A portrait of young Capablanca playing his father.
Legend has it that one time young Capablanca ( who was 4 years old at the
time) was watching his father and a friend playing a friendly game of chess
against one another. At one point in the match, his father's friend makes
a move and young Capablanca begins to laugh just as his father's friend completes
the move. They each asked him why he was laughing so hard and he tells that
the reason that he is laughing so hard is because his dad's friend had made
an illegal move and young Capablanca went out to point out the reason why
it was an illegal move.
The big issue is not the fact the young Capablanca pointed out the illegal move in the game but the fact the Capablanca was able to point it out despite the fact that neither his father nor his father's friend had ever taught him how to play chess. He had figured out the rules of chess merely by just by watching them play each other.
Already at the young age of 4 years old, his chess genius was just beginning to manifest itself.
The big issue is not the fact the young Capablanca pointed out the illegal move in the game but the fact the Capablanca was able to point it out despite the fact that neither his father nor his father's friend had ever taught him how to play chess. He had figured out the rules of chess merely by just by watching them play each other.
Already at the young age of 4 years old, his chess genius was just beginning to manifest itself.
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