support and you've supported a lot of people. Hope you keep pushing yourself and don't let this hang over you.

Watched your round 7 live, Levy was like mini stockfish it was crazy. Keep up the good work and I hope you succeed in future tournaments!

Cheering you on, Levy! I'm glad you're sticking it out through the tournament and taking us along for the journey regardless the outcome. Good job!

Everybody has down days. You're doing a great job of sticking in there. Don't take this tournament too hard. Find something small to take away from it and move on to the next one. All the best!

Loving the tournament Levy you really need to understand it's not all about Winning it's the journey and we are following you to the end win or lose you are not alone.

keep your head up!! ggs and we’re all rooting for you no matter what!

Glad to see some more over the board games. Good luck in the final two.

Cheering on for you, Levy! Honestly I have a feeling that you tend to second-guess yourself too much, since you end up trouncing so many opponents in online blitz and rapid games, but when it comes to classical formats OTB you aren't the same attacking, testing player that I often see online. Hope we get to see the beast OTB soon, and then taking up the GM title also

would love to see Levy's reaction to chess moments in movies.

Good luck with the rest of the tournament. Just know the community has your back. It takes a big man to analyze his triumphs and mistakes to everyone. I don’t play competitively, but it’s good to hear other people think and feel the way I do when playing chess.

So happy for you - what an encouraging outing facing your first GM this tournament!❤️🥳

Summary of every gotham game: "I prepared this one opening, where I knew every line, but then decided to play something completely different that I have never played before over the board" :D

levy's magic. Chess show turning into eating show at exactly after 10 minutes of video. 10:00 This is how wonderful, sensible gotham is.

I love watching your recaps, i get excited in hopes that you won. I never skip ahead for the suspense of it. I was good when i was young, but gave up playing when i was in middle school and did badly at a tournament... lol. I am back at at now and wish I could be on your level. Goodluck going forward! Godspeed!

Great to see Levy bouncing back. Fully enjoying all the recaps regardless of the outcome. Very informative stuff.

Congrats Levy!!

I BELIEVE IN YOU LEVY!! Have a good week

Levy, you & Hikaru are the reason why I’ve gone from 400 to 1700 in blitz in 1 year. Now I’m trying to sign up for my 1st OTB tournament ever. It wouldn’t have possible with you. Please, don’t give up on your dreams of becoming a GM, you got this!

I’m rooting for you! Best of luck on your final two games.

Hopefully this title means a win. LETS GO LEVY! :D

9:59 It's okay, many of us eat something during your recaps, so go ahead, have a snack too

I wait for these magnific recaps the whole morning haha. Thanks levy, I learn a lot watching your videos.

Dude you’re fucking brave and awesome. Proud of you dude. Love seeing your progress and triumphs. The journey is worth it and worth watching

I love this series of Tournament games Analysis.. Keep up the good work 👏 . Don't be sad about results king, You are our Chqmp

I'm got hyped when I read the title. Nice game Levy ♥️

Even tho things are tough in this tournament I still eagerly wait each day to watch your content and that has to count for something. I know there are others as well that feel the same. Well done and thanks Levy.

Well done. Positive momentum has to start somewhere, build on this. Lovely entertainment as always. Raw emotion watching your journey. Hope the rest of the mushroom tart was awesome too.

Levy is going to be GM soon. I honestly sense that!

Even thouhgh you aren't great as hikaru or someone else you got your heart at the right place :) Thaks for the content.

You are really putting yourself out there, it's a lot of pressure, even for someone like you that doesn't really care much what other people think. What people loves to see more than someone that falls, is someone that keeps getting up and continue forward! Keep it going Levy!

I still say your tournament play is my favorite content from your channel. I pull for you to win, sure, but I appreciate your account of what went through your mind and how you evaluated positions. That's human. It takes big stones to open yourself up like that.

The fact that you make time to summarize your games after playing them. Go Levy!!

Is it just me or is Levy playing better against the stronger opponents

I like that queen sac resource. Moves like that are so easily overlooked.

Honestly Levy, GL on your GM journey and your chess tourneys!!!! Keep working hard Gotham!!! 💪

Thank you Levy for the updated content, even if you are not doing super well, games like this will continue providing entertainment!

137th day of translating Levy's titles into Neapolitan: "A miglior partit fin e mo"

Thank you for the deep dive into moving the B knight to a3 and the check with the queen avoiding the damaging of pawn structure. I often get stuck as a kings indian player with development on that side the board when the opponent decides to take the knight on f6

Hey Levy, these master games explained are extremely instructive to us and give a lot of insight in the positions (for me, a caro kann player). So even if there are bad results you are consolidating yourself as one of the youtube greatest content creators and we appreciate the journey with you =)

We love you Gotham, for giving us amazing content and putting yourself out there! Ignore the haters and the Reddit threads.. Haters are always going to hate 🤷‍♀️

First post on one of your videos (silent watcher for a quite a while now) glancing through some of the comments and seeing a lot of bitter people on here......Why they feel the need to post such sh*t is beyond me. The up's and downs, the good, the bad and the ugly you're laying it all out on the line which takes balls and is what most of us go through in our lives.....be bloody boring otherwise. Keep up the good work!

Dude you're a beast for doing these videos. Props to you and keep up the good work. Really rooting for you!!

That was a pretty decent performance, having the better of a GM, and the nicest thing about it was the way Levy played the board and trusted his skills. Good execution.

He’s starting to believe.

The comment section feels like they are Levy’s dad

Levy, I bought one of your courses mid-December, and this series of game breakdowns you've posted has made me so glad that I did. If you're ever in Seattle, I'd love to buy you a beer, or kombucha on tap, or a martinelli's ;).

rooting for ya, Levy. you're a legend.

I clicked faster than Nepo trapping his own bishop

Please levy after this tournament is over don't take a break i think the break you took is the reason of this poor performance get yourself together train hard next time don't play for yourself or for us play for lucie I bet you'll get 9/9 Do your best master

casual food break half way through lol. Levy acting like he streaming haha

Hey Gotham, I just wanted to say that your videos are so entertaining and useful that they forced me to go deeper in chess and sub to your channel. You're killing it, keep up the good work

Wow

Always rooting for you bro. and don't think you have to bring home the dub to make us proud. we love seeing you be you and nobody can take that from you. Good Luck homie

Gotham, you have a massive following and many who are rooting for your success regardless of the immediate results and haters. I really enjoy your tournament recaps and this one is no exception.

It made me happy to see that you seemed happier about your play this round

I really appreciated this video, Levy. The humility your demonstrated is very admirable, because it's not easy to be honest with yourself when you're the one screwing up. That's necessary to get better, which I'm still learning. I've gained a lot from your other videos so far. I'm still crap at chess, but I'm getting better every week. I learned a lot about the reality of tournament chess in this video. It seems like a huge physical and psychological strain when you're winning, and tormenting when you're losing. Thank you for helping us get better at chess while still making it fun with your dripping sarcasm.

Nice work Levy! And yes, always be on the lookout for someone trying to soften up your g6 square 😆🙃

Keep up the awesome work Levy and good luck on your next match! I’m cheering for you

Gotham, your honest and candid insights make your games and videos so interesting and authentic. We all have these emotions when we play, although most people avoid admitting their uncertainties/lack of confidence on camera. It’s nice to have a channel where people don’t hold back their true thoughts and impressions OTB. Keep up the great content- all my students love your channel!

I’m happy for this update. I can’t wait to see the one where Levy has had enough and decided to kick chess in the bells.

Thanks for sharing your highs and lows. There’s a lot to learn, not just chess, from these experiences.

Really great recap, and thanks for being so vulnerable in how you are feelings

Way to hang in there Levy - all the best to finish string!👍

love these recap vids, Levi. thanks!

Loving this series!

“I’m still in the mindset I’m defending” pretty much the theme of this series

The moment he muted for the pizza, I just started dying😂

As awesome as it is to watch an underdog be victorious, the deeper lesson of showing us fellow humans how to process loss with grace and gratitude, that’s the good stuff. Thanks Levy.

Two good results against GMs! That’s how it looks to me. And the videos are as ever fantastically instructive. Hope you can recover your normal good energy once this tournament is over. Good luck with the final games!

I hear you on the stress & challenges of this tournament. I don't have any experience with that specifically, but I'm still hoping the best for you. I have no doubt you'll use this experience to focus in on what's most important to you. You'll approach your next challenge stronger & even better prepared. You have an enormous cadre of people cheering you on, who have no doubts of your ability, all of whom will be showing their love & support for you as you crush your next goal or challenge. Stay positive and we look forward to your announcing your next big win. Cheers!

bruhhhhh love your chess content -- i really hope your confidence improves because you definitely can get those GM norms