About

Hi, I’m PYGOD

I’m a blogger/web publisher turned into a Founder CEO of PYGear.com and an investor. Way before that, I’m a lifelong Combat Sports and Strength Sports fan, I wanted to be a pro fighter and/or a strength athlete. I’ve done some Boxing, won my first and only amateur bout. I’ve realized that cardio was a absolute necessity in Combat Sports. Lacking oxygene is a thousand times worse than any fn punches. And being a loner by nature, accustomed to do things by myself. The strength athlete route was tailor-made for me. Before all, I wanted to be a Heavyweight since I was a child!! That’s what a steady diet of pro wrestling, Rocky movies, and Tyson-era heavyweight boxing did to me.

Despite having a 6’1″, 159-pound light bone frame, I’ve turned myself into a 285-pound strongman competitor in only 5 years, Cheating Nature Without Steroids (I’ve written a book to commemorate my “impossible” accomplishment). Now that I’ve realized my goal, with nothing else to prove, I’ve stopped training and returned to my natural 160-pound weight. Force feeding and carrying up to 325 pounds, muscle or fat, was taking a toll on my body and my health. I’m certainly healthier and more confortable now that I was back then. Nonetheless, I enjoyed my time as a larger than life freak and King Of The Gym.

Now what?

After almost 3 years of full-time 24/7/365 dedication to my online commerce PYGear.com I need some change. I needed a third thing. I have my business, my portfolio.. What about some sports? Well, athletes have a very real expiration date. But what about some kind of combat sport for your mind. Chess. What else?!

Chess is the Ultimate Combat Sport for the mind. Brain over brawn.

But this time my skinny frame isn’t my handicap. My age is. Supposedly that, in chess, if you haven’t started playing as a child. You’ll never get very good at it. But, if  you want my opinion, turning a tall, skinny ectomorph pencil-neck geek into a 300-pound muscle monster naturally is probably harder than turning a 50 years old noob into an Advanced chess player. The only 3 thing that can stop me is me, myself and I. Is it another case of shiny-object syndrome/a much needed dopamine rush/a phase? Maybe.. I hope not.

Creating this website from scratch and having a new challenge is extremely exciting. But as you know, motivation ain’t shit. It’s discipline that matter. Consistency, doing the reps days in an days out. Going through the ups and downs for several years. Step by step, brick by brick, one inch at the time.

A workout for your brain.

With calculators, AI and technology, our brains are becoming lazy. Personally, I really needed a mental activity that will also boost my patience, concentration and observation. Learning deep thinking, resolving problems, and finding solutions.

In resume:

I’m a, very soon to be, 50 years old chess noob on his highway to a 1800 chess rating. Which will make me a Ocho, an Advanced Chess Warrior.

So I’m an Adult Improver?!

Nope! I’m not an adult improver since there is nothing to improve. I’m a debutant. I’m a 49 years old pure noob starting from zero (unofficially 233).

Follow my journey live on:

Goals:

  1. 1800 rapid chess rating on Chess.com. Making me an Ocho Meistro.
  2. 2000 classical chess rating on Lichess. The equivalent of 1800 rapid chess rating on Chess.com.
  3. Pursuing FIDE Online Arena (FOA) titles.
  4. Maybe playing some OTB rated games if possible.
  5. 2000 rapid chess rating on Chess.com

2-3 years to attain my goals, at least the first one. On June 25, 2027 to June 25, 2028.

Attained Goals:

  • Proud to be an official registered ICCF (International Correspondence Chess Federation) players. It’s good to be a member of one of the 3 official chess federation. The two others being FIDE and FOA (FIDE Online Arena).

Timeline:

Consult my Grading System.

GRADE 1: WHITE

  • As a lifeling, Combat Sports fan, Chess Boxing got me interested in chess and brought me back into it two times.
  • Joined Chess.com in September 25, 2013 (age 38). Didn’t even know how to move the pieces. Played two games. Thought it was a a waste of time. I’m an all-or-nothing guy!
  • April 30, 2018 to May 11, 2018, (age 42) played about 30 games without any fundamental notions. Call it quit, thought you have to start playing at 6 years old to be very good at it. So there wasn’t any hope for me.
  • June 19, 2025. Came back to Chess.com after more than seven years off. Contrary to what I thought, I remembered how to play the pieces.
  • A few days before, I’ve watched the entire Queen’s Gambit series and feel in love with Beth Harmon.❤️ Now you know why I prefer to stay single with such an attraction for crazy chicks.
  • June 25, 2025. The beginning of my path to a 1700 “Elo” as a soon to be 50 years young with a glorious 233 rapid chess rating on Chess.com
  • June 26, 2025. Buying ChessIsWar.com domain name.
  • June 27, 2025. Buying How to Win at Chess: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners and Beyond by Levy Rozman aka GothamChess. Probably the only chess book who doesn’t looks like it was written by a Russian ghost during the Cold War. Levy’s book is full of colored chessboards, has a modern touch, and is pleasing to read.
  • June 29, 2025. Put this website online fully dedicated to chess. I’m a blogger/web publisher at heart.
  • June 30, 2025. I wrote this page. 😁
  • Concentration and observation are my two major issues. Even as a 300, getting squashed by 200 noobs because of my stupid blunders isn’t amusing!!*😠
  • July 4, 2025. I’ve got the Chess.com 1-year Diamond Membership 💎.
  • I’m currently doing a lot of puzzles and game with Coach thanks to my Chess.com unlimited Diamond Membership.
  • July 11, 2025 3:00 AM. Just finished read Levy Rozman book, then I ordered my second chess book ever, The Soviet Chess Primer by Ilya Maizelis. Finishing one book from cover to cover before ordering another one. Doing so, each new book is a reward for finishing another. It would be very tempting to order a couple of chess books instead of just one. But what’s the point if you never read them?
  • July 14, 2025 1:00 AM. Good news! I have my official Lichess rating of 869. Bad news, I’m only better than 8.1% of rapid chess players. In the meanwhile, I’m rated 293 on chess.com and I’m better than 18.1% of rapid players. Nonetheless, I’m good at puzzles aka tactics: 2124 on chess.com and 1183 on lichess. ChatGPT verdict: I’m a strong tactical player and a weak practical player for now?!
  • July 15, 2025 1:00 AM. My Chess.com Puzzle rating is 2502🎉 (6h18 of training, 914 rated puzzles) and I’m on my way to 3000🎉. Maybe I’ll be the first player ever to have a puzzle rating that’s 10× higher than their actual game rating!
  • July 17, 2025. Super GM status in chess.. puzzles.
  • July 19, 2025 ⁓ 1:00 AM. Ordered two reputed chess puzzle books on Amazon.com. No I haven’t finished, even started, The Soviet Chess Primer. A little bit advanced and certainly seems boring.
  • July 22, 2025 23:34. Finally got my official lichess.org Classical rating after 13 games played. Lichess Classical rating 1122 which is better than 12% (percentile) of classical players. FYI, we all start at 1500 before getting our official rating at least 12 games. Even if I’m comparably stronger on Chess.com with a fn 290-300. My lichess 1122 rating looks way better! 1250 lichess classical is the equivalent of 550 chess.com rapid rating. So there is some hope for interesting ratings in the short term.
  • July 24, 2025 o:45. Ordered A First Book of Morphy by Frisco Del Rosario. A book describing the 30 most important principles of chess with examples took from more than 60 Paul Morphy’s chess games. The kind of book that I will enjoy reading. By the way, I have completed Polgar Bible first 306 puzzles out of 5334 and 166/759 puzzles from the fantastic Everyone’s First Chess Workbook. I really enjoy doing these puzzles and exercices from a physical book with pen and paper. A surprisingly good learning method for me. I love chess books.
  • July 25, 2025. 1 MONTH 🚀 into the Highway to 1700 Elo. My chess.com rapid rating is 313 (+80 in 30 days) in the 20.4% percentile (better than 20.4% of players) after only 82 games there in the last 30 days.
  • August 8, 2025. ⁓  2h00 AM. Tried Freestyle Chess aka Chess960 on Chess.com. I hated it! I was defeated by this asshole Martin bot (250)??!! What a shame!
  • August 8, 2025. Registered to ChessDojo.
  • August 12, 2025. A little over midnight. Chess.com 3000 Puzzles Rating 🎉. I’m now a Super Super GM at Chess Puzzles. Now, all I have to do is to learn how to play properly!!!
  • August 13, 2025. 41.00 CAD 2-year membership fee paid to the CCCA (Canadian Correspondance Chess Association) to get my official ICCF (International Correspondance Chess Federation) number. ICCF is one of the 3 official chess federation with FIDE and FIDE Online Arena. I think ICCF anything goes (engines allowed) is the best way to try Correspondance Chess today.
  • August 13, 2025. Entered the CCCA (ICCF) D83 CHALLENGERS tournament for a 15.00 CAD fee. Pay to play just like FIDE, I guess?. I’m playing my first games already, CCCA tournament very soon. Wout! Wout!
  • August 14, 2025. Modern Chess Analysis by Robin Smith (probably one of the very few book about the ICCF “centaur” correspondance chess) and the always recommended classic Silman’s Complete Endgame Course by Jeremy Silman.
  • August 16, 2025. Bought CorrespondenceChess.club domain name.

 

Expenses on the Highway to 1700 ELO

TOTAL: 395.47 CAD