Big questions
Is checkers easier than chess?
Easier to learn, yes. Easier to play well, no. Here’s how the two games really compare, from the rules to the number of positions to what makes each one hard.
Short answer
Checkers is easier to learn than chess, but not easier to master. It has one kind of piece and one way to move, so you can learn it in five minutes. But because jumps are forced, one careless move can lose the game, and the endings take exact technique. Chess is a far bigger game, with around 10²⁴ times as many positions, but both take a lifetime to play really well.
Checkers and chess side by side
| Checkers | Chess | |
|---|---|---|
| Board | 8×8, dark squares only | 8×8, all 64 squares |
| Pieces each | 12, all the same | 16, of six kinds |
| How pieces move | One square diagonally. Men go forward only; kings go both ways | A different move for each kind of piece, plus castling, en passant and promotion |
| Taking pieces | Jump over them. Compulsory | Land on them. Your choice |
| How you win | Your opponent can’t move | Checkmate |
| Positions | About 5×10²⁰ | About 4.8×10⁴⁴ |
| Solved? | Yes: a draw (2007) | No |
Why checkers is easier to learn
Everything in checkers follows from a few rules: move one square diagonally, jump to take, and if you can jump, you must. There’s nothing like castling or en passant to remember, and every piece starts out the same. Most people can play a proper game within five minutes of seeing the board, which is why so many of us learn checkers before chess. Here are all the rules.
Why checkers is harder than it looks
Forced jumps make traps
In chess you can turn down a capture. In checkers you can’t, and that changes everything. A strong player gives up a man on purpose, knowing you have to take it, and your forced jump puts your pieces where they can be jumped twice. It’s called a shot, and checkers is full of them. Try one:
Every man counts
With only 12 pieces each and no piece worth more than another, there’s little room for error. Between good players, one extra man is often enough to win.
The endings take exact technique
Plenty of checkers endings are won or drawn by a single tempo, so the side that knows the technique wins and the side that doesn’t only draws. Classic endings like First Position take many exact moves to win, and strong players learn them by heart. Checky’s endgame track has a whole course on it.
At the top it’s nearly always a draw
Masters draw so often that, since the 1930s, America’s main tournaments have chosen the first three moves at random to force them into different positions. And checkers is proven to be a draw with perfect play. Here’s what that means.
Where chess is harder
- More to learn. Six kinds of piece, special moves, and a huge body of opening theory.
- A far bigger game. Around 10²⁴ times as many positions as checkers. Chess hasn’t been solved, and isn’t expected to be any time soon.
- More kinds of plans. Pieces that move in different ways make chess positions more varied, so there’s more to understand as well as more to calculate.
How hard is it? Try a real one
This puzzle comes from a game between Tonar and McMillan in Carlisle in 1861. On Checky it’s rated 1000, so it’s far from the hardest.
Which should you play?
Both, if you like. Checkers gets you playing real games sooner, and its tactics are easy to see but hard to set up. If you already play chess, checkers is good practice at calculating: because jumps are forced, you can often work out a whole sequence of moves exactly.
If you want to see how far you can get, Checky has 40 bots from beginner to master, 117 lessons and over 3,700 puzzles. Play your first game.
Questions people ask
Is checkers easier than chess?
It’s easier to learn, because it has one kind of piece and a few simple rules. It isn’t easier to master: forced jumps make it a game of traps, and its endings take exact technique.
Is checkers a game of skill or luck?
Pure skill. There are no dice and nothing hidden: both players see the whole board, and the better player usually wins.
Is checkers just for kids?
No. Lots of people learn it as children, but it has world champions, and it’s deep enough that computers needed 18 years to solve it.
Which has more positions, checkers or chess?
Chess, by far. Checkers has about 5×10²⁰ positions, and chess about 4.8×10⁴⁴, around 10²⁴ times as many.
How long does it take to learn checkers?
About five minutes for the rules. Playing well takes much longer, and strong players keep learning for life.
Is checkers solved?
Yes. In 2007 it was proved that perfect play from both sides leads to a draw. Chess isn’t solved.
