As someone who’s dabbled in both Sudoku and Chess, I’ve often wondered – which one is more challenging? On the one hand, Sudoku presents a logical challenge with its grid of numbers, but on the other hand, Chess requires a deep understanding of strategy and the ability to think multiple moves ahead. It’s a tough call, but I want to dive deeper and explore the difficulty level of both games.
Generally speaking, Sudoku is considered more accessible for beginners, while Chess is considered more challenging and requires more time to master. While both are both challenging games, their level of difficulty varies. Sudoku is a logic-based number puzzle game, while Chess is a strategy game. While Sudoku does require logical thinking, Chess requires deep understanding and the ability to think multiple moves ahead.
This post will discuss the differences between Sudoku and Chess. Which is harder? What precisely is harder? Does Sudoku make you better at Chess? Let’s discuss them down below.
Is Sudoku harder than Chess?
Generally speaking, Chess is harder than Sudoku. In Sudoku, you only have to predict the numbers and fill out blank spaces with numbers 1-9.
Some Sudoku puzzles meant for children would only require numbers 1-4.
While there are wide varieties of Sudoku puzzles, it is simpler than Chess.
But I’m getting ahead of myself; let’s briefly discuss both games.
Sudoku and Chess are both popular games that challenge players in different ways.
Sudoku is a logic-based number puzzle game where players must fill a grid with numbers so that each row, column, and region contains all numbers from 1 to 9.
The difficulty of a Sudoku puzzle is determined by the number of pre-filled squares, with puzzles that have fewer pre-filled squares considered more difficult.
Chess, on the other hand, is a strategy game where players move pieces on a board to capture the opponent’s King.
The difficulty of a chess game depends on various factors, including the skill level of the players, the specific openings and strategies used, and the time control of the game.
In general, Sudoku is considered easier for beginners, as it does not require a deep understanding of strategy or the ability to think multiple moves ahead.
Chess, on the other hand, is considered to be more challenging and requires a more significant investment of time and effort to master.
Here is a table summarizing the differences between Sudoku and Chess.
| Sudoku | Chess | |
| Type of Game | Number Puzzle Game | Strategy Game |
| Difficulty | Easier | Harder |
| Skills to Learn | Logic, Numbers | Strategy, Predicting Opponents, Logic |
| Players | Can be played alone or with friends | 2-player game |
Perhaps, the reason why Chess is harder than Sudoku is that the game ultimately depends on your opponent.
In Chess, you might face people at varying skill levels. Having a match with a casual chess player differs from playing with a grandmaster.
The endless amount of strategies people use makes it harder, as one of the hardest skills in Chess is learning how to predict your opponent’s moves.
The problem here is that everyone has their play style. Thus, it is nearly impossible to predict every move your opponent makes.
Furthermore, practicing Chess can’t be done alone, as the game requires you to play with someone.
The problem is that if you keep playing with casual players, you won’t reach the professional levels.
This is the same with competitive online games where you will hear someone saying they’ve spent thousands of hours on a game, but they are nowhere considered to be really good.
But the multiplayer aspect isn’t the only thing that makes Chess harder. Its concepts are also more complex than Sudoku.
For starters, every chess piece moves differently. So, for example, here are the moves you need to note for each chess piece.
- The King can move one square in any direction (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally).
- The Queen can move any number of squares in any direction (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally).
- The Rook can move any number of squares horizontally or vertically.
- The Bishop can move any number of squares diagonally.
- The Knight moves in an L-shape, with two squares in one direction (horizontally or vertically) and then one square in a perpendicular direction. Knights are the only chess pieces that can “jump” over other parts.
- The Pawn can move one square forward but captures diagonally. On its first move, a pawn can move two squares forward.
See that list? You also have to think of strategies on how to synergize their moves to win.
Compare that with Sudoku, wherein you only need to fill up a piece of paper with numbers 1-9.
With these in mind, does this mean that if you’re better at Chess, you’re already good at Sudoku or vice versa? Sadly no. Let’s discuss that next.
Recommended Read: As you can see, Sudoku is much easier than Chess. But does that mean that Sudoku is for everyone? Let’s find that out here: Is Sudoku for Everyone?
Does Sudoku make you better at Chess?
Sudoku and Chess are both challenging games requiring different types of thinking, so it is unlikely that solving Sudoku puzzles would make someone better at Chess.
However, both games do require a different set of logical and strategic thinking, so regularly solving Sudoku puzzles could help improve these skills.
So what does this mean?
To keep it simple, the knowledge you need to get better at Sudoku is different than Chess.
For example, Chess makes you better at analyzing your opponent’s next moves. It makes you plan. However, these techniques are not as useful in Sudoku.
On the other hand, Sudoku is about arranging numbers that fit the other squares. Ordering the numbers that coincide with other rows, boxes, and columns isn’t particularly useful in Chess.
As you can see, they are both complex in their own way. So getting better at Chess means playing Chess, and the same goes for Sudoku.
Thus, it’s important to note that while Chess requires a much more complex strategy and thinking than Sudoku and requires more time to master, it doesn’t mean mastering Chess makes you better at Sudoku or vice versa.
Both games need different skill sets to master, which can only be strengthened if one plays the game.
