The Next Bobby Fischer?

Apologies for the substandard image quality - I took this pic on my phone during what's lately become a nightly game of chess between myself and Ben. I didn't have any idea he knew how to play chess at all until I walked in to pick him up from his after school program last week to find him setting up a chess board with another boy. He said his counselor Marcus was teaching him how to play and asked if we could get a chess set. So I got one for him this past weekend and have had to play about a dozen games of chess since then. At first I had to remind him how some of the pieces move, and explain the object of the game, but I was surprised at how quickly he seemed to catch on.

Our games began with me giving him the opportunity to "do over" his turn a lot, but now he usually sees when he's about to put one of his pieces in jeopardy and corrects his move himself. And, I go easy on him and sometimes overlook an opportunity to take one of his pieces. Still, he did win last night - actually got me in checkmate with no help from me. He did however trick me out of my queen, by saying very seriously, "If you put your queen right here, I'll let you take my castle on your next move. I won't take it, I swear. I just want you to move your queen out of the way." Hmmppf. That's the last time I trust a five year old's word on that.