check mate!

So. Ben has been teaching our 4-year-old how to play chess. He actually taught her quite awhile ago and she really does like to play. But that was kind of a 'basic version' chess game. In order to win, you just had to capture the King. Easy enough! Especially for the parents. Because if you need to get the game over quickly to get dinner on or something, you just make your king glaringly available!

Yesterday I was watching them play and I realized that now Ben is teaching her a few more advanced tricks. Their conversation:

Him: You need to move your king. How come?
Her: Because he is in check.
Him: That's right. So where can you move your king to?
Her: (pointing to a different space) Right there.
Him: But look. My queen is there, so your king would be in check again. So can you move anywhere?
Her: No.
Him: But is there one of your pieces you could move to block your king from being in check?
Her: (after looking) This one?

Anyway, that is a fairly accurate paraphrase of their conversation. The point isn't just that she is four! (She's just four!) It's that I am convinced he orchestrated the game so that whole teaching moment could happen. I believe I am at a disadvantage. I am obviously married to some sort of genius and have given birth to another one. And who knows, maybe two more besides.

But I don't mind. Chess games will be over quickly now, no matter who I play, and it won't be because I'm the one setting it up!