My Grandmaster Mom Played Chess Hustlers in Union Square Park

What's an s tier player?

@@fd2blk78 above an A+ would be, an S or S+ in skill of a game means perfect

Quit your moronic yapping, I'm from northern Norway and even I know the old folks in NY who sit around playing any and all for dollars are called hustlers.
Fuck we even call the old guys in oslo playing chess hustlers. Go fuck yourself.

​@@fd2blk78 it's a stupid thing that gamers invented instead of getting laid

Really can't call him S tier since he's not at the level. A tier at best

toitally, too bad the daughter would not stfu lol

Chess players are generally pretty civilised individuals

They looked like the were having a great time.

My I’m just high, but the GM and her daughter seemed to be judging him hard. They seemed scared and hyperbolizing the things he said. Or maybe I’m judging him…. Shit. Chess mated myself…

@@tehkeymaker17 Yeah you're just high

Exactly my friend. He enjoyed every minute of the game.

I don’t know enough about chess to say this with anything to back it up but I’m guessing he’s at a level where he’s able to learn some moves/plays from this experience.

I think he performed better than you would expect for playing against a GM

you could tell he was loving it. @@cactus8928

he wasn't pressing his timer for much of the game..

Is "my girls" a euphemism?

@@yegorzakharov8514 💀

​@@yegorzakharov8514 I hope it is this and not where my mind went

what if he started violently swinging? could both of them be able to handle him?

@@prideneverdies1001 probably not. Odd comment.

In this context “hustler” isn’t so much a bad thing as it is the colloquial term for the people who love to hangout and play chess all day in the park. Sure they’ll take your money if you are foolish enough to bet on a game without the skill to back it up, but it’s all in good fun.

You can literally look up the word and there's nothing positive about it. She could have said. Gentlemen or chest player.

@@j-zonol have to get the clickbait title

Yeah it’s rude to call someone a hustler . Especially someone as respectful as this man

@@j-zonolThat gentleman is a chest player for sure! 😂

It's called being a hustler.

@@DerekOfRivia Or it’s called being a humble gm

@@brendanadinay5054 You think so? It feels like if a black belt in karate hid the fact that they were a black belt, and then joined a new gym and started whooping everyone. I have no problem with what she did but I wouldn't exactly characterize it as being humble lol

@@Omni0404 it's just playing chess in a park man there is nothing to be gained on either side other than enjoyment of something both people are passionate about

@@kjford587 Something can be more than 1 thing at the same time.

The fact that it takes a Grandmaster to properly challenge him and bring him that much joy in playing the game speaks to how great his own abilities are. I bet if you put him in the circuit, he would crush.

@@theelaffingman8776 Go out, find him, put him out in the circuit. Or direct him how he can get to there!

@@Neo154He’s gotta want that for himself. Some people find the spotlight a little… fickle.

I guarantee he fell in love with her after that

​@@Neo154😊😊😊😊 3:51

Definitely GM's that can checkmate in 5 moves or less so yes

Yeah. Or she just felt bad and didn’t want to embarrass the dude.

They’re all really good. I’ve played them a couple times and they’re good at assessing your level and will teach/compete accordingly. Also, a game is like 5 bucks, so it’s a good way to waste some time

@wittyn0550 I wouldn't guess some goofy shit like that but there's one way to find out. You play him. You play her. Post what happens.

Thank you its me Im him

Playing better players than yourself is the best way to improve IMHO.

Google "nyc chess hustler"

She was winning the whole time

@@m1hss it was literally a draw most of the game until the endgame then he had no idea what to do

This guy is a regular there. I've seen him in other videos in the area. He knows what he is doing. In general, he quickly picks up on the quality of his opponent. Which says something of his skill level. My guess would be to put him just below or a couple steps below master level. That is a pure guess as I am not good at chess. It is based on his play against masters and grand masters I have seen videos of him playing.

And his ability to assess his opponent. I just looked the woman up, Pia Craminling. Her rating is 2452 (according to the site I checked). Which is pretty much
dead on for what he predicted her strength to be.

She was toying with the guy, it was pretty obvious. The guy knew it as well. She didn’t want to embarrass him badly.

A lot of people get misled by the term 'hustler' in this context. In NY, chess hustlers just play a good game, and you pay them the same amount regardless of who won the game.

@hextree
🤔

Nobody should be concerned with losing unless they're actually competing. Losing and figuring out why is how you improve.

​@@hextreein her history, she only calls black people hustlers. The rest are all players.

@@KingdaToroexactly..in chess a loss very helpful

I learned long ago to become better at chess you must play those who are better than you. He shouldn't have been called a hustler. A hustler usually wants to play for money. He would beat just about anyone except a Grand Master. I loved watching Mom with 2 or 3 moves (maybe more) all the time. Great games.

Exactly and I guarantee he appreciated the losses. You don’t get better playing lesser opponents

Peobbaly hasn't lost a game in ages sometimes it's nice to lose and feel that you can strive to do better :)

I think most people who enjoy playing chess enjoy the form of it. The beauty in the mechanics of the game. When people stop to watch the sunset do they get mad that they can't control it, or do they appreciate the inherent beauty and welcome the coming of the night?

I used to be a magician. Magicians usually know 90% of what's going on in a magic trick, because many different effects use the same fundamentals. A magician is truly happy and impressed when they are tricked, because the magic becomes real again.

Yeah, I hope she’s hearing the feedback with the use of Hustler in her title,
Bc itd also be fair to say shes YT hustling with clickbait

He is a Hustler...and you have no right to take that away from him. He's earned that title from all the hard work he's put into it.

@@noobslayer6915 i understand you trying to give dignity to the context but i highly doubt that was her intention

"Hustler" is merely someone that uses their Skill to earn money without needing employment or Business licensing. They make hundreds of Dollars a day on $15 & $20 games.. They are huslters on those boards..
Why? Because They know the CLOCk makes it harder and thats how they beat most people.. Slow chess games allow you time to Overveiw the last and next moves.. the clock takes that away.. either you know what to do right after your opponent moves... or you don't.. She would make Money down there because people would assume shes beatable because she a woman.. They'd be sorely mistaken lol

@@jainsoutside9318 Most of those highly experienced chess players like him down there in the park are hustlers. They make money off the games they challenge people to and most people don’t realize the trap is sprung till they’re in the game, all they see is a sweet old man or wily kid looking to play some chess.
I used to sit and watch these guys run their games and it was very impressive. Most were respectful like the guy in this video, but they were also hustlers, kind of like pool sharks you might find in a billiards hall.

What number is a grand master?

@@jasonricard5058 Well, you need few things to be a GM, for example, you have to play lots of tournaments and get so called norms (favorable results) from min. 27 games in tournaments.
Like performance rating has to be at least 2600, a third of all opponents has to be GMs, or 50% of players has to have some FIDE title (CM, WCM), opponents average rating has to be around 2300-2400. And you have to have a FIDE Rating of at least 2500 to be become a Grandmaster in Chess.

Thats what i was gonna guess he was

Can you explain? He estimated her level to be 1-2 levels below GM level and I thought that meant that she didn't play her best the first match, and that's why he thought she was very good, but not a GM

@@DeeInTexas Pia's current (August 2023) FIDE rating in classic is 2452, and in 1990 it was higher than 2500 and she obtained her last GM norm in Bern. It's difficult to keep your rating > 2500 if you get older unless you're Viktor Korchnoi, who was still > 2500 when aged 80 years old. Unlike in Sumo you're not expected to retire when your ELO rating drops below 2500, because only your pride might get hurt, but you (usually) don't die when being crushed by an opponent.

i found the interaction quite charming, competitive and respectful of each other, i hate chess but find the clip inspiring

~1700 level he knows a few openings and a few traps but I'm disappointed in Cramling's endgame precision.

Chess is nothing compared to e-sports like fighting games- Let's see these people get into that scene or the ultimate version of chess-Starcraft II.

@@KombatKastle "Chess is nothing compared to e-sports like fighting games.........."
Jeezus🤦‍♂

@@Coxy_Wrecked i'm sure that was a joke.

“Mom is always daring everyone”

Yep, he's all goodness. I like his face. Sweet guy. You just know you can rely on him. Strong player, too.

His name is Big John he’s a legend in Union Sq

I was impressed by him too - what a pleasant gentleman. Three lovely people enjoying some spirited fun. Lovely Lovely Lovely... 😊

He wanted to play again and learn from the first game, you have to respect that attitude and drive. Also it's easy to show class when you win, to show it when you lose is the real test of character and he passed with flying colours.

I think the first subtitle is off... it's "I know you gonna hurt me" on the dropped pawn. He assessed her at around 40 seconds and probably knew she was not a normal player very early on. That is one of the fun part of these table games.. when you meet someone that you know has a deeper playbook than you and while you put up a fight, its more about learning just how they approach it. That relentless attack she was putting down entertained him for sure and the subtle smack talk was cute as well... I love playing games with experts and will try to figure out what they see by watching their eyes.... and always thank them for the lesson after my butt whopping.

he's literally a professional chess player.

I called him a professional. :)

That’s fantastic. Thanks for sharing that.

I live in NYC and want to take my boyfriend to play him, but do you have to pay them to play? I never understood “the rules,” of the “chess hustlers,” lol.

This is amazing.

He’s not really a hustler you can play for free

You're so full of shit 😂

Agreed.. he's definitely a master player. To even hold out against a grand Master after 15 moves apiece is b unimaginable for 99% of people

Especially when he sees what she's done two or three moves ahead and immediately recognizes what's happening...

​@joshy the hand and he went into the match not knowing she was a grand master

Oh.. I think she's at least 5-6 moves ahead and he was close.. Maybe 3-4 moves behind especially at the speed they were playing.

I agree. He takes pleasure in seeing someone else play beautiful chess. It says a lot about his character.

what are you taking about? The way he lost his castle was a completely unforced error and huge blunder. A "VERY" strong player doesn't make beginner mistakes like that unless the time is low.

It’s really annoying how people fawn over blacks for being moderately nice. It’s bigotry of low expectations

​@Mallardman795 damn you kinda racist bro. Why you being the compliment police simply because he a black man? You would rather everyone talk shit about eveyone? Goofy mfs really just make up shit to feel like they valid

@@lordsneed9418 Or maybe it's that he was playing a GM and didn't get totally slaughtered. For the games to have gone on that long he would have to be good. She was just better.

@@BathersonMote That's nonsense. First of all in this game he made a big unforced error by overloading the knight defending his castle allowing his castle to get taken. That is bad chess no matter who you play against. secondly GMs don't always try to end games quickly, what they do is make certain that they win eventually. A GM would be happy to take just a single vulnerable piece then trade off all the remaining pieces until an inevitable endgame victory. That doesn't mean you didn't "get slaughtered" .

100%

Yep! But they both had a great time!

More like a relatively cheap Master Class with a GM.

Correct, Anna Cramling is a racist.

Yep

She is not humble, she is passiv aggressiv

He actually did make some blunders I don't think he is above 1500

he also seems like a cool nice guy

GMs are absolutely next level. There's an IM, not even a GM, in my chess club who always gives everyone free material at the start of blitz games and still crushes them. The second strongest player is a 2200 national master and the IM can just play e4 Nf6 e5 Ne4 d4 Nxf2 against him and still beat him like 80% of the time. Against me he just plays a4 e5 Ra3 Bxa3 Nc3 giving up a full rook for nothing and still I'm yet to beat him once. And I'm like 1800.

At her peak in the 80s, Pia might have been the strongest female player in history up to that point. Nona Gaprindashvilli, Vera Menchik, and Maia Churbanidze also have a claim to being the strongest pre-Judit Polgar woman chess player

There's levels to this shit. She'd be wiped out by most male GM, they'd be wiped out by superGM, and they'd be wiped out by Carlsen. Except maybe Ding.

This was beautiful , especially about the instant rapport they had 🖤

That's why it isn't a "little game."

He cheated and if you slow the video down you'll see it. I don't respect cheaters

@@jaycougexplain

@@styleanthology90in another comment said he moved twice at 00:56 but it looks like he just castles. But this guy is just scrolling down comments to say the guy cheated, I’m not sure where, I may have missed it too.

​@@imcoach6978yep, that's a legit move, most people don't know you can do that.

@@jaycougI dont respect people who speak before knowing what theyre talking about. Like you.

You clowns have no clue! The dude plays chess every single day! What do you think he's gonna suck?

No, but if I played music every day that wouldn't make me a Mozart no matter how much time I dedicated.

Chess is the ultimate set piece, anyone can reach a certain level if you put in enough time

Dude is 2100 at best. Just an average hustler.

@@George-dy3pt Are you calling me a clown that's rude.

how many times you think he told chess friends about how he hung with a GM?

BELIEVE ME: everyone he knows, KNOWS. @@juanpecan7089

I'm with you never played a game even once

You can learn on KRplus

I know the rules but I gave up trying to follow, it was just too fast to understand everything. Serious skills

At the same time he also learning from her and its not very often you get to play a GM...

I played chess a few times in my lifetime but never to the level they are playing.

they are so humble that they call their oponent a "hustler". :-(

Because he tried to cheat at 9:48, but she caught him.

@@foxwithtubesox1075 bro how did he try to cheat? He simply didn't realize that his king would be in check if he made that move. You clearly have no clue what cheating in chess looks like if you think that is cheating.

@@Khang-kw6od clearly. …

@@foxwithtubesox1075 He wasn't cheating. He didn't see that the king was stepping into the rook's space.

It's chess, not checkers! Just like life!

“Chess hustler” doesn’t have the same negative connotation as “pool hustler” or just plain “hustler” does.

Keep in mind that the one posting the videos is NOT an (American-)English native speaker. And using the term in the titel can have several purposes, all of you choose to click and watch.

They call him Big John here in NYC. He’s a beast when it comes to chess but a very kind hearted gentleman

@@brendanadinay5054thanks for the info. He seemed truly kind and was enjoying the game.

G.M. plays against a very good player, would you have clicked on for that thumbnail?. you would?, good for you , I WOULDN'T and so here i am .

Exactly. I didn’t appreciate her description in the comments and she wouldn’t stfu during the entire game. That was brutal as well.

Yeah, that makes him a chess hustler. Running a hustle and running a scam are two very different things. Being a hustler and being a scam artist are equally different

@@NeoCreo1 facts one is considered cheating lol the other is getting paid for your skills

@@trustplanet well said

@@trustplanetomg glad I wasn’t the only one, she could’ve she shut up, she was completely out of her depth

It probably made his day (week?) getting to play against a GM. Not an opportunity that tends to just walk up to you.

​@@Peatingtune Based on my observation that Pia has legs, she did in fact just walk up to him

@Repent and believe in Jesus Christ When I see people dump these quotes, I donate to Planned Parenthood. Thanks for helping someone get the abortion care she needs.

@@brucewayne5140 For every comment like this, I donate twice the amount to conservatism.

@@wiredfox3451 I'm at peace with that. Go forth. :)

Well said

not very hard to be a punching bag so not sure what compensation you are thinking about...

There's always one of you people who think people are entitled to something! The man agreed to play on video! Nobody made him! Go get a life and learn nobody owes you anything!

@@George-dy3pt they also love to tell other people what they should do with their own money.

@George-dy3pt you two weirdos calm yourselves. All the guy is saying is this older gentleman has been in SO many of these popular videos, it would be nice if some of them gave him some cash at least. Sure he isn't entitled to it, it's called being a decent person. This guy plays all day for not much money and allows himself to be on very lucrative videos while not receiving any of the compensation. Get off the internet for a while. your ass is clearly chapped. 👍

That's really sweet; I'm happy you had such a father!

What a great Dad to have

What beautiful memories, thank you for sharing 🎉❤

What a great memory of a phenomenal father. RIP dad💜🕊️🙏

That's SO cute!

I'm so ignorant at chess that I didn't know you could tie.

Dude, I've been pouring over these comments. And like everyone loves this guy
It's amazing knowing this one chess player has touched the souls of so many people, and yet has remained so humble.

@@kellykintzley2610
Yessir. You can either draw or stalemate.

And it was pretty accurate… in her peak she was 2550 and now she is 2437

@@AmplifyChris i was wondering what her peak was.

@@AmplifyChris She's 2250 in this format currently. Which is about right. Like he's really close either way.

I love that he wanted "one more." He knew how strong she was after the first match and was still eager to test his mettle against her a second time. Good dude.

Research shows the best learning in many forms of 1:1 competition is when you are losing about ¾ of the games. Challenged but not overwhelmed. But how many have the character to aim for that kind of performance?

Yes, I bet he would love to play her again!

I love your comment

Wow that so extremely accurate!

I'm guessing he was informed of her skill level before they actually started filming. Otherwise I don't think he would have probably considered it good for his image, since he's a fairly well-known chess player to the people who play chess in Union Square, to wipe out somebody's mother who doesn't know anything about chess and have it spread all over the Internet.

@@Mark-bw1wx maybe not, guessing her rating is easy considering those hustlers are usually 2000-2100, after she won the first game, he must’ve thought she has to be 2300-2400 just because 2500+ is extremely rare to see in those places, even though Pia is well known, it looks he didn’t know her.

@@lamblias6od Oh ok. You know more about it than I do. About all that rating stuff. That's all Greek to me. I tried to learn chess and I tried to teach my son and I was never good at it. Probably would have helped me in life. Seems like life is just a big chess game and you have to make the right moves and not let your emotions get in the way......
...

@@Mark-bw1wx he played her again after he already lost. So I don’t think it really matters to him

​@@ayoant-783 imo he seemed honored to be defeated like that. And you can see it in his eyes during the first game he was surprised and caught off guard. Probably the dudes favorite 2 matches he's played. He seems like a real one

Some never get out alive from that dark chess alley.

@@jeffstumpf9129 Banished to the shadow realm. Wait, wrong game

@Rough Riders:
"I wouldn't want to face either of them in a dark chess alley."
🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😅 Me, neither!

@@jeffstumpf9129 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

😂😂

Me too!! Agreed!

Same here. I am never anywhere near a chess board but I saw this video and had to watch!

Agree 100%

The best part is the trash talk to each other.

I've played once in my life and very poorly and I'm completely transfixed on this video.thank you

Sportsmanship

So you didn't look close to see where he cheated during the game? Nothing respectful about cheating.

The older folks usually know how to act right when they're around eachother

Get outside more

For every stereotype in NYC, there’s at least five people breaking them. It’s really an awesome place to live.

@@jaycoug
Where did he cheat?

@jas_bataille, can you explain how the first game ended? I see the position that they’re calling a mate already, when the king isn’t actually in check, yet. Is the next move to pin the knight with the rook, and the inevitable leads to checkmate?

@@franciscomayer2454
I mean, the check mate was inevitable from that point on.
Most of the pieces on the man side were one move away/a take away to allow a mate.

@@TheDogGoesWoof69 Yes, he took it easy on a grandmaster

@@TheDogGoesWoof69 Your logic is a tad off

​@@TheDogGoesWoof69a GM still is a GM even if she is not the world champion

@@TheDogGoesWoof69 didn't know she's playing against world champions there at Union Square... oh wait, she isn't? isn't your argument majorly autistic and retarded then?

There is no sexism present in this video😂

Indeed, Sir Soppy Balls!

goodness gracious

right off the bat: Pia: but I'd have so much less w/o the glasses. Great line (not verbatim).

Geek

@@textik5821 hahaha, interesting comment, I mean...You are reacting to his username, or to his comment? In any case " "Goodness gracious" is a good and understandable reaction...

ikr

Didn’t expect to see y’all on this video

​@larrydavid6656 same 😂 scrolled pst it then closed comments. My brained realized what I saw and was like wait had to coke back to double check 😂

Street beefs!!

Ay yo what

Well said. Its a choice we can all make everyday.

Apparently he's a hustler..

Big Facts

I agree. America needs more of this. ❤

Kids are still getting beat a couple blocks away😂

what sporstmanship? she knocked pieces over multiple times.

​@@wishwise0because she has on a coat and gloves?

@@wishwise0😢😢😢😢😢😢

He respected her game and KNEW he wouldnt WIN..but i believe he wanted to LEARN what she had to bring to the table🙏🏽

the best part for me is the rnb music playing

It is a choice by mature humans.

There's not supposed to be any of that going on. It's a chess game. Unless you're suggesting there should be some kind of animosity because of the difference of their races. If that were true, I would file it under the category of "projection" more than anything else

She doesn't respect this guy. The video refers to him as a hustler and he's black so people will click on the video. He is a nice guy who plays chess smh shame on whoever owns this channel

New Yorkers respect talent, confidence what not that is why he is cool with getting beat he respects her game.

🏍️ Your comment makes one think you play chess with acrimony, vitriol and disrespect. Maybe even when you're playing go fish.

I agree... I'd faulk the mom too.

I like your positive vibes. Keep spreading those.

My city is boring AF

@@demianschultz3749 which country

@@MrPanayotty

Chill

@phx2pdx582 oh how little do you know
UTD is usually #1 or #2 in the world at Chess for schools. Always. Guess what? Every class mate is from the middle east that comes over on a full ride scholarship. Just chess you say? Those kids are coming over here and getting masters' in computer science.
Chess = Critical thinking
American education system is dumbing down the generations at the grand scheme of all things

Not so humble now considering the clickbait thumbnail

@PHX2PDX you’re so cool

@@phx2pdx582people care about her more than they care about you

Just when youtube was starting to get dull.. 👌