# My Chess Grandmaster - Sam Shankland | Tosh Show Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPpg-sfuIJc Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/JPpg-sfuIJc Generated: 2026-01-20T14:34:11.649+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Chess Grandmaster Sam Shankland detailed his career progression, emphasizing that while the current best player, Magnus Carlsen, is demonstrably superior to past champions due to presentism in sports, Garry Kasparov remains his choice for the greatest chess player of all time. **Key Points:** - Shankland considers Magnus Carlsen the current best player, but believes Garry Kasparov is the greatest chess player of all time, noting Kasparov played competitively against him at age 58. - The threshold for becoming a Grandmaster (GM) requires achieving a 2500 FIDE rating and securing three norms, which involve performances of 2600 or higher against specific international criteria. - Shankland stated that he calculates best on a 3D board, second best blindfolded, and third best on a 2D board, explaining why he appeared distracted during online tournaments. - He revealed that the most money he earned from a single book surpassed the combined winnings from the US Championship, two Olympic golds, two World Cup quarterfinals, the Prague Masters, and the Beal Masters. - Shankland confirmed that drug testing exists in chess, noting that testing positive for steroids would lead to disqualification, even though steroids should not impact chess ability. - He believes that while anyone can learn chess skill to reach the top 1%, becoming a Grandmaster is unattainable for most people. - Shankland recounted that a fast ball to the face while playing baseball when he was 12 or 11 years old may have diverted him from baseball to chess, preventing him from splitting his time between the two sports. **Context:** The episode features host Daniel Tosh interviewing Sam Shankland, an American Grandmaster chess player, on the Tosh Show. The conversation covers Shankland's background, including his early athletic interests in baseball, his path to becoming a professional chess player, his views on the differences between the 'best' and 'greatest' players, the structure of chess mastery, and the realities of professional chess travel and earnings. ## Detailed Analysis Sam Shankland, a Grandmaster, detailed his career, starting from being taught chess by his father at age six and realizing his competitive edge at age nine by dominating a local chess class, leading to an amendment of the 'teacher brings pizza' rule. Shankland views chess as both a sport and a game, emphasizing that while skill is learnable, reaching Grandmaster status (2500+ rating plus three norms) is not possible for everyone; however, dedication can easily place one in the top 1%. He firmly separates the 'best' player (currently Magnus Carlsen, due to presentism) from the 'greatest' (his choice being Garry Kasparov), citing Kasparov's incredible performance at age 58 against younger players. Shankland finds poker frustrating due to the element of luck conflicting with his preference for chess's fairness, where superior play generally dictates the outcome. Professionally, he travels about 130 nights a year, a pace that wears on him more at age 34 than when he was younger, and he prefers in-person play on 3D boards for better calculation. He mentioned that in collegiate years, he prioritized joining the US Olympic team over finals, though he ultimately graduated with an economics degree. Regarding misconduct, Shankland noted serious infractions like Karyakin's suspension for supporting the Russian army and a separate case involving a US women's team coach, and confirmed that using computer assistance during play is strictly forbidden. ### Guest Background and Early Career - Shankland grew up in Arinda, California - Baseball was his first love until a fast ball to the face redirected him to chess - He started dominating chess classes at age nine, leading to teacher pizza parties being restricted to once per semester. ### Chess Mastery and Calculation - Grandmaster status requires a 2500 rating plus three 2600-level norms - Shankland calculates best on a 3D board, followed by blindfolded, and lastly a 2D board - He believes anyone dedicated can reach the top 1% but not necessarily GM level. ### Greatest vs. Best Players - Carlsen is the 'best' currently because every generation improves, but Kasparov is the 'greatest' - Shankland was impressed when Kasparov, at 58 and retired, performed highly against current top players, beating Shankland in their individual game. ### Professional Life and Earnings - Shankland is a full-time chess player, traveling around 130 nights yearly - His book earnings have surpassed his combined prize money from major tournament wins like the US Championship and Olympiads - He noted that top players like Carlsen likely earn over $10 million annually, but earnings drop significantly by rank 100. ### Rules and Ethics in Chess - Drug testing occurs, and testing positive for steroids results in ejection - Uttering things under one's breath or kicking an opponent under the table are prohibited conduct violations - Using computer technology while playing is absolutely forbidden and grounds for ejection.