Chess vs Checkers: The Differences, and Which One to Play

Chess and checkers are played on the same kind of board and both have you capture the other player's pieces, so people mix them up. They are different games. Chess has six kinds of piece that all move differently. Checkers has one kind of piece that moves one way, and a second kind (the king) that you earn. This page puts the two side by side, then helps you pick one for tonight.

Chess vs checkers at a glance

	Chess	Checkers (draughts)
Board	8 by 8, all 64 squares used	8 by 8, only the 32 dark squares used
Pieces per player	16	12
Kinds of piece	6: king, queen, rook, bishop, knight, pawn	2: men and kings
Who moves first	White	The dark side (Black or Red, depending on the set)
How pieces move	Each kind has its own move	Diagonally, one square at a time
How you capture	Move onto the enemy piece's square	Jump over it diagonally
Must you capture?	No	Yes, if a jump is available
How you win	Checkmate the king	Capture all pieces or block every move
Special rules	Castling, en passant, promotion	Crowning a king, multiple jumps

The checkers column follows English draughts, the version Americans call checkers.

The pieces

In chess each player starts with a king, a queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and eight pawns. The rook moves in straight lines along rows and columns. The bishop moves diagonally. The queen does both. The knight jumps in an L shape and is the only piece that can leap over others. The king moves one square in any direction. Pawns step forward one square (two on their first move) and capture diagonally.

In checkers every piece starts as a plain man, placed on the dark squares of your three nearest rows. A man moves one square diagonally forward. When it reaches the far row, it is crowned and becomes a king, which can move and jump in any diagonal direction, backward as well as forward.

If you want to learn the moves one piece at a time, checkers is faster to pick up. If a game with a bigger toolbox sounds better, that is chess.

How a turn feels

Chess is about threats and defence. You are always asking what your opponent's pieces can reach, and whether your king is safe. Many moves set up something that only pays off a few turns later.

Checkers is about forced exchanges. Because capturing is mandatory, you can often steer your opponent into a jump you want them to make, then take two pieces back. Before each move you look at what it forces your opponent to do.

Which is easier to learn?

Checkers. The rule list is short: move diagonally, jump to capture, jump again if you can, get a man to the far row to make a king. Most people can play a first game after a five minute explanation. Our guide to how to play checkers fits the whole thing on one page.

Chess needs more time before the first game feels like chess. You have to remember six moves, plus castling, en passant and promotion, and what check and checkmate mean. How to play chess for beginners walks through it in order, and chess openings for beginners gives you a plan for the first ten moves.

Which takes longer?

It depends on the players. Chess usually asks for more thinking per move, because there are more pieces and more ways to move them. Checkers has one kind of move to check, so turns tend to come faster. Some online chess games also let you set a time limit if you want a quick match.

Which is better for two players on one screen?

Both work. Pick based on who is playing:

• A beginner and an experienced player: checkers. The rules are short enough that the newcomer can compete from the first game.
• Two people who already know chess: chess, with its highlighted legal moves if you need a refresher.
• Mixed ages: checkers, because younger players can follow the diagonal moves.
• You cannot decide: play both. Mind Games for 2 Player has chess, checkers and six other board games on one page, with a Spin button that chooses for you.

Free chess and checkers to play now

Chess

• Master Chess Multiplayer: press the screen icon, then choose player vs player or player vs computer. The computer has three difficulty levels, and the board shows where each piece can go.

Checkers

• Master Checkers: the Italian version of checkers, which you can play against the computer, a friend on the same device, or opponents online.
• Master Checkers Multiplayer: multiplayer, computer and same-device modes.
• Classic Checkers: Forest: a forest-themed board that follows classic checkers rules, with a 2 player mode.

Both

• Mind Games for 2 Player: chess, checkers, Tic Tac Toe, Ludo, Connect 4, Snakes and Ladders, Mancala and a set of math games, played by two people taking turns.

Master Checkers uses the Italian rules, which differ from the American ones in some details, so read the in-game rules first. For tips once you know the rules, read checkers strategy.