It was an interesting concept for an interesting guy.
The 40-pull ups in a month bit drew my attention (would be really hard if done correctly), but then I saw that he didn't do even 1 real pull up and set rules so that he didn't have to.
I only counted 1 pull-up.
Pull-ups are named "dominated" here, and for one good reason.
"I wanted an excuse to concentrate specifically on my back (the weakest part of my body)"
proceeds to use a range of motion on pullups that only hits biceps.
Now here's how you solve a Rubik's Cube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_gHa2x2OQA
Or this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5x8jgGX3iNM
Goose bumps!
In my view, Max beating Magnus in a month would be the equivalent to solving three Rubik's cubes while juggling... in 4.59 seconds. It's just not done, why even pretend like it's possible is beyond me, someone in WSJ is smoking old socks.
My very first game of tournament chess I beat an expert. I had the Black side of the Ruy Lopez.
ponz is an ex-US correspondence chess champion, so that's not the most accurate description. 
Just goes to show, how anyone can be great at chess for 11 moves. But when the game really starts (after the opening) the men get seperated from the boys.
This patzer didn't survive the opening.
Some people are saying that this guy is just a "con artist"...
I don't think he is a con artist. I was very impressed with the other 11 skills he developed.
I see that some of the Navy Seals here have criticized his pullups but I doubt if 1 in 1000 here can do any better.
You can criticize his perfect pitch, etc. I think he did a very creditable job in all of them.
However, that said, he was naive about how much time it would take him to develop a chess-playing algorithm. The whole approach of trying to learn to think like a computer seems ludicrous.
His algorithm wasn't done. He had to rely on his casually developed chess skills, which were modest. I think he was brave to show up.
Oh? What's his chess.com handle?
Now his blitz rating is 960...
Oh? What's his chess.com handle?
Just noticed--he started himself off at an 1800 rating LOL
Oh? What's his chess.com handle?
Thanks, that was too obvious.
This guy didn't even play 200 games, and yet thought he could beat Magnus?
And Magnus gave him a game???
His bullet rating is the funniest part...
It's kinda funny how he puts "Continuously freestyle rap for 3 minutes" on par with "Defeat world-champion Magnus Carlsen at a game of chess". That's like a DIYer saying "This year, I'm going to build a go-kart, a crossbow, and a spaceship that will go to Mars."
He didn't start out thinking he would beat Magnus. His goal was to beat the Play Magnus app. The Wall Street Journal reporter came up with the idea of playing the real Magnus.
His 3rd game that week more like!