"The game is changing" - GMHikaru explains why Tyler1's Chess rating has risen so rapidly

Twitch star and Grandmaster Hikaru "GMHikaru" recently spoke about fellow streamer Tyler "Tyler1's" rapid improvement in online chess. For context, Tyler1 had barely a few hundred points when he was first invited to play in Twitch's Pogchamps 5 in August 2023. After a poor performance, he went on a grind on Chess.com and has now managed to get over 1,800 rapid rating on the website.

To put this into perspective, a 1,800 rapid rating places Tyler1 in the 99th percentile of players on the platform. Less than 100K Chess.com users currently have more than his rating.

This rapid improvement has naturally surprised many. GMHikaru, however, explained how the chess dynamics have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic, stating that players are improving at a faster pace than in yesteryears. He said:

"The game is changing."

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GMHIkaru explains why players like Tyler1 have improved so much

Despite being known for his League of Legends content, Tyler1 has managed to raise a lot of eyebrows after he recently smashed past the 1800 rating barrier on Chess.com. Speaking about his rapid rise Twitch streamer GMHikaru said:

"What do I think of Tyler1's improvement? I made a tweet about it for a very specific reason, which is that Chess is changing and whether we look at the levels of beginner-level players like Tyler or people who are more advanced like young kids, the fact is that the game is changing and the possibility to improve is far greater."

(Timestamp: 05:05)

He elaborated:

"The access that people have is far greater. Whether its Cheesable, whether its online videos, or whether its Chess.com and all the videos they has, there are so many ways to get better and then you can just go online and play a game very quickly."

GMHikaru also made an X post reflecting on Tyler1's improvement. He said:

"I met a friend of a friend last night, and they said they have played chess over the last four years and gotten to 2200 in blitz despite never playing classical OTB chess. In olden times this would be impossible."

Hikaru speaks on the new age Chess players (Image via X)

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In unrelated news, Tyler1 recently became a father. His long-time girlfriend Macaiyla, gave birth to a baby daughter on April 11, 2024. They have named her Saiyler Rue Steinkamp.