Popular chess streamer GothamChess is asking his fans who plan to attend the Speed Chess Championship to break the event’s rules and bring copies of his book, which has been banned.
Chess players were surprised in January to learn that Levy Rozman’s book, ‘How to Win at Chess’ (from the popular GothamChess channel), was prohibited from a large chess competition in London.
Okay, so this is kinda weird. The Speed Chess Championship had a list of things you couldn’t bring, and it included GothamChess’s beginner chess book! Seriously, they listed it right alongside stuff like weapons and illegal things. I guess they didn’t want anyone trying to use it during the matches, but it’s still funny to me that a book for new players was on that list with all that other stuff.
Some people wondered if the ban was simply a marketing trick for Rozman’s new chess book, ‘How to Win at Chess, Next Level.’ However, Chess.com firmly stood by its decision, prompting Gotham to respond with a counter-attack.
YouTuber GothamChess hits out after his book is “banned”
Danny Rensch, the head of chess at Chess.com, said on X (formerly Twitter) that the ban would continue, even as the news spread quickly online.
We can’t discuss the situation further because of a current disagreement, but we want to be clear: no one will be allowed into the Speed Chess Championships with any version of the book ‘How to Win at Chess’ – whether it’s a physical copy or an ebook.
— Chess.com (@chesscom) January 21, 2026
Even though it’s prohibited, GothamChess is encouraging attendees to protest the rule and participate anyway.
He jokingly pointed out that the book seems to have so many flaws, even top players like Magnus and Hikaru would find it helpful. He clarified that the rules outlined in the book are intended for event attendees, not the competitors themselves.
Some food bloggers also encouraged their followers in London to bring books, even though the event had strange rules.
Please bring your book with you. Let’s support each other and deal with this situation together.
As of today, the event rules still ban books like ‘How to Win at Chess,’ so it will be interesting to see how attendees react when the $250,000 competition begins on February 7th.
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2026-01-26 23:18