A science? Or mathematics?

Several differences. Art is an expression that comes from the heart and soul, while craft derives from the mind and from experience. Art is more open-ended, while craft is more structured.

There is, of course, considerable overlap. M.C.Escher's graphics works fall into this "overlap" category, and so do the chess games of some masters such as Tal and Reti.

Computers can play Chutes and Ladders if you program them to.

It's a game. Don't overthink it.

Every once in a while I surface from my senile degeneration and say something remarkably coherent.

 The OP has revised the topic thread to - "Does chess involve more mathematical thinking or scientific thinking?"

This is an entirely different subject matter than asking is chess science or is chess mathematics. The thinking process by chess players has been described in several ways, math/science thinking not being one of them. This topic is rather mundane and subjective, not interesting imo. - simply because there are a hundred different answers for every hundred players. I was interested in defining what chess "Is." A hobby. Too many people enter playing chess with misconceptions. When realization sinks in regarding what chess is not, (things they hoped it was) they quickly lose interest. I feel if they were better informed, looked objectively at the game, the "spirit" and sportsmanship that chess represents, they just might take part for a longer period. The original question asked is chess math or science. Imo, clearly it is neither. This appears to be an attempt to elevate chess to a higher status, a mistake that when realized (such as the typical -chess is a measure of intelligence-) soon ends with people quitting all together.  

I'll ask the OP who says he/she has been playing but for a few weeks. Why did you start playing, and what are your expectations ? I sincerely hope, that you find the game fun to play is part of the answer and not that you think by winning chess games you will have proven something to the rest of us. Maybe, proving something to yourself is part of it, but that comes much later.

M.C.Escher.

As it was told once: Life is chess, and chess is life. Computers or even most advanced AI couldn't understand chess because life is multidimensional illusion

You should already be "afraid."

And chess engines will take some credit as AI developes itself into AGI (artificial general intelligence), soon followed by ASI (artificial super intelligence.) This is where AGI will have learned to program itself. There is no way of knowing if this ASI will be a benevolent "God" and take kindly to us humans, or find us irrelevant. Programmers see this as being but 10 years away, some think but 5, while others claim it is already here. Doubt this ? Google is spending Billions, in programming present AI with the hope that the inevitable ASI will take kindly to you and I.

@Titled_Patzer - if we believe in science of evolution... the ASI (Artificial Super Intelligence) will kill all human beings on planet Earth, like it happened on planet Kaylon according to "The Orville Prophecy"

Just in time for the endgame.

It is inevitable that AGI will no longer need humans for programming. Leela  and Lc0 chess engines are good examples. Simply by having the rules of the game programmed, these self learning programs are rapidly surpassing all previous efforts at achieving AI. It is indeed scary if ASI is left to it's own devices and allowed to develop unchecked. It won't be simply a matter of "unplugging" the monster, as it will have already taken control of the web, smart phones and super-computers. The question becomes, can we "control" how this monster views us humans with programming before it realizes it no longer needs us.

The problem is possibly out of any controls, as the rewards are too great. Too many enterprises, foreign counties, reckless developers, all  want the vast monetary rewards and have no concerns of the consequences of AI > AGI > ASI. 

I like to think of chess as a mental game of tug o war. If math or science can help with the tugging...so be it. 

Resistance is futile! Just stock up a liquor cabinet and hope for the best.

"AI is a fundamental risk to the existence of human civilization."

"I have exposure to the most cutting edge AI, and I think people should be really concerned by it," Musk said at the National Governors Association. "AI is a fundamental risk to the existence of human civilization in a way that car accidents, airplane crashes, faulty drugs or bad food were not — they were harmful to a set of individuals within society, of course, but they were not harmful to society as a whole." 

According to Musk, an essential part of the solution is proactive and immediate regulatory oversight. "AI is a rare case where I think we need to be proactive in regulation than be reactive," he says. Musk has also co-founded nonprofit Open AI to help.  - Elon Musk

@Titled_Patzer - are you time traveller?