GothamChess Returns To NYT Bestseller List, Holds Amazon’s Top 2 Chess Spots

IM Levy Rozman has another New York Times bestseller. His new book, How to Win at Chess, Next Level, has reached the prestigious list, while his two How to Win at Chess titles currently rank in the top two spots on Amazon's bestselling chess books chart.

His publishing debut, How to Win at Chess: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners and Beyond, topped several Amazon lists and ranked fourth on the New York Times Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous list shortly after its October 2023 release.

Three years later, the original book continues to attract readers alongside its follow-up, with the two books now holding the number-one and number-two positions on Amazon's Best Sellers in Chess list.

The top three books on Amazon Chess. Image: Amazon.com.

He celebrated the milestone on his X account.

Back to back NYT Bestseller. Thank you all ❤️ https://t.co/gvAeNuV9wN

- GothamChess (@GothamChess) October 14, 2026

Released on October 6, How to Win at Chess, Next Level: The Ultimate Guide for Intermediate Play follows March's "chew-proof" chess book for babies. This time, Rozman targets readers ready to move beyond the basics, with the publisher identifying its intended audience as players rated around 1000-1600.

In an interview with Federico Marin in El Mundo, he explained that writing books has been about more than adding another revenue stream to his successful career as the world's biggest chess YouTuber with more than eight million subscribers.

"It's not about the money at all. I wrote the first book because I wanted to change the way people learn. A book is very different from a video. I wanted to leave a legacy."

I wrote the first book because I wanted to change the way people learn. A book is very different from a video. I wanted to leave a legacy.
-Levy Rozman

Rozman signing books for fans in Berlin during GothamChess Live in 2025. Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com.

The permanence of a printed book holds particular appeal for someone whose audience largely comes from an online platform.

"YouTube, with its algorithms, could decide tomorrow not to recommend me anymore. A book is always there, and I wanted to write a very modern one, with things that no one else had done," Rozman told Marin.

Writing for an audience that already understands the basics presented a different challenge from introducing newcomers to the game.

"I felt more pressure. It's easier to write for people who don't know," he said. "I had to think a lot about why a player reaches, say, 1500 or 1600 Elo points on Chess.com."

I had to think a lot about why a player reaches, say, 1500 or 1600 Elo points on Chess.com.
-Levy Rozman

Finding suitable examples meant looking closely at how players at that level actually play. "I researched, reviewed games, analyzed hundreds of thousands of them, and I think I found some very good examples."

The follow-up comes after more than 300,000 copies of his first book have been printed, making it one of the most popular chess books ever. It has also been translated into around 20 languages, making it truly global.

Levy Rozman boasts more than eight million subscribers on YouTube. Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com.

Rozman had already expressed his surprise at that international reach when speaking to Chess.com in March.

"It definitely exceeded my wildest expectations," he told FM Mike Klein. "It's incredible. When I visit European countries, people bring me the book in their language, which is insane."

Rozman will soon be meeting more fans in person. His second European tour begins in Cologne on October 25, with further stops in Munich, Breda, Amsterdam, and Zurich before concluding in London on November 10. The shows will feature live Guess the Elo segments, games against fans, and chess lessons.