Chapter 0: But why a chess coach?

I anticipate that some will be surprised at my latest business idea of becoming a chess coach. They may wonder where this idea came from. You see, I am a Full Sail University student who will no doubt be in debt for the rest of my life. As it stands, I have over $19,000 in debt, and by the time I graduate with my degree in “Game Business and Esports Science”, I imagine it will be far worse.

Many people have told me to start a business. I have never been without ideas on how to build a business.

Never mind that I published 3 video games: Chaste Tris, Chaste Puyo, and Chaste Panel.

Never mind that I published a series of books (which no one reads) called “Chandler’s Honesty,” which documents much of my life as I have conversations with a unicorn.

And never mind the fact that I have no money or time to start a business like most people do. I never succeeded in conventional ways in society, and I did not get my first job till I was 25(and not for lack of trying either).

I am finally in a good place right now because in 2023, I got hired by Walmart as an overnight stocker, and at least people respect me even though they all know I am transgender. Working full-time and doing online school doesn’t leave me with much time, but I never stop thinking about chess and how to improve.

If nothing else, documenting what I have learned about chess will help me with more games and improve my Elo ratings online. That’s good enough for me. But if other people respond to what I say and want to VOLUNTARILY donate to me to support me as a chess coach and author, then I thank them.

My business model is the same as that of lichess.org. That site runs entirely on volunteers and donations. One promise I make is that if people follow me and donate to my Twitch stream or buy my books, I will be donating to keep the site alive because it really is the best place to play chess online.

Lichess.org is the best because it is free and has plenty of resources for new and experienced players, but also because being a Streamer on lichess.org does not require exclusivity. Chess.com is a great site, but many features are locked behind a paywall, and their Streamer policy requires certain things I could never agree to. So, I decided to promote lichess.org as the greatest site to play chess, as shown in the examples in my chapters that explain opening knowledge.

There will be more chapters after this post devoted to specific openings. For now, enjoy my YouTube playlist where I try to teach some specific things through the lichess analysis board and playing actual live games with people on the internet.