Interview with GM Christopher Noe alias gravereaper - Lichess streamer & coach

Hello, Christopher!
1) Thank you very much for taking the time to do this interview. At the FIDE Council meeting in Georgia in mid-July, it was announced that you are one of ten new grandmasters. Congratulations! How does it feel to have achieved this goal?

It feels great. Over the last few years, I was always just a little bit short of the final norm. So it's all the more liberating now that I finally have the GM title under my belt and can make new plans for the future.

2) You are now 29 years old. You became an IM in 2016. When did you set yourself the goal of becoming a GM? How much time and energy did you have to invest in this goal?

Even though it may sound surprising, I didn't set myself the goal of becoming a GM until very late. It was always important to me to play in strong tournaments on a regular basis. Due to my high rating over many years, one thing inevitably led to another. Because it's so much fun, you don't pay so much attention to the time.

3) What are your next goals, and which tournaments are coming up?

Recently I played in the Czech Open in Pardubice. In October, I will be competing in the European Chess Club Cup in Rhodes (Greece) for Echternach. Towards the end of the year, I am considering playing in the Rapid/Blitz World Championship. However, my plans are still open. For the coming year, I definitely want to play against strong opponents and improve my Elo rating.

4) You like to stream on Twitch and show your best games on your way to the GM title. Do you think platforms like Twitch are changing the way chess is learned and appreciated, especially by newer players?

With Twitch, I can reach both seasoned chess players and newbies who may have only been playing chess for a few hours.
In these fast-paced times, it's the perfect medium for sparking interest. Personally, I'd rather watch a Twitch stream than plow through a chess rule book :)

Christopher streams on Twitch as chris1996

5) You also offer chess training. What level should your students have, and what kind of training do you offer?

I work with students with a rating of 1500 Elo and above. It is important to me that, in addition to training, students also have a certain degree of independence in order to achieve their goals. Currently, the most common topics are game analysis, variation calculation, and opening ideas.

Christopher at the Czech Open in Pardubice, in which he participates frequently (Photo: Czech Open)

6) You play for the Eppingen Chess Club. Are you originally from this area?

Yes. I live right in Eppingen, which is really convenient because I can walk to the home games. I've been playing for the club for 23 years now and am the first player to come up through the ranks here to ever achieve the GM title.

7) At what age did you start playing chess? What memories do you have of that time?

I started playing chess at the age of six. I remember my first tournament: the Baden U10 Championship, which I won at the age of six. Another highlight was the youth training at SC Eppingen, which I always enjoyed very much under the guidance of Karl Eyer.

8) Do you follow any rituals or habits to prepare for a game?

I don't have any habits anymore. I make sure I don't eat anything large for at least an hour before a game and get enough sleep. When I was younger, I always used the same pen, but I stopped doing that after a few years.

9) How do you deal with defeat in chess?

Of course, it annoys me when I lose a game. But the beauty of chess is that you are responsible for the outcome of the game yourself, unlike in team sports. It is important to reflect on your own game, recognize mistakes, and optimize for next time.

10) What is the most unusual thing you have ever experienced at a chess event?

There are quite a few things. A round at the Pfalz Open in Neustadt an der Weinstraße was very curious. Over more than 15 moves, the game on the neighboring board and my game were identical. Somehow, the arbiter was called, and he quickly moved the board and clock to the other end of the room so that no one could observe the other game.

11) Which chess players do you admire most, and why?

Here, of course, I have to choose Magnus Carlsen: Year after year, he proves that no one can compete with him. Especially in freestyle chess, it's clear that no matter how obscure the position, he always knows how to make something of it. Furthermore, Carlsen is the ideal figurehead for getting chess into the media and staying there.

12) What are your interests outside of chess?

During the week, I work a regular 9-to-5 job at a bank. When I have some free time, I enjoy playing badminton or going to the gym occasionally. I also enjoy other strategy and puzzle games (Sudoku, Risk, etc.).

13) What advice would you give our readers if they want to improve in the following areas?

Opening:
Practice your opening before you use it, preferably in training games. Also look at sample games from top players using the respective opening or variation.

Middlegame:
It often helps to ask yourself the following questions:
a) What is my plan?
b) What is my opponent's plan?
c) What is my worst piece?

Endgame:
Memorize Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual :)

Note that this article was first published originally in German in the September 2025 issue of the German chess magazine Rochade Europa).