Short answer
Chess is generally considered the harder game to learn and the more complex game overall. Checkers (called draughts in much of the world) can be learned in minutes, while chess has more piece types and special rules. That said, “harder” can mean different things, and checkers is not simple at a high level of play.
Learning the rules
Checkers has one kind of piece. Men move diagonally forward, capture by jumping, and become kings when they reach the far side. Captures are compulsory in standard checkers, which keeps the rules compact. Most people can start playing after a short explanation.
Chess has six kinds of piece, each with its own movement, along with several special rules:
- Castling, which moves the king and rook together
- En passant, a special pawn capture
- Pawn promotion, where a pawn can become another piece
- Check and checkmate, where the king cannot simply be captured
If you want to see how many ideas a beginner has to absorb, our article on what the chess pieces represent is a gentle way in. For learning speed, checkers wins clearly.
How many pieces are in checkers?
In standard American or English checkers on an 8x8 board, each player starts with 12 pieces, so there are 24 on the board. In chess, each player starts with 16 pieces, 32 in total. International draughts, played on a 10x10 board, uses 20 pieces per side. Fewer pieces and fewer piece types are a big reason checkers is simpler.
Game complexity
Researchers compare games by the number of possible positions or possible games. Chess is vastly larger. A commonly quoted rough estimate for the number of possible chess games is around 10 to the power of 120, often called the Shannon number. For standard checkers, the number of possible board positions is usually estimated at around 5 times 10 to the power of 20. The exact figures are estimates, but the gap is enormous.
Higher complexity does not automatically make a game more fun, only harder to fully understand.
Checkers is solved, chess is not
In 2007, a research team led by Jonathan Schaeffer announced that standard 8x8 checkers was solved: with perfect play from both sides, the game ends in a draw. Their program was called Chinook. Chess has not been solved, and given its size it is not expected to be soon.
This has a practical consequence for human play. At the top level of checkers, players study a huge amount of theory, and one slip can cost the game. Chess leaves more room for creative play and for recovering from mistakes, although at higher ratings errors are punished too. For more about rating levels in chess, read our chess ratings explained guide.
Depth at the top
Because captures are forced in checkers, strong players often calculate long forcing sequences. Some writers say top checkers players look deeper than chess players, while others disagree. These comparisons are hard to test, and numbers such as “35 moves ahead” are folklore more than measurement. It is safe to say that expert checkers demands precise calculation and memorized opening knowledge, just as expert chess does.
Can computers beat humans at chess?
Yes. In 1997, IBM’s Deep Blue defeated world champion Garry Kasparov in a match, and modern engines are now far stronger than any human player. Engines are rated far above the best human ratings. Computers have also beaten top humans at checkers: Chinook won the right to play for the world championship in the early 1990s and later dominated human players.
What about the claims people attribute to famous people?
You will find quotes online attributed to well-known figures about chess being simple or difficult. Unless a quote can be traced to a primary source, it is better not to rely on it, and this article does not repeat any.
Which should you play?
- Pick checkers if you want a quick-to-learn game that can be played within minutes of first picking it up.
- Pick chess if you want a game with more variety, a long history of study, and a wide rating ladder to climb.
Many players enjoy both. If you move toward competitive chess, a rating is how progress is tracked. Our guide to chess ratings explains how that works.