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When Gukesh forced world’s top chess streamer, Gotham Chess, to resign in just nine moves

Rozman (who goes by the name Gotham Chess) is an International Master, which is only one step below the grandmaster title. Rozman's peak rating has been 2421.

(LEFT) Popular streamer Levy Rozman (known as Gotham Chess) reacts after world champion Gukesh (RIGHT) traps his queen in a Freestyle Friday game. (PHOTOS: Screengrabs via Chess.com and Gotham Chess YouTube)

Just how good are world champions when it comes to chess? The answer to this question came a few months ago when the top chess streamer in the world, Levy Rozman (who goes by the name Gotham Chess) played a three-minute game in the Freestyle Friday tournament against the 18-year-old phenom from India, Gukesh Dommaraju. It must be pointed out that Freestyle Chess (where the back ranks are shuffled) is something that Gukesh, who last year became the youngest world champion in chess history, is still to fully reach his peak in. Meanwhile, Rozman is an International Master, which is only one title below grandmaster. Rozman’s peak rating has been 2421.

The game happened a few months back. Here’s how the game went. It was played in the Fischer Random format — or Chess 960 or Freestyle Chess, as it is popularly known — with all four bishops were in the corners instead of the rooks, the knights were on c and g files while the rooks were on b and f files. The kings were on the d files while the queens were on the e files at the start of the game.

Gukesh’s identity was only revealed to Rozman once the game ended. It was a game where Rozman went a pawn up early. But the game ended in just nine moves with Rozman throwing in the towel and resigning after Gukesh trapped his queen, the most powerful piece on the chessboard, on a square where there was no escape.

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WATCH: How Gukesh forced top streamer Gotham Chess to resign in 9 moves

Gukesh started by playing 1.e4 and Rozman responded with an 1…f5. “It’s interesting. I can bring my queen out now,” Rozman said on his livestream of the match, because the queen was on the e8 square.

Rather than capture the pawn advanced by Rozman, Gukesh pushed his pawn one more square ahead.

On the third move itself, Rozman brought his queen out, looking to attack his opponent.

“Kind of ludicrous position here. But I am going for something,” Rozman said on his stream.

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On the fifth move, the queen gobbled up defence-less Gukesh’s h pawn and threatened to capture Gukesh’s bishop too, stationed on the h1 square.

What Rozman did not know was that the engine at this point was giving a massive advantage to the teenage world champion.

“I mean I’m up a pawn, bro,” Rozman said on his stream. “It’s not anything to scoff at.”

The Indian teenager pushed his g pawn out, the clear a diagonal for his bishop to move.

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On the 8th move, Gukesh showed his cards, bringing out his knight on f4 to trap Rozman’s queen. The streamer almost spat out his drink at the move, exclaiming: “What the f***.”

“Holy! That’s crazy! My queen’s just trapped. Oh my God! Well I got slightly destroyed there. I can’t do anything,” he added.

He managed to capture the square with his pawn, only for Gukesh to reclaim it with his remaining knight. Rozman resigned right away.

Later when he learnt who his opponent was, Rozman burst out laughing, saying: “I got destroyed by Gukesh!”

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Here are all the nine moves of the short game: 1. e4 f5 2. e5 g5 3. d4 Qh5+ 4. Nge2 b5 5. Nd3 Qxh2 6. g3 h6 7. Bxa8 Rxa8 8. Nef4 gxf4 9. Nxf4