Neither... Chess is not a game of skill. Nor is it a game of chance. <i>Chess is a game of memorization</i>-- Memorize all the opening books, all solved end-games, and every famous historical game ever played, and you too can be a great chess player!<p>David Sirlin has a chess variant called "Chess 2: The Sequel" that uses a three-pronged solution to chess's problem of over-reliance on memorization:<p>(1) Pick 1-of-6 opening armies: This deals with the problem of memorized opening books.<p>(2) Mid-line invasion: You win if your King crosses the mid-line of the board. This new victory condition deals with the problem of memorized end-games.<p>(3) Dueling: Instead of simply capturing a piece, players use a double-blind bidding mechanic with a scarce resource called "stones" to decide the victor. This makes a good memory even less advantageous.<p>Sirlin's website is here: <a href="http://www.sirlingames.com/products/chess-2-print-and-play" rel="nofollow">http://www.sirlingames.com/products/chess-2-print-and-play</a>