Kevin Lincoln
kevinlincoln.bsky.social
Kevin Lincoln
@kevinlincoln.bsky.social
Writer, filmmaker (latest: BEYOND on MGM+), chess player

I have a newsletter about chess and performance called Good Moves: https://makegoodmoves.substack.com/

I have a website: kevinlincoln.com

I have an idea
I had a blast talking to @drscull.bsky.social for the Chess Journeys podcast about my chess journey so far, how I think about my chess training (and, by extension, everything else), and why I'm writing my Substack podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
Ep. 190 Kevin (1600 USCF)
Podcast Episode · Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement · 03/27/2025 · 1h 7m
podcasts.apple.com
March 28, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Position from my OTB game last night, Black to move. I knew something SHOULD be wrong — White had already moved his knight three times — but I couldn't figure out how to punish him. And yet... there is a way, and it's connected to the other big problem I was aware of, which is that I'm lacking space
February 25, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Wrote about the difference between the very best and the very good — i.e. what makes Magnus, Tom Brady, Stephen Curry et al stand out even among the most elite performers makegoodmoves.substack.com/p/what-separ...
What Separates the Very Best Performers from the Merely Very Good?
And how can this knowledge help us patzers?
makegoodmoves.substack.com
February 24, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Wrote about a crucial part of competitive chess this week: learning to love the pain of losing makegoodmoves.substack.com/p/learn-to-l... #chesspunks
Learn to Love the Pain
On the ecstasy of defeat
makegoodmoves.substack.com
February 3, 2025 at 6:12 PM
For the latest edition of GOOD MOVES, I rued a missed opportunity over the board and wrote about how to know when you should take a risk and when should play it safe open.substack.com/pub/makegood...
When Should You Take a Risk?
Because if you want to win, you'll have to eventually.
open.substack.com
January 27, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Reposted by Kevin Lincoln
If you find the entertainment business to be absolutely crazy-making, know that you are not alone!! Sharing my thoughts on how to avoid being driven mad by The Biz over at Hollyweird. #scriptsky #filmsky open.substack.com/pub/colbyday...
How to Not Go Crazy in Hollywood
Tips and tricks to avoid letting this business drive you insane
open.substack.com
January 24, 2025 at 8:53 PM
When you're terrible at chess but also brilliant
January 21, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Just published this week's GOOD MOVES newsletter, which is about how we should *actually* learn from our mistakes. My approach: telling stories about them, which can be applied not just to chess, but to... pretty much anything you want to improve at! open.substack.com/pub/makegood... #chesspunks
How Should We *Actually* Learn From Our Mistakes?
Never waste a good blunder.
open.substack.com
January 20, 2025 at 6:24 PM
I feel an immense amount of pride in this checkmate
January 17, 2025 at 9:25 PM
The horror, the horrrror #chesspunks
January 14, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Reposted by Kevin Lincoln
K. Lincoln on human connection and hobbies makegoodmoves.substack.com/p/on-chess-c...
On Chess Clubs and Wildfires
Some thoughts from Los Angeles
makegoodmoves.substack.com
January 14, 2025 at 12:57 AM
The church where my chess club meets burned down just hours after we were supposed to play. Considering the tragedy of the Los Angeles fires, I tried to reflect on what my club means to me and why I think organizations like this are essential
#chesspunks makegoodmoves.substack.com/p/on-chess-c...
On Chess Clubs and Wildfires
Some thoughts from Los Angeles
makegoodmoves.substack.com
January 13, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Just crossed 1700 rapid for the first time on chess.com and the game that got me there hinged on a very simple tactical motif that my opponent could've dodged if he'd seen it. Good reminder of just how much tactics matter even as the ratings get higher #chesspunks
January 12, 2025 at 3:35 AM
Happy new year! Allow me to welcome you back with a newsletter about the ONE COOL TRICK that will help you beat your friends at chess, arrived at with the help of the Pareto Principle. makegoodmoves.substack.com/p/how-to-bea...
How to Beat Your Friends at Chess
Putting the Pareto Principle to work. Also: a chess lesson with Ryan Nicodemus!
makegoodmoves.substack.com
January 6, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Reposted by Kevin Lincoln
Thought this was a really fun conversation — even if you don’t care about chess.
This week's newsletter is a conversation with the LEGEND @rwohan.bsky.social about how you should *actually* protect a lead, in chess and every other sport — plus, world chess champions: they're just like us! makegoodmoves.substack.com/p/how-should...
How Should You *Actually* Protect a Lead?
featuring Ryan O'Hanlon of ESPN — plus, thoughts on the World Championship
makegoodmoves.substack.com
December 16, 2024 at 4:36 PM
This week's newsletter is a conversation with the LEGEND @rwohan.bsky.social about how you should *actually* protect a lead, in chess and every other sport — plus, world chess champions: they're just like us! makegoodmoves.substack.com/p/how-should...
How Should You *Actually* Protect a Lead?
featuring Ryan O'Hanlon of ESPN — plus, thoughts on the World Championship
makegoodmoves.substack.com
December 16, 2024 at 3:53 PM
Position from my OTB game last night (White to move) after a mistake by my opponent put me a pawn up. I'm planning to write about it for my newsletter this week, but I'm curious if chess folks would debate what to do here or whether the right response is actually pretty obvious
December 11, 2024 at 4:48 PM
The focus of my newsletter this week: when you don't know what to do, what do you do? In chess or anything else? What other heuristics can we apply to minimize the chance of unforced errors?

makegoodmoves.substack.com/p/what-do-yo...
December 10, 2024 at 6:27 PM
Issue #2 of Good Moves is out! This week, we explore the question of what to do when you don't know what to do, i.e. how the hell should we make decisions. Also, I try not to lose to another child. makegoodmoves.substack.com/p/what-do-yo...
What Do You Do When You Don't Know What to Do?
Or: Will Kevin Lose to Another Child?
makegoodmoves.substack.com
December 9, 2024 at 7:18 PM
Crucial position from last night's OTB game that I'll be writing about in my next newsletter. Did I respond with poise and mastery? Or did I panic and go down in flames?

Flames, right? You're guessing flames. Well, what would YOU have done, if you think it's so darn easy?
December 4, 2024 at 5:47 PM
I have another OTB game tonight, so now's your chance (and, like, all week) to catch up with Good Moves — a newsletter about chess and what we can learn from the things we love to do — before issue #2 arrives! makegoodmoves.substack.com/p/good-moves...
Good Moves: a newsletter
Introducing Good Moves, a newsletter about chess and what it can teach us about performance in all parts of life.
makegoodmoves.substack.com
December 3, 2024 at 7:29 PM
This is what we like to call "snatching defeat from the jaws of victory"
December 3, 2024 at 6:08 PM
Reposted by Kevin Lincoln
My favorite writer just started a newsletter about getting humiliated by 12 year olds at chess. Subscribe!
I started a newsletter about chess and what it can teach us about performance in other parts of our lives. Read about me leaving my wife and four-month-old at home to spend two and a half hours getting destroyed by a 12-year-old and trying to learn something from it here!
Good Moves: a newsletter
Introducing Good Moves, a newsletter about chess and what it can teach us about performance in all areas of life.
makegoodmoves.substack.com
December 2, 2024 at 9:18 PM