Chess vs. Checkers – A Strategic Showdown

As far as classic board games go, two of them stand out amongst the rest – Chess and Checkers. Both are intense strategy games that use an 8x8 board made of black and white squares. However, most of the similarities end there. 

The Differences between Chess vs. Checkers

In this article, we will go over the differences between Chess vs. Checkers, as well as talk about the background of both games. Whether you are a Chess grandmaster or a Checkers novice, there is likely something for you to learn in this blog. Read on to learn more about both board games and their interesting qualities. From the strategies to the history of the two giants of board games, we'll get into it all. 

Chess – A Game of Kings and Queens

Chess is probably known as one of the most complicated games in the world. It is not so much that learning the rules is difficult, but there is just a lot of room for variation when playing Chess. There are six different pieces on the board – the Pawn, Rook, Knight, Bishop, King, and Queen. Each piece can move differently and has its own advantages and disadvantages. This large variety of pieces means that there are tons of different strategies that can be employed in order to win the game by getting a Checkmate.

There are 32 pieces on the Chessboard, 16 pieces for each player. This is one of the main differences between Chess vs. Checkers. In Checkers, there are 12 pieces on each side, meaning that there are 24 pieces in total. Fewer pieces and less variety from piece to piece means that Checkers is easier to learn and prepare for.

Checkers – Simplicity At Its Finest

Checkers may be a simpler game than Chess, but it certainly has its own quirks and challenges to it. While in Chess players must trap the King and put him in checkmate, Checkers is all about total domination. The player who ends up taking out every single one of the opponent's pieces first wins.

Every piece in Checkers can only move diagonally and must hop over the opponent’s pieces in order to capture them. This is a big difference between Chess vs. Checkers. In Chess, players are trying to capture pieces by invading the other player's squares.

Eventually in Checkers, players will get one of their pieces to the end and be able to turn the piece into a King. Unlike Chess, this King is extremely aggressive and is an offensive asset. Kings are the only pieces that can move both forward and backward, meaning that they can come behind pieces and flank them. 

Conquering the Board

One similarity to note when it comes to Chess vs. Checkers is that both games are based on dominating the board. While it may seem like the edges are advantageous, especially for Checkers, players should generally try and get their pieces into the middle where they can have central control of the board. This is because pieces can attack more spaces when they are in the center and strengthen their army even more, whether it comes to Chess or Checkers.

History of Chess vs. Checkers

While there are a few similarities between Chess and Checkers, such as the board and a few strategies, the history of Chess vs. Checkers is incredibly different. While it is hard to confirm how old Checkers is, many historians believe that at least some version of it was invented around 3000 BC. To learn more about this, check out our Coolmath Games blog on the history of Checkers.

Chess started much later, originating around 1500 years ago. It has seen a lot of change since its inception, most notably adding the Queen to the game in order to make things more interesting a few hundred years ago. While Chess is newer to the world than Checkers, it has still had a huge impact worldwide, especially once it made its way to the Western World. Today, giant Chess tournaments are held in all corners of the world. To learn more about the history of Chess, check out our blog all about it.

Is Checkers Easier Than Chess?

The common consensus is that Checkers is easier than Chess. This is because there is only one type of piece on a Checkerboard, so there is a lot less variation that goes into the gameplay. Along with this, each player only has 12 checkers to move around on each side, whereas there are 16 pieces used by each opponent in Chess.

Resources to Learn More

If you are looking for resources on more about Chess vs. Checkers, there is plenty for you to learn here at Coolmath Games. Looking to get better at Chess? Check out our blogs on how to play Chess, as well as Chess strategies.

Checkers has the same resources, with an entire how-to guide on Checkers for beginners, as well as a Checkers strategy blog. All of these resources are great for beginners who are interested in learning more about these infamous games.