GothamChess finds a much sharper amateur than he expected
A London System game upends Levy Rozman's judgment in a Guess the Elo episode full of deceptive clues.
Why this story? 888,577 views so far, and here is what is inside it.
GUESS THE ELO IS RUINING MY LIFE
Video summary
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- 2:39The first review begins; a knight tactic and an early resignation supply conflicting clues before the reveal at 09:12.
- 11:24A London System game makes Rozman rethink the players' strength; the surprising rating arrives at 17:54.
- 20:00A Hillbilly Attack game brings beginner psychology into focus, followed by a profile check at 24:18.
- 26:53A Slav Defense leads to opposite-side castling and a double-rook sacrifice; the rating verdict comes at 35:16.
- 37:42The final game features opening mistakes and missed checkmates, with ratings revealed at 40:49.
Levy Rozman watches the moves, admires the tactical counterplay and settles on a rating around 2000. The winner's actual rating: 1099. His response is wonderfully brief: "1099. Next game."
That gap is the heart of GothamChess's "GUESS THE ELO IS RUINING MY LIFE," an episode built around viewer-submitted games whose ratings stay hidden until Rozman makes his guess. The title is comic exasperation, not a farewell to the series. He keeps right on playing detective.
The London System encounter is particularly misleading because Black's resourceful play sends his estimate upward. Elsewhere, the clues point in very different directions: an early blunder, an unexpectedly quick resignation, or two rooks offered up in succession. Rozman has to decide which moves reveal a player's level and which might send him astray.
The beginner games provide their own entertainment. After reviewing one, he opens an opponent's profile and discovers another attempt at Scholar's Mate, the familiar early attack on the vulnerable f-pawn. "Dude, I love beginner chess. Beginner chess is so awesome," he says.
The upload opens with a sponsored VPN segment before the chess begins. It has drawn roughly 890,000 views, but the appeal here is the guessing game itself, not an unusual surge. Viewers pick up on the recurring joke in the title, imagining an uplifting sequel and pointing out that another declaration of distress has produced another episode.
Rozman does eventually get a particularly close guess right after the double-rook sacrifice. His celebration is considerably longer than "Next game."
Published on Trari
Where next?
What viewers say
The next video:
"GUESS THE ELO IS ENLIGHTENING MY LIFE"@JustinY.See it on YouTubeAlternative title: the duality of 1100
@lunar_huskySee it on YouTubeTitle: I can't do Guess The Elo anymore.
Video: Guess The Elo.@lvega12See it on YouTube
1 more comment
gotham forgot to quit the quess the elo
@nice_tenSee it on YouTube
Public comments from the video's page on YouTube
- Channel
- GothamChess
- Subscribers
- 8,410,000 ▲ 80,000 this week
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 83,303,292
- Channel views, pace per day
- 14,585,842 (on a normal day: 10,915,338)
- Video published
- October 31, 2026
- Video views so far
- 888,577 (3 days online)
- Video views, pace per day
- 198,050 (on a normal day: 384,988)
The numbers
The episode's viewing figures sit alongside its likes and comments below. This is a regular Guess the Elo outing, rather than an exceptional jump in views.
💡 Test your knowledge
Which early checkmate pattern does Rozman spot in a player's other game?
Rozman's profile check reveals that the opponent attempted Scholar's Mate in their other game too.


