GothamChess: How Levy Rozman Became the Internet’s Chess Teacher
If you’ve searched for a chess video in the last five years, you’ve almost certainly run into GothamChess. The man behind the channel is Levy Rozman, born on December 5, 1995, in Brooklyn, New York.
Rozman was a serious player before he was a creator. He became a National Master at 16, a FIDE Master in 2016, and an International Master in 2018, with a peak FIDE rating of 2421. Along the way he coached kids at New York schools, and that teaching background explains a lot about why his videos work.
Streaming Career
He started streaming in 2018. Then the pandemic and The Queen’s Gambit sent millions of new players looking for someone to learn from, and Levy was ready. In September 2021 he passed agadmator to become the biggest chess creator on YouTube. His channel was also the first chess channel to cross a billion views, and it now has more than 8 million subscribers.
Outside YouTube, he runs the learning platform Chessly. His book How to Win at Chess became a New York Times bestseller, and a follow-up, How to Win at Chess, Next Level, came out this October. He also beat GM Pia Cramling in their 2024 “Battle of Generations” match in Stockholm.
Memorable Game: GothamChess vs The World (2025)
In November 2025, Chess.com pitted Levy against everyone. Players voted on The World’s moves, and more than 225,000 people joined, a record for an online chess match.
Levy had Black and answered with his trademark Caro-Kann Defense, 1...c6. The World replied 2.d4. Before the match, he joked about the YouTube title he wanted: “I Beat The World With The Caro-Kann!”
He got it. Levy won the game with a rook sacrifice and checkmate, and the title of his dreams was a real thing.
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