Deep into the Mind of a Chess Grandmaster – [Documentary]

What does it take to become a chess grandmaster? 🤔 There are a number of “quick fixes” we can all apply to our game to start taking down even our toughest rivals. Sign up for GM Lemos’ FREE Masterclass. ►

Many chess players dream of destroying their opponents and getting as high an Elo rating as possible, winning tournaments along the way. Some may even daydream about facing chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen and giving him a run for his money!

Of course, it’s reasonable to say that most of us won’t be in a World Chess Championship match, but we should have chess targets and goals that we strive to aim for, whether that’s simply being able to beat a certain player in the local chess club, winning a tournament, or even trying to get an official FIDE master title, from Candidate Master right up to Chess Grandmaster.

So, who better to ask how it’s done than those who have already made it to the very top of the chess world? iChess sat down with FIDE Masters, International Masters and Grandmasters from all around the world and asked them the big questions: How does one get better at chess? What does it take to go from patzer to chess grandmaster? How much does natural talent play a part over simple hard work? Let’s dive into the mind of a chess grandmaster.

The first important question to ask is whether reaching the top of chess is possible for everyone, or only for those with natural talent. How can you become a chess grandmaster?

We spoke with some of the best players in the world, including GM Judit Polgar, who certainly knows all about hard work. “You have to work hard,” she said, “no matter how talented you are. I believe my secret is practice, perseverance and passion about the game.”

Plenty of skills and attitudes are needed in order to become a chess grandmaster: Hard work, talent, playing experience, tournament preparation, understanding and memorisation, working on your weaknesses, using your strengths and many more.

iChess talked with GM Judit Polgar, GM Nigel Short, GM Susan Polgar, GM Daniel Naroditsky, GM Sam Shankland, GM Aleksandr Lenderman, GM Nadya Kosintseva, FM Alisa Melekhina, GM Mihail Marin, GM Liem Le Quang, IM Irina Bulmaga, GM Irina Krush, GM Axel Delorme, GM Bryan Smith, GM Ivan Sokolov, GM Arkadij Naiditsch, GM Damian Lemos , GM Simon Williams, GM Romain Edouard and GM Francisco Vallejo Pons. Sit back and enjoy the advice from the very best players and coaches in the world in this iChess documentary.

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25 Comments

  1. I was hoping to hear from Stockfish and Mittens

  2. what is that building behind the left shoulder of gingergm?

  3. Anyone seeing this trend of grandmasters being introduced to chess by their fathers???

  4. I spy a Kings Indian/ Grüenfeld position

  5. Great video! Thank you so much for making this.

  6. Why did they give GM Short a mini magnetic toy set??

  7. I started playing chess 6 months ago.. I am 22 years old – and I dream about becoming a GM. This video discouraged me so much.

  8. I watched my father play chess since I was 6 and I thought maybe I can be a grand master

  9. I wonder what these people do outside of chess. I know that some of these GMs are professionals but some of the others are not pros. People like Bryan Smith, Alisa Melekhina, etc. They seem like they have a career outside of chess

  10. Too many grandmasters these days. the norm is easier to get than it was in the days of Capablanca. In my opinion most of these players are NOT grandmasters.

  11. I don't like the style of this documentary. Honestly, guys, why did you have to make the interviews black and white? It does not add anything to it except it says "I want it to look artsy". It would also have been better to actually hear the interviewer ask the question and then hear the answer as opposed to showing edited snippets.

  12. I´ve been looking for this question <how´s the life of an ordinary grand master? because we know that elite chess players dedicate a full time to chess, but what about those grand masters who can´t live just playing chess even if they win important tournaments. What do they do for a living and how do they manage it to play important chess tournaments, being active players and so on> but unfortunately i didn't found the answer yet.

  13. Beautifully crafted!
    All of them are rock stars… pure brain power!!

  14. Best chess players were trained as children, very few or if they were any who learned chess as adults then became masters

  15. There is decline of chess in some countries like Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary. People are loosing interest in chess in these countries. Chess is stressful. A player needs to plays at least
    20000 games to be able to think about chess moves without looking at the chess board and should think about chess throughout the day.

  16. I liked this video. I have no complaints about the use of black and white footage etc. It was good to hear from these accomplished players; I gained a few insights. I'm just an 1800 player but could relate to this very well.

  17. 🙏🙏🙏🙏respect and affection from India🇮🇳🙏

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