GothamChess Bites Back In Bullet, Makes It To IMSCC Final

IM Levy Rozman (aka GothamChess) traveled to the underworld and back in the 2023 I'M Not A GM Speed Chess Championship Semifinal on Monday. He ultimately won his tumultuous match vs. IM Greg Shahade 13-11. 

After incurring a three-point deficit in the first two segments of the match, Rozman dominated in bullet and was about to win the match—when Shahade won on demand in the final game to force overtime. There, Rozman wrapped up with 2.5-0.5, not needing a fourth game.

The second Semifinal match, IM Polina Shuvalova vs. IM Lawrence Trent, will decide Rozman's opponent in the Final. That Semifinal match begins on Tuesday, October 17, at 2:00 p.m. ET / 20:00 CEST / 23:30 IST. 

Rozman 13-11 Shahade | Semifinals

• 5+1: Rozman 2.5-4.5 Shahade
• 3+1: Rozman 3-4 Shahade
• 1+1: Rozman 5-2 Shahade 
• Overtime: Rozman 2.5-0.5 Shahade 

With the Group Stage finished, we are back to the regular Speed Chess Championship format: 75 minutes of 5+1, 50 minutes of 3+1, and 25 minutes of 1+1. 

In their 2021 Semifinals encounter, Shahade led by three points going into the final section. Rozman turned the tables in the bullet segment, putting up a phenomenal 8-2 score and winning the match. 

Just like in 2021, Shahade led by three points going into the bullet. But this time, despite being put on the back foot, he was able to even the score and make it to overtime.

5+1: Rozman 2.5-4.5 Shahade 

The first portion was, in one sense, a repeat of their 2021 encounter. Shahade one-upped his previous performance, though, finishing with a +2 score.

Game one, which Rozman won, was already perhaps the best game of the day. After offering a piece sacrifice on move nine, which was not accepted, Rozman took advantage of two factors, the out-of-play h7-knight and a backward pawn on e7 and then e6, with decisive effect.

It was a model positional game, and GM Dejan Bojkov annotates it below.

The white pieces went on to win games one through four. Back and forth they went, reaching the first break with a 2-2 tied score.

The match is tied 2-2 by the first break! No draws, all white wins.#IMSCC #SpeedChess pic.twitter.com/DRLnOuw4FO

— chess24.com (@chess24com) October 16, 2023

Shahade broke the symmetry in game five, thus introducing the first black victory about 50 minutes into the match. He found a nice pawn promotion tactic to win material, temporarily sacrificing his bishop on g7 to win a rook five moves later.

He had chances the next game with White, but they drew, and ultimately Shahade brought home another point in the last game with a technical squeeze:

3+1: Rozman 3-4 Shahade

Chess.com's PCL commissioner was able to extend his lead by one more point, thus setting up a bullet segment that was identical to their 2021 match.

As he did in all three regular segments, the internet's chess teacher won the first game. This one was less technically impressive—Rozman found a one-move knight fork, after missing it the first time. To be fair, he had under 10 seconds.

Again, nearly all the games were decisive as the international masters met each other blow for blow. Rozman won the next game, evening the score, but then Shahade won two in a row himself.

The second and third draws of the match followed that, and the fourth and last draw would only come in the first game of overtime. 

Shahade finished the segment with another black win in a very tough struggle. In the time scramble, his opponent found the fantastic counter-exchange sacrifice with 35...Rg6! to repair his pawn structure. But after overreaching with 37...g5?, Rozman had one last chance to draw by trading queens—an opportunity that was missed and then punished in instructive fashion. 

Going into the bullet segment, Shahade had the largest lead he'd had in the entire match, 8.5-5.5. Would he overcome the odds in the bullet section? Almost.

1+1: Rozman 5-2 Shahade

The 1+1 was nearly a repeat of 2021, except Shahade was able to come clutch in the very last game to reach overtime.

Rozman won the first four games of the segment, thus evening the score and then going up one point.

Shahade declines the repetition, plays for the win instead, and goes on to lose!

🔥 Resourceful play from Rozman as he wins four in a row and takes a one-point lead.#IMSCC #SpeedChess pic.twitter.com/3WZ0m1xnBm

— chess24.com (@chess24com) October 16, 2023

But Shahade, for the first time in this segment, stopped the runaway train in its tracks by winning the fifth game, where he was up the exchange in the endgame but still ducking and dogging various checkmate counter-threats.

With under two minutes left on the match clock, Rozman bounced back and won the next game after Shahade left a full knight hanging on f3. 

And, striking once again right when it was necessary, Shahade won on demand in the last game to force overtime, winning Rozman's queen at the end of a lightning-paced string of moves.

Greg Shahade wins on demand in the very last game and we're off to overtime!#IMSCC #SpeedChess pic.twitter.com/AddPiMjAeA

— chess24.com (@chess24com) October 16, 2023

Overtime: Rozman 2.5-0.5 Shahade

Overtime would be the best of four bullet games. In case of a tied score still, then they would play an armageddon.

In the first game, Shahade had a winning position, with a bishop and two pawns for the exchange, but on little time he accidentally allowed a threefold repetition. 

Had Shahade won that game, perhaps the momentum would have been different. He seemed to run out of steam after missing that opportunity and Rozman won the next two games, closing out the match with a game to spare.

In the conversion stage of game two, 40.Rh2! was a precise move, ensuring the trade of rooks and shutting down any potential funny business. Rozman's technique was flawless from there, with the two connected passers, despite playing on seconds.

The popular streamer won the match in the next game, finishing off an endgame with four rooks with equally impeccable accuracy. 

Rozman earns $1,250 for winning the match and another $677.08 of the split prize by win percentage. Shahade, for the games he won, makes $572.95 as he leaves the tournament.

In the post-match interview, Rozman shared that he was pessimistic about his chances going into the bullet segment, adding that winning the first game went a long way for his confidence. 

What also helped was a message, during the break, from his friend and "legendary IM" Aleksandr Ostrovskiy.

"Once I went down two or three, I thought there's no way I'm winning... But then ... IM Alex Ostrovskiy sent me a message and said, I'm betting all my channel points on you to win this match." (@GothamChess)

"He texted me and said the same thing," added @GregShahade #IMSCC pic.twitter.com/wNN1dAY7tX

— chess24.com (@chess24com) October 16, 2023

Who would he rather face in the Final, Trent or Shuvalova? "Between those two, I think one of them will trash talk a little bit more... I don't think I've played many games against Lawrence and I don't think I've played Polina at all."

Shahade added that a match between Shuvalova and Rozman would be close.

All Games | Semifinals

Semifinals Bracket

The I'M Not A GM Speed Chess Championship is a spin-off of Chess.com's beloved Speed Chess Championship. Starting on October 12 at 11 a.m. ET/17:00 CEST/20:30 IST, players of IM (international master) strength will compete in a series of fast chess matches. The event features a $15,000 prize fund.

Previous coverage

• Trent Proves Shahade Wrong, Moves To Semifinals With Shuvalova
• GothamChess Tops Group B With 9-Game Winning Streak, Shahade Takes Group A
• Back For More Brilliancies: The I'M Not A GM Speed Chess Championship 2023