Chess content creator Levy Rozman, known as GothamChess, has dismissed a viral TikTok video in which a creator claims to have used Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses to receive AI assistance during an outdoor chess game.
In an October 21 YouTube Short, Rozman described the clip as “chess LARP” and said the video “makes no sense at all.” He concluded, “Unfortunately, I’m not impressed.”
The TikTok, posted by the account SourGrape02, shows the creator playing a woman at a public park table. He tells her he has played chess only once or twice before. According to the video and subsequent reports, the Ray-Ban Meta glasses stream the board via a WhatsApp video call to a MacBook. A GPT model identifies the pieces and positions, Stockfish calculates recommended moves, and the suggestions are relayed back as audio through the glasses.
The creator reaches checkmate in the edited footage. The clip spread rapidly across Instagram, YouTube, X, Reddit and LinkedIn, drawing millions of views.
Rozman, an International Master born in Brooklyn in 1995, focused on practical problems with the demonstration. He noted that the chess clock visible in the video did not appear to be switched on. A running clock is standard for a timed game, he indicated, raising questions about whether the scene was arranged primarily for the camera.
He also identified the opening as the Blackburne Shilling Gambit, a line arising from the Italian Game after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4. The variation contains a well-known trap that can lead to a quick checkmate against an inexperienced opponent who accepts the offered pawn, often within seven or eight moves. “You don’t need to cheat to win this game,” Rozman said.
Rozman further observed that the underlying technology is not new. In January 2025, then-17-year-old Columbia University student Eddy Xu publicly demonstrated modified Ray-Ban Meta glasses that could stream a board, run piece detection and feed positions into Stockfish, returning engine moves discreetly. Chess creators the Botez sisters later tested a similar setup.
SourGrape02 has not released a full unedited game score or independent verification of the match. No chess federation or tournament organizer has issued a formal statement on the specific video. The episode has nonetheless renewed discussion about how wearable cameras and real-time engine access could affect casual over-the-board play.
Rozman, who holds the International Master title and has built one of the largest chess audiences on YouTube and Twitch, framed the stunt as more performance than technical breakthrough. The original TikTok remains available on the SourGrape02 account, while Rozman’s short continues to circulate among chess viewers.
