Are there any famous father + son chess players? You would think they would be common, like how being a doctor/lawyer/other runs in the family. I know there are the Polgar sisters, but their father wasn't a very good player himself.

The child would have access to all of their father's material: books, games etc., the father would know the best way to train/practice the child in chess. They could learn the rules from a very young age. The child should have similar genes as the father, especially for the big amount of GMs who've married WGMs.

Could it be that parents who are chess-players would never actively encourage their children to take chess up seriously, because they secretly consider it as just a silly waste of time and an addiction?  

I guess the Kamnkys as Gatas dad was crazy lol, threathen to kill Short one time

There's the German IM/WGM Elisabeth Pähtz, whose father Thomas Pähtz is likewise a grandmaster.

Genes only go so far; it's likely that children of very good chess players also possess the potential to become strong players in their own right, but nothing says they will also want to play chess as much as their respective parents. Being a strong player does not equate being a good teacher, or for that matter a good parent. And to rise to the top, you have to have the drive and the passion to make chess a big part of your life, as well as the full support of understanding parents.

It could be that there are parents out there who, having learnt chess, consider it a potential addiction they should protect their children from. I don't think that players good enough to make a living from chess are likely to think that way, though.

A person cannot later freeload off his/her kids if they are chessplayers, statistically speaking. 

True, Kasparov has had three children with three different wives now! That's not a good role model. Maybe before running for President of Russia again he should go on the Jerry Springer Show to try and sort his issues out...  

Good point.

I'd love to see a father vs son match for WC. 

Milan Vidmar Sr. and IM Milan Vidmar Jr.  Father and son shared second place in the Yugoslavian championship at Ljubljana 1946.

Maybe the gene is only passed down to daughters.

Walter and Joe Shipman.

Vasilly Osipovich Smyslov beat Alekhine in a game in the St. Petersburg tournament 1912, and his son Vasilly Vasillyevich Smyslov went on to become world champion.

IM Mikhail Yudovich Sr.'s son Mikhail Jr. was an active player in tournaments around Moscow.

 You may be on to something.

British FM John Littlewood's son is IM Paul Littlewood.

Yes, I regret this title, it was silly. It somehow seemed better at the time. Only about 5% of chessplayers are female, so I figured it would a lot less likely.

Thanks for the replies and information. 

Emmanuel and Edward Lasker comes to mind.

Edward says he found out only late in life that the two of them were distantly related.  Emanuel's great great grandfather Samuel Lasker was Edward's great great great great great grandfather, which I guess would make them fifth cousins once removed.

In Italy ( not famous in the world , perhaps ) Giuseppe Primavera father and Roberto Primavera ( son ) from Roma.

two good player for Italy standard of play  

 in several years played together in Italian chss championship and also in Italia chess team ( clare Benedict Cup 73 )

i think that in www.chessgames. com there are games of Primavera father and son

. Also the strongest Italian female player  all over the time ( second place in a world championship) , Clarice Benini , was son of a father chessplayer .