What Is a Chess Speedrun?
The term "speedrun" originally comes from video gaming, where players race to complete a game as fast as possible. In chess, it has been adapted into a rating-climb challenge: a player (usually a titled player — IM, GM, or even super-GM) opens a fresh online account, starts at the platform's lowest possible rating, and plays rated games continuously, aiming to reach a target rating (1000, 1500, 2000, 2500…) as fast as possible.
The entire run is streamed live or recorded for YouTube. The audience watches in real time as the player destroys opponents far below their true strength, explains every decision, and methodically climbs the leaderboard. It is part chess lesson, part entertainment, and — for the speedrunner — part personal challenge.
Why Are Chess Speedruns So Addictive to Watch?
Three things make chess speedruns uniquely compelling compared to normal chess content:
- Real-time improvement is visible. You watch someone go from "beginner pool" to "intermediate pool" to "expert pool" in a single session. The improvement arc is compressed and dramatic.
- You learn by watching. A GM narrating every decision against a 700-rated player explains chess concepts in the simplest possible context. You absorb without even trying.
- The stakes feel real. Unlike a puzzle or an analysis video, a speedrun is a live or recorded competitive attempt. Blunders happen. Comebacks happen. The tension is genuine.
How a Chess Speedrun Works
The mechanics are simple:
- Create a new account on Chess.com or Lichess.
- Choose a time control — Rapid 10+0 is the most popular for speedruns.
- Play game after game without breaks, accepting any opponent the matchmaking system provides.
- Hit the target rating — common goals are 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, or even 2700+.
The speedrunner records the total number of games played, the total time elapsed, and sometimes the win/loss/draw breakdown. Some speedrunners impose extra constraints to make it harder — for example, "no takebacks, no engine, resign immediately if lost" — while opening speedrunners add the rule of playing one opening exclusively.
Best YouTube Channels for Chess Speedruns
These channels have produced the most-watched and most instructive speedrun content on the internet:
1. GothamChess (Levy Rozman)
IM Levy Rozman is the king of chess speedruns for casual viewers. His commentary is loud, funny, and packed with genuine chess instruction. His "0 to 2000 Elo" series is the most-watched chess speedrun series ever, with individual videos hitting tens of millions of views. If you only watch one channel, make it GothamChess.
2. Hikaru Nakamura (GMHikaru)
Five-time US Chess Champion and Chess.com speed-chess world champion, Hikaru is widely credited with popularising chess speedruns on Twitch and YouTube. His speedruns are played at a blinding pace and routinely demonstrate concepts at the 2500+ level. Watching Hikaru dismantle a 1200-rated player in 10 moves is jaw-dropping chess education.
3. Daniel Naroditsky (DanielNaroditsky)
GM Naroditsky — "Danya" — runs the most instructive speedruns on the internet. His "Speed Run" series is a methodical journey from 600 to 3000 Chess.com blitz rating, with Danya stopping after every game to analyse what he played, what his opponent missed, and what patterns you should remember. Pure chess education disguised as entertainment.
4. Eric Rosen
IM Eric Rosen is famous for his "Oh no my queen!" catchphrase and his love of trappy openings. His speedrun and challenge content focuses heavily on specific opening systems — he has done full speedrun series using only the Budapest Gambit, the Stafford Gambit, and other aggressive weapons. His channel is perfect if you want to learn how a specific opening performs across all rating ranges.
5. John Bartholomew (Chess Tempo)
FM John Bartholomew's "Chess Fundamentals" series — informally known as the "Climbing the Rating Ladder" series — was the original chess speedrun before the format had a name. Starting in 2014, he played games at every rating level from 400 to 2000, narrating his thought process in clear, beginner-friendly language. This series remains one of the best free chess improvement resources ever created.
6. Eric Hansen & Aman Hambleton (Chessbrah)
Canadian GMs Eric Hansen and Aman Hambleton — the Chessbrah duo — bring a completely different energy to chess speedruns: fast, competitive, and unfiltered. Their speedrun content features real-time trash talk, creative attacking play, and the kind of chaotic entertainment you only get from two elite players pushing each other. Eric Hansen in particular is known for aggressive speedrun climbs that showcase opening traps and sharp tactical play at every level.
Best Chess Speedrun Series to Watch
Not all speedruns are equal. These series stand out for their educational value, entertainment, and historical significance:
1. GothamChess — "0 to 2000 Elo" (Chess.com Rapid)
The most-watched chess speedrun series in history. Levy Rozman (GothamChess) starts a fresh account and grinds to 2000 rapid, roasting opponents and explaining blunders with comedic flair. Over 50 million combined views. Required viewing for any chess fan.
2. Daniel Naroditsky — "Speed Run" (Chess.com Blitz, 600→3000)
The most educational speedrun series ever made. Danya pauses after every game to deliver a 5–10 minute analysis, making this as much a chess course as entertainment. He explains not just what he played but why — positional reasons, pawn structures, piece activity. If you want to genuinely improve, watch this series from episode 1.
3. John Bartholomew — "Climbing the Rating Ladder" (Chess.com)
The original chess speedrun series, started in 2014 before the format had a name. Bartholomew plays opponents rated 400 through 2000, explaining his thought process in beginner-friendly language. His calm, methodical style is perfect for players who learn better without the hype. Over 100 episodes in the series.
4. Hikaru Nakamura — "Bullet Speedrun" (Chess.com, 0→3000 Bullet)
Hikaru's bullet speedruns (1+0 time control) are the most mind-bending chess content on YouTube. He climbs from 0 to 3000 bullet in a single stream, playing move after move in under one second each. While this is not primarily instructional, it is the best demonstration of what elite pattern recognition actually looks like — and it is simply spectacular to watch.
5. Eric Rosen — "Can I Win With Only 1. e4 / Only the Stafford?" (Themed speedruns)
Eric Rosen's themed speedrun series tests whether a single aggressive weapon — the Stafford Gambit, the Budapest Gambit, or even just playing 1. e4 every game — can carry a player to a target rating. His "Can I reach 2000 using ONLY the Stafford Gambit?" video alone has millions of views. These series are uniquely entertaining and teach you the limits and strengths of each weapon.
6. Eric Hansen (Chessbrah) — Aggressive speedrun climbs
Chessbrah speedrun content is the most aggressive and unfiltered on this list. Eric Hansen and Aman Hambleton play sharp, tricky openings at every rating level and never let the opponent breathe. If you want to study how to use opening traps, sharp tactical lines, and psychological pressure in practical play, Chessbrah speedruns are essential viewing.
Opening-Specific Speedruns
One of the most fascinating sub-genres of chess speedrunning is the opening speedrun — where you commit to playing one specific opening for every single game of the entire run, no matter what. This tests both how far an opening can carry you and how well you understand its ideas. Here are five standout examples:
1. London System Speedrun — by GothamChess, various creators
The London System (1. d4, 2. Nf3, 3. Bf4) is arguably the most popular "one opening for everything" choice for speedruns because it works against almost anything Black plays. Multiple creators have run London-only speedruns to show beginners a solid, low-theory system. These series typically demonstrate that the London can reliably reach 1400–1600 on most platforms before opponents start exploiting its drawbacks.
2. Stafford Gambit Speedrun — by Eric Rosen
The Stafford Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 — sacrificing a pawn for dangerous piece activity) is Eric Rosen's signature weapon. His speedrun series using only this gambit is both hilarious and instructive — you watch the traps devastate players up to around 1800, and then watch how stronger players refute it. A brilliant demonstration of both the power and limits of a gambit.
3. King's Indian Attack Speedrun — by Various creators (Danya, Levy)
The King's Indian Attack (1. Nf3, 2. g3, 3. Bg2, 4. O-O, 5. d3) is Bobby Fischer's favourite weapon as White and requires almost no theory. Speedrun series using it show how its flexible pawn structure adapts to any Black response. Multiple creators have used KIA-only runs to demonstrate how a positional system fares across rating bands from 500 to 2000+.
4. Sicilian Najdorf Speedrun (as Black) — by Various titled players
The Sicilian Najdorf (1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6) is the sharpest, most theoretical opening in chess — favoured by Kasparov and Fischer. Titled players doing Najdorf-only speedruns expose how dangerous this weapon is when its theory is understood, and how quickly it can punish unprepared opponents. These series are for advanced players who want to see the Najdorf stress-tested across every level.
5. Queen's Gambit Speedrun — by Various creators
The Queen's Gambit (1. d4 d5 2. c4) became one of the most searched chess topics after the Netflix series. Several creators capitalised on this by running QG-only speedruns to show audiences exactly what the opening looks like in practice. These are excellent entry-point videos for players who discovered chess through the show and want to learn the opening they watched.
Tip: Opening speedruns are one of the best ways to understand the practical strengths and weaknesses of an opening system. Watching how the opening performs against 600-rated players vs 1800-rated players tells you far more than any theoretical video.
What You Actually Learn Watching Speedruns
Chess speedruns are not just entertainment. Consistent viewers report concrete improvements in four key areas:
Seeing a GM spot a fork, pin, or mating threat instantly in a 600-rated game teaches your eyes what to look for. The patterns sink in passively.
Every speedrun forces the creator to explain why certain opening moves are bad. Watching someone punish 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 and then 4. ... h6?? teaches you opening principles faster than memorising theory.
GMs always convert winning endgames. Watching 20 different king-and-pawn endings in one speedrun session is worth more than reading an endgame book.
Rapid speedruns force quick decisions. Watching how GMs manage clock pressure — when to spend time vs when to play fast — teaches time management better than any advice article.
How to Do Your Own Chess Speedrun
You do not need to be a GM or a streamer to do a chess speedrun. Here is a practical guide for amateur players:
- Set a target. For most beginners, reaching 1000 or 1200 Elo rapid on Chess.com or Lichess is a great first goal.
- Create a new account (or note your current starting rating).
- Choose your time control. Rapid 10+0 or 10+5 is recommended — fast enough to play many games, slow enough to think.
- Optionally, pick one opening to practice throughout the entire run. This adds structure and forces you to deeply learn one system.
- Track your progress. After every 10 games, note your rating. Graph it if you can — the visual climb is motivating.
- Analyse your losses. A speedrun without post-game analysis is just playing games. Even 5 minutes of engine analysis per loss will dramatically accelerate improvement.
- Join a league to test your gains. Chess Global League gives you rated games against players at your level every month — the perfect way to measure whether your speedrun training is translating to competition.
Put Your Speedrun Skills to the Test
Join Chess Global League — free forever. Compete in monthly rated tournaments against players at your Elo level and see your rating climb in a real competitive setting.
Join for Free →Frequently Asked Questions
What is a chess speedrun?
A chess speedrun is a challenge where a player (usually a strong titled player) starts a new online account at a low rating and tries to reach a target rating — such as 1000, 2000, or even 3000 — as quickly as possible. The run is usually recorded or streamed, and the creator explains their thinking throughout.
Who invented chess speedruns?
The format was popularised by Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura, who began streaming Chess.com rating climbs around 2018–2019. FM John Bartholomew's "Climbing the Rating Ladder" series (started 2014) pre-dates the term but is considered the format's spiritual predecessor.
What is an opening speedrun in chess?
An opening speedrun is a rating-climb where the player commits to using only one specific opening for every single game. The goal is to test how far that opening can carry you and to deeply understand its ideas by playing it over and over against different opponents.
Can beginners do a chess speedrun?
Absolutely. A beginner speedrun simply means setting a target rating (e.g. 1000), creating an account, and tracking how many games it takes to get there. The structure turns your normal practice into a measurable challenge with a clear finish line.
What time control is best for a chess speedrun?
Rapid (10+0 or 10+5) is the most popular choice. It is fast enough to play many games in a session but slow enough to show real strategic thinking rather than pure blitz instinct. Blitz (3+2 or 5+0) is used for faster, higher-energy speedruns.
Which platform is best for a chess speedrun — Chess.com or Lichess?
Both work. Chess.com has a larger player pool at lower ratings so you find opponents faster. Lichess is completely free and open-source with no premium features. Most YouTube speedrunners use Chess.com because its provisional rating system can swing fast in early games, making the climb more dramatic.
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