The dad is such a dick.
And so is the instructor.
The only decent adults in Josh's life are his mother and that dude who plays speed chess in the park.
Why can't Josh's dad and chess thing teacher be nice like them?
Have you ever excelled at anything?! You need to put a lot of work and time and emotion to be one of the greatest. The problem with the father and the chess teacher is that they made Josh play for their satisfaction and not for his own pleasure. And keep in mind that Josh's dad was not that hard on him like the other parents. He took Josh for a two weeks fishing vacation and he did let him play chess in the park again. And Bruce's teachings did help Josh win the last match.
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The two-week fishing break was after the dad realized he'd been pushing Josh too hard
He'd learned by then he was being a dick
As for whether chess is for the kind-hearted, check out Anna Cramling's YouTube vids ... clearly a kind-hearted person who doesn't mind playing her best or losing cheerfully against a better player
The father was a great guy trying to do the right thing for Josh. It is not easy to be the father (or mother) of a prodigy.
He sure told off that annoying teacher who was belittling chess. He was a hero. Not a dick.
"... clearly a kind-hearted person who doesn't mind playing her best or losing cheerfully against a better player"
Ha ha, you probably know a lot about "losing cheerfully". You're a dick. Or a troll.