'I would be able to beat them' - Sporting KC star Dejan Joveljic on chess, MLS and the Chess.com bot built in his image

Dejan Joveljic is an excellent MLS striker, but in another life he might have been a competitive chess player.

All footballers have a release of some kind, something to keep them occupied away from the pitch. Whether it be moments with family or time spent playing video games, there is more to life than being a professional athlete. And in truth, most hobbies are pretty standard. Soccer players are, quite usually, just like us.

And then there are the ones who are almost frighteningly good at something.

With that, we turn to Sporting KC striker Dejan Joveljic, who is, quite certainly, the best chess player in MLS. In fact, there might not be any professional athlete better than him.

"I'm definitely at the top level. I think so. There are probably some players who can beat me, like in a long game, two hours. If we're talking blitz chess, if I play a match against any other top-level athlete, I would be able to beat them," he told GOAL.

If you're into the technical stuff, Joveljic's Chess.com rating fluctuates around the 2,500 mark. For context, a good rating is between 1,200 and 1,500. Advanced players hover around 2,000.

Joveljic is not a generational chess talent. But he's close. He learned to play as a kid and took lessons more seriously during the COVID-19 lockdown. He plays pretty much every day, except on matchdays, and has now been awarded his own Chess.com bot, such is his dedication to the craft.

The annoying thing? The bot is so good that it beat him.

"I got destroyed," Joveljic told GOAL with a laugh. "I'm proud, and it's annoying at the same time.

The Sporting KC striker talked about his chess journey, how it impacts his performance and where he will go next in an interview with GOAL ...

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ON LEARNING TO PLAY
GOAL: So how did this happen? And where do you fit chess into your life?
JOVELJIC: Yeah, I mean, I knew how to play. My grandpa and my dad taught me how to play, but at that time I was, I mean, so bad. They gave me an extra rook, and I lost the game. But later on, I was playing more, and let's say during COVID time I was playing every day, like seriously. I was taking German lessons because at that time I was a player for Eintracht Frankfurt, but I was on loan at Anderlecht. So I was taking chess lessons every day, and then German, so I could improve in both.
GOAL: So why did you stick with it? You just got addicted?
JOVELJIC: I'm definitely addicted. I'm still addicted. I was improving, and I was getting points up and beating stronger players. And then I fell in love.

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ON PLAYING CHESS EVERY DAY
GOAL: How often do you still play?
JOVELJIC: I play every day, except on game days. I never play on a game day. After the game, yes, sometimes, but before the game, never. You just go home, you lay on your sofa, and you just open chess on your phone, and then you just chill and play.
GOAL: Is it therapeutic?
JOVELJIC: Sometimes! But usually it's the opposite.
GOAL: So, what happens when you lose?
JOVELJIC: Don't ask me that. A lot of times I play well. I mean, sometimes I play when I'm tired, and that's not good, because I play against strong players online, and if I'm not fully focused, I'm gonna lose. I can gain like 100, 200 points in a day, and I can lose it like this easily, so yeah, that's what I don't like.
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ON HOW CHESS HELPS SOCCER
GOAL: So is it fair to say that you're better at soccer because of chess? Is there a certain energy around it? Does that make sense?
JOVELJIC: Yeah, it makes sense. I mean, definitely chess helps me to make better decisions on the field when you're under time pressure. In chess, that's like when you're in front of goal and need to react and find the right move on the field as well. So I'm sure that it helps me in that way, and then I try to be good under pressure, and then be good when I'm low on time.

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ON HIS CHESS BOT
GOAL: So you've now got a bot? How did this happen?
JOVELJIC: It happened with Chess.com and all of these connections, but I'm so happy that we ended up bringing a collaboration with them, because I play every day on their site, and I'm super excited, because I'm gonna be there all the time. I'm able to play against myself and all other people around the world, so it's a pleasure to have a connection with them.
GOAL: Is it fun to play against yourself?
JOVELJIC: Probably! We will see, because I already played against my own bot. It destroyed me.
GOAL: Are you proud of your bot being good, or is it annoying when it beats you?
JOVELJIC: Both! I'm proud, and it's annoying at the same time.
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ON CHESS AND MLS
GOAL: Do you ever play against anyone else in the league? Or other soccer players?
JOVELJIC: Not in the league. I played against the Houston goalie when we were both in LA. The best of the players here is Lasse (Berg Johnsen). He's rated around 1,400, so he's decent. And I mean, I'm stronger than any other player here for sure, and then it's not fun to play against them.
GOAL: So, how long does it take you to beat them?
JOVELJIC: They can survive 30 moves, but in the end, I'm gonna squeeze them.
GOAL: Do you think you're the best chess player in soccer?
JOVELJIC: I'm definitely at the top level. I think so. There are probably some players who can beat me, like in a long game, two hours. If we're talking blitz chess, if I play a match against any other top-level athlete, I would be able to beat them.

ON LEARNING TO PLAY

ON PLAYING CHESS EVERY DAY

ON HOW CHESS HELPS SOCCER

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ON HIS CHESS BOT

ON CHESS AND MLS