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As Tyler1 climbs in chess rankings, is he destined for GM?

Tyler1 flex

Tyler “Tyler1” Steinkamp has made a name for himself as one of the world’s biggest and most successful League of Legends streamers. Now that chess is his next target, just how high is he going to rank up?

That’s the question his legions of followers are asking themselves now that Tyler1 has dedicated himself to one of the world’s oldest competitive games. Based on the results thus far, the sky may be the limited.

But just how far can Tyler1 push his online chess ranking? Is he destined for the coveted rank of Grandmaster?

Tyler1 pushes for new online chess ranking

There’s no doubting Tyler1’s dedication, as his chess ranking has consistently improved in the weeks and months since he first dedicated himself to the game. Few thought that he would take chess so seriously, but those doubters are clearly being proven wrong.

Tyler1 has taken to playing hours and hours of online chess. He has streamed the game on Twitch at times, but much of his activity playing has been off of his official stream, grinding the game alone for hours at a time.

tyler1 streamer

There are entire channels dedicated solely to following Tyler1’s progress playing online chess. But is he good enough to warrant that kind of attention?

How is good is Tyler1 at chess?

Tyler1 may not quite rank as a chess Grandmaster just yet, but his progress in improving his play has been undeniable. Starting from scratch, the popular streamer has hit goals that many players spend months or even years pursuing fruitlessly.

The latest accomplishment that took fans by surprise was a rapid ascent from a ranking of 1100 all the way to 1400. That’s a dramatic climb, and Steinkamp managed it in a matter of mere days. In less than a week, he gained over 300 ranking points.

Of course, he’s just as likely to tumble back down the ladder now that he has climbed it. Tyler1 has seen multiple rapid ascents and falls already. But there’s no denying how impressive his progress has been.

For those wondering where it all ends, it’s sadly unlikely that T1 ever managed to hit the rank of GM. That’s a prestigious designation that chess players must dedicate their lives to pursuing, and even then, only a few ever manage it.

But the popular streamer can still take pride in knowing that his improvement and climb up the ranks has gone well beyond what the vast majority of onlookers could ever have predicted.

Written by Jared Wynne X Twitter Logo

Jared Wynne is the Editor-in-Chief at gameland.gg, and has been covering gaming and esports for the past two decades. He's a former competitor in Counter-Strike, and still counts it among his favorite games along with RPGs like Baldur's Gate and Mass Effect. He studied journalism at the University of Texas at Austin, has been published at such outlets as The Daily Dot and The Esports Observer, and is the former Editor-in-Chief at WIN.gg. You can find him on Twitter / X at @JaredWynne.

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