This is Lincoln's story, as told by me, his mom.

In the summer of 2020, Lincoln's grandfather gave him a chess set. Lincoln was five years old.

For the next five years, the chessboard and pieces mostly sat on a shelf. Lincoln knew a little about the game and how some of the pieces moved, but his real passion was Minecraft.

As Lincoln got older, we kept looking for an activity he truly enjoyed. We tried soccer and basketball, but he told us he preferred something where he could be responsible for his own performance rather than impact the entire team.

In September 2025, as he started fifth grade, his school announced a once-a-week after-school chess club. I signed him up, not expecting much, but glad he would have an activity to do after school.

After just three chess club meetings, the instructor reached out. He told us how enthusiastic Lincoln was, how willing he was to work through challenging puzzles, and how well he handled losing. Then he asked if we'd considered entering him in tournaments.

Lincoln was willing to give it a try, so we signed him up.

In October 2025, Lincoln held his own in his first local tournament. Wanting more experience, we entered him in the Daniel Perelman Memorial Tournament in Brookfield.

Before the tournament began, Lincoln couldn't stop looking at the trophies. He told us he wanted to bring one home.

Disappointingly, he missed earning one by a single point.

He was crushed, and my heart broke for him.

On the quiet drive home, I wondered if this would be the end of chess and started thinking about what he might try next.

Instead, somewhat surprisingly, that loss became a turning point.

Almost overnight, our kitchen table became a permanent chessboard. Lincoln studied openings after school, played online nearly every day, and his dad became his regular opponent. He had two goals: beat Dad and win his first trophy.

Within two months, he had done both.

It was the first time he experienced what consistent effort could accomplish.

Since then, Lincoln has gone on to win multiple trophies, compete at the Wisconsin State Championship and the U.S. Chess Federation National Championships, and continue climbing the rating ladder.

But while Lincoln sometimes measures his success by the trophies on the shelf, I measure it differently.

The greatest thing chess has given Lincoln is confidence.

Confidence to sit across from someone he's never met. Confidence to make a mistake and keep playing. Confidence to lose, learn, and come back stronger.

After every tournament, Lincoln reviews his games to understand what he missed and what he can do better next time. In his own words, losing isn't a measure of his worth. It's an opportunity to learn and improve.

Today, Lincoln's goal is to earn a U.S. Chess Federation rating of 2000. He knows it won't happen overnight. Reaching that level takes years of work—one game, one lesson, and one move at a time.

If you’d like to help Lincoln continue competing and learning, we’d be grateful for your support.