My Son and the Game of Chess

Okay.

As a 9 year old last summer , I introduced my son to the game of Chess. I am 46 and have been a decent Chess player since my teens. Not great but can usually hold my own Unless I am playing a very advanced player. The first match I showed him the basics and allowable moves for each piece. Had him dead to rites a couple of times but helped him out of every situation son he would learn strategy.

The second game, he had me in check multiple times until I beat him but he had me thinking I was in peril of somehow losing to a 9 year old in his second match ever.

The third time, he won. We have played about 3 times a week since June or about 75 matches. I win now about one out of 10 and sometimes, like today, he slaughters me.

He is now 10 but he is to the point of just toying with me. It's like he is 46 and I am 10. My oldest daughters boyfriend is a pharmacy student at Samford University and was the best player in our HS Chess Club and Valedictorian last year. I asked him to play my son two weekends ago and damned if my son didn't freak him out. He beat my son the first time but it took a long time and my son had him in check many times. I was watching the BF and he was actually sweating and growing anxious as hell. Like "WTF is happening here." The second time they played to a stalemate and shook hands on a tie.

Afterward, he kept expressing to me his disbelief. Kept saying that no kid his age should be that good at Chess. I am not saying he is Bobby Fisher good but I still can't wrap my head around how he picked up and understood the game so rapidly. Again, I am not a great player but I am not even competition for him anymore.