Information about Levy Rozman
Levy Rozman, known online as GothamChess, is a prominent American International Master (IM), content creator, and educator in the chess community. Born on December 5, 1995, in Brooklyn, New York, to Russian and Ukrainian immigrant parents, Rozman began playing chess at the age of six and quickly demonstrated exceptional talent. Wikipedia
♟️ Chess Career
Rozman earned the title of FIDE Master (FM) in 2016 and International Master (IM) in 2018. He achieved his peak FIDE rating of 2421 in August 2018 and his highest US Chess rating of 2520. Between 2016 and 2019, he committed himself to competitive chess, winning multiple city and state tournament championships. However, in July 2022, following a disappointing performance at the New York Summer Invitational tournament, Rozman announced his retirement from competitive chess events due to physical and mental stress. He announced his return to competitive over-the-board chess in April 2024, with the goal of becoming a Grandmaster (GM). Wikipedia
🎥 Content Creation and Streaming
Rozman began streaming on Twitch in August 2018 and gained rapid popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic and the release of The Queen's Gambit in 2020. His YouTube channel became the first chess channel to surpass one billion views. As of October 2025, his YouTube channel has over 6.7 million subscribers and 4.2 billion views, while his Twitch channel boasts 1.2 million followers. Wikipedia
📚 Author and Educator
In October 2023, Rozman authored the book How to Win at Chess: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners and Beyond, which reached fourth on The New York Times Best Seller list in the category "Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous". Wikipedia
🤝 Philanthropy
In October 2021, Rozman announced the Levy Rozman Scholarship Fund, donating $100,000 to elementary, middle, and high-school chess programs. Administered by ChessKid, a subsidiary of Chess.com, the fund provides schools with grants ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 to cover training, tournament fees, and travel expenses. Wikipedia
🏆 Awards and Recognition
Rozman has received several accolades, including:
Best Chess Streamer at the 2022 Streamer Awards.
Forbes 30 Under 30 in the "Games" category in 2024. Wikipedia
🌐 Online Presence
Website: chessly.com
YouTube: GothamChess
Twitch: GothamChess