GothamChess criticizes viral Meta glasses chess cheating claim

Chess content creator Levy Rozman, known as GothamChess, targeted a viral video on TikTok. In the video, a user called SourGrape02 claimed he was using artificial intelligence to get help while playing chess with a woman in a public park.

The user says he has little experience with chess, but claims his glasses gave him the best moves throughout the game and eventually allowed him to deliver checkmate. The setup is described as using Meta glasses to view the board, GPT to recognize the pieces, and the Stockfish engine to calculate moves.

The video was viewed millions of times on platforms including Instagram, YouTube, X, Reddit and LinkedIn. Rozman, however, said in a YouTube short posted on October 21 that the demonstration was very strange. In his view, it was also unclear why such a complicated setup would be needed.

Rozman recalled that similar glasses were developed in January 2025 by 17-year-old Eddy Xu. Xu's technology had also previously been shown by the Botez sisters, so the concept is not new.

According to the YouTuber, the real problem lay in the game itself. Rozman pointed out that the user appeared to be using a chess clock that he had not actually operated, and said the video did not make logical sense.