My Grandmaster Mom Played Chess Hustlers in Union Square Park 

He genuinely seems like a great guy; he never fronted or talked down to her, and acknowledged her skills as soon as he recognized them. His banter was super enjoyable, he clearly was enjoying himself and she was too. Delightful interaction.

That's not a hustrler. That's a honest, hardworking S-tier player, facing a Grandmaster who held #1 amongst women.

Love how he admired her long before he knew that she is a GM and was even more thrilled to play against her when he found out. You can see his passion for this game and even while being brutally beaten he was just so excited to witness her talent. What a gentleman.

Big John is a legitimately high level player. He recognized what she was all about quickly though! Mom is a killer!

I’m not sure I’d label him as a hustler. He was gentlemanly. I’m sure he was honored on some level.

He lasted that long against a grandmaster? He too, is a beast.

That dude is a very strong player. Loses with respect and dignity. Hes as happy to lose to her than win to someone else. Great chess from both.

I just love how mom is so mild and meek with her expressions, but vicious in her moves. She kills you with a smile.

That’s Big John! He played with my girls almost every day we were in NYC - easily the one thing we miss most! He’s the most wonderful person to play! Sending tons of love from South Africa!!

"Oh she's a beast!" He sounded so pleasantly surprised. I bet that's the first time he's been properly challenged in years.

Shes the hustler in this situation. The daughter is so proud of her mom! That's excellent.

The guy was a good sport and when he realized how good she was, he was still game for another round. That's taking what life throws you in stride and enjoying the moment. This video brought me joy in the middle of a rough work day. 🙂

The fact that he gave her (a Grand Master) a very good second game speaks to his ability as a chess ♟️ player!

Once he knew he was outmatched, his entire persona changed into almost appreciation. Like we all know that guy would mop up 95 percent of the planet but here comes GM grandma and he doesn’t get mad but becomes almost happy. Fascinating to watch.

I love how he respects her game the entire time and never talks down to or belittles her. Game recognize game. Lots of respect here

Her daughter is beaming! She's so proud of mamma, I really enjoyed watching this, thanks!

He's not a hustler, but a fellow professional. The gentleman was courteous, genuinely impressed and appreciative to play your mum. She even paused a few times, and played another game with him. Respect, on both sides.

Was expecting something totally different based on the title. What a nice dude. You can tell he just loves the game / isn't so overly concerned about winning or losing. Respect.

This goes to show you that experience will get you far. Education is worthless if you don’t use it. He’s not a grandmaster but he’s so experienced that he’s hanging with her. Great interaction

Npc dialogue from Anna - “my mom taught me everything about chess”

He was quick to estimate her to 2300-2400, she might be ranked higher but still giving another player a 2300-2400 estmate after 1 game is a true sign of respect.

He actually did really well and was a super humble and genuine dude. Ggs

between the music and their chill banter I could listen to this all day

Beautiful! The gentlemen showed a high level of respect, this was really nice to watch. Bravo to you both.

The grandmaster and her daughter are the hustlers in this video.

Let’s not forget to give this gentleman the respect he deserves for hanging with a grand master 😳

She's so sweet and humble

We can just give that man a big round of applause. He handled that so incredibly well, and with humor. He didn’t hesitate to go for another round with her either. Bravo to him. His little “Nope” and “ugh such a troublemaker” made me giggle. What a good spirited man he is.

Honestly, kudos to that dude. He clearly is an talent himself, and i'm glad he can make some extra cash doing something he clearly enjoys.

What a gentleman! Loved this interaction. A talented, jovial player coming across a talented grandmaster.

That was an absolute joy to watch. I've never watched a match like this and know very little about chess but I found this to be enormously satisfying and entertaining. Good times and great sportmanship.

The fact he can play a Grandmaster that well speaks to his ability.

It's amazing how this guy is probably better than 98% of players, and Pia still wipes him out. So many fast, accurate moves from both of them, but that GM vision takes it up a level.

Pia Cramling is a living part of the history of chess and the fact she's humble and gentle when she plays just makes her even more wholesome. God bless you and your mom!

It is wonderful how you look at your amazing Mom with such love and admiration. 😊🙏🌹

This dude is awesome. I’m not very good at chess but I’ve seen this man in many videos, so my first time in New York I looked for him and lo and behold, he was there with a free table! He played easy on me and even gave me hints along the way, making sure the game didn’t end too quick. This dude is awesome

The ability to see the board the way they both do is incredible, she's a move or two ahead at all times but he appreciates it as he tries to counter her. Pretty awesome video

Gotta just love Anna she knows she’s not perfect but has a great attitude about playing and is so proud of her mother for being so great. It’s really sweet to see.

These two are just wholesome and adorable and I’m here for it

This gentleman is a VERY strong player. It has obviously been quite a long time since he lost a game. & he is so lovely in the way he interacts with you and your (amazing) mom. This was a great video, one of the best of these I've seen 💛

Big John taught me to love and appreciate chess after we played a couple games a few years back. I’ll always remember him and respect him for that. Such a pleasure to watch him enjoy these games with this GM. Sending my love, John!

The human interaction between these two strangers was lovely to watch 🥰

Mom is a BEAST!!! And she's also very sweet. I love the vibe between you and her.

“that’s okay, i know you’re gonna hurt me”. he acknowledged defeat and continued to okay. helluva competitor. bet that brightened his day

I am not an astute player of chess, however I am a big fan of sweet, kind, respectful, and lighthearted human interaction. This was a treat to watch. I knew this would be uplifting and inspiring from the moment GM mama said she would need her glasses and her opponent joked they used to call them “cheaters”. These three had a great instant rapport and I’m glad I clicked on the video. Thank you! Peace.

Love her humbleness ❤ he‘s amazing, too. Nice watch!

Your mother is a great champion!!! Congratulations!! I started following your channel with great love!! I like chess very much!!!

This man has been the punching bag for countless Union Square Park "Chess Hustler" videos, I hope he's well compenstated for his time as 5+ million views on RU-vid is probably going to bring in more money than "Here's a 20 for your time!" will.

What a nice guy. He really respected your mom and I could tell he was impressed. Your mom is very humble.

The best thing about this video is how proud you are of her. That is just heartwarming. ❤

this was awesome. first time ever seeing grandmaster play in NYC union square. thank you for this

My dad was a Julliard trained concert pianist so I understand the enjoyment and PRIDE Anna feels. One of my sister and my favorite things to do as kids was to drag dad into a top line piano store. We'd look around and dad would maybe just press a few keys and we'd wait for a salesman to come over. When they did they would usually sit down at a grand piano and show us how it sounded by playing some little diddy. Then dad knew his role was to ask if he could try and my sister and I would look at each other knowing what was coming and we'd just grin and wait. Dad would sit down and touch one or two keys, stop and adjust himself on the bench, and then he'd let it rip! We'd giggle at the salesman whose mouth was now on the floor and we'd wait for the people to start wandering in off the street or from other shops. Lord how I miss my dad.

That man was extremely versed in this complex and strategic game. The man absolutely held his own given the fact that he’s facing a literal GM. Not sure labeling him as a “hustler” is really in good faith if I’m being honest. Dude was kind, respectful and acknowledged the obvious skill set of his opponent. I just personally feel like that gentleman deserves a bit more respect in the title than hustler. Maybe even acknowledge who he is on a personal level.

Great sportsmanship from both. So nice to see!

I was throughly impressed viewing this. Thanks for the motivation to continue my chess journey!

Respect to this guy. He had no hesitation in believing she was GM. A sudden moment of "Oh so THAT'S why I got mopped so hard"

When he asked for one more I knew he was having fun. This was wholesome to watch. I don’t understand chess AT ALL, but watching this was a little more like watching a conversation happen.

These hustlers are amazing players. Always impressive. Even while losing he was quick to notice what was happening. I love the lifestyle and community feel too. Not a bad way to spend life if you have any skill.

I love how many people want to rematch her out of excitement after she wins. Thank you sharing these moments

He’s not a hustler he is an OG that gets paid for being good at chess. Respect to the skills of both

I love seeing how much this guy is enjoying the game even when losing. You can see he’s just a good sport and doesn’t lose much. When he does, he takes it like a gentleman and like he’s in a bit of awe. A true sportsman.

Great video. Lots of respect on both sides of the board and it shows. Thank you for sharing.

Wow that second match was amaziiinnnng 😍🥰 love to see two great players go at it

Let's appreciate that he guessed her rating fairly well

He could play 50 games and win them all and not learn anything new, but losing twice to a Grand Master he would have learnt loads. This is why I always tell my kids you learn more by losing than winning, and if you lose, if at least you've learnt something it's all good.

Thank you to both players. Great game.

There is a hustler in this video, just it's her, not him.

What a beast! Love your mom!

Bro is the best. I played against him was I was 17 and he beat me 3 and tied once. He prides himself in teaching and it must have been a privilege for him to go to school for a change since he plays a lot of people who aren't really into chess.

The ease with which he said "23, 24" just showed he'd already been thinking about it, and the cordial way they acknowledged each other was so wholesome.

I know nothing about Chess and even less of an idea how this amazing video turned up, but wow.... Warmed the heart on a cold day. What a great group of people.

I really enjoyed this. The setting and background, the characters. Such a collision of cultures all wrapped up in a little game of chess.

She is an obvious GM but this guy stood his ground hard against a GM. He's really good.

You can tell Anna is "in awe" of her mum, She's a force to be reckoned with!

Nobody got hustled just a friendly game between humans. I wish we all played more games and learn from each other

Shes great..so is he...so awesome to watch!!!

They were moving so fast, I couldn't keep up. I wouldn't want to face either of them in a dark chess alley. LOL. Well done to both.

That man also is very wholesome and a joy to watch!

the daughter talks so highly of her momma, lovely ❤

This is one of the most respectful interactions I’ve seen in NYC recently

That first check took my breath away. While the move seems so obvious in retrospect, it completely went under my radar. She moved the tower aggressively, but with the intent of defending the knight after the check, keeping her right side of the board completely under control. Not flashy, not technically beyond belief, but probably one of the smoothest move I've seen. Your mom is a genius!

What a sweetheart he was! That was such a lovely interaction y'all had.

I really enjoyed watching these games. He called your sweet natured mom a Beast! Too much fun. Shes awesome!

Anna is always so giddy watching people be amazed at Pia it's adorable

Im impressed at how he was was able to adjust and adapt from game to game. To pressure a GM is a sign of many reps and years of playing chess. This was impressive by both wise and skilled chess players

I don't play chess, but this was fun to watch. I had no idea that it could be played that fast! I bet Big John was really enjoying the play even though he lost. He probably doesn't encounter "worthy opponents" in his daily playing, you can see that he is enjoying himself, finally playing someone that was a match for his skills, and probably enjoyed it more once he learned she was a GM.

Another wonderful heartwarming video

It's wonderful to see how they respect each other while playing the game. No ill feelings or whatsoever.

The best part about this was the awesome sportsmanship. He wanted to play again and she was willing to give him a chance. It was awesome

The two seemed like such great spirits. I didn’t understand anything I was seeing but it was still fun to watch!

This guy is my spirit animal lmao I feel him. Whenever I meet someone who rival or go beyond my skill at the things I’m great at, I always appreciate the experience and try taking something away from it to improve myself. If I can have a good time and still learn a thing or two, I’m all in.

This video actually brought a little emotion to me and I considered why. The two dedicating decades to a skill that they adore. That we would all find something that we love so much, which done for hours a day, does not bore or suck the life out of us.

She's extraordinarily sweet and humble for being one of the greatest female chess players in history and just an extraordinary player to boot.

she is good and so humble

Really nice interaction, your man is way cool and she IS a beast!

I don't even really play chess but this video caught me. Fascinating just to watch the interactions on a social level with two hyper-competitive but humble, wise and polite people.

May we appreciate such a noble opponent of Pia? He's so sweet and chill, spreads a ton of positive vibes. I'm glad I'm living on this planet, knowing that I live with great people like him, Pia and Anna.

That's John he's a good dude, there's quite a few videos of him on RU-vid playing chess.I know him because I used to frequent most of the common chess playing spots in New York.His video on RU-vid that I like the most is when he played a kid who was using an earpiece and being told what moves to make by none other than Magnus Carlsen.He thought he was losing to a kid but it was really the Chess World Champion who beat him.I love that video.

I love the cordiality of it all. That is the pureness of gamesmanship. I applaud both contenders.

I LOVE watching Pia's games! She is so sweet, while at the same time she is a total assassin on the board. I liked this opponent too. Very nice guy.