On one side we have Magic The Gathering (MTG), which is the tabletop game that forged the concept of "strategy based on trading cards" and is considered by many to be the best game of its genre. The more than 20.000 unique cards in MTG can be combined to create an almost infinite amount of different strategies and a unique experience in each new match that is played.
Then we have Chess, which is without a doubt the most known abstract strategy game in the world and is also recognized as an official sport by the International Olympic Committee. Although it doesn't involve producing 'mana' to cast spells, the pieces that are used in each match always start the same, and the rules are relatively simple to learn, Chess offers such a grade of tactical complexity that one could study different strategies and moves in the game for a lifetime and still find a fresh and surprising experience in every match. Both games are a lot of fun, and both have the potential of being studied in great depth in order to forge strategies and tactics to develop greater skills.
Usually the argument arises: is X game better than game Y? At the very end, even if you are comparing games of the same genre (e.g. MTG vs Yu-Gi-Oh), which game is truly the best is something that depends entirely on you and which game you find more attractive, fun and fulfilling overall. If you like to play casually both MTG and Chess, that's cool. However, if you decide that you'd like to be more than just a casual player and you want to dedicate more time studying and playing one game in particular, then I recommend you have in mind the following aspects:
First, in MTG you need to constantly spend money on cards. After you buy your first set of cards (an intro deck, a fat pack, etc.) and start playing and learning about the game, you will want to create custom decks that would follow strategies developed by you, which is something that requires that you get more cards by trading some of yours and buying more. Once you have researched exactly which cards you need to implement a certain strategy you could either: ask people that have them to trade them to you, buy them individually online or at hobby stores (the rarer a card, the more expensive it is), or buy packs of cards from the set they are from (Mirrodin, Kamigawa, etc.), hoping that you will obtain the exact cards you need. Another thing is that a new set enters the market every three months or so, and with it a whole new bunch of cards with different powers and effects; thus, expanding the possible strategies you could create (and would have to face), AND requiring you to spend more money in this new cards if you want to be able to take advantage of them. All of this without mentioning buying accessories like card protectors, deck boxes, etc.
In Chess however, while you could spend some bucks in a digital Chess clock, a score-book, Chess software and other goodies, the only thing you essentially need to be able to play this game is a Chess set: a chessboard with two sets of pieces; each one of a different color (usually black and white). You could have a portable magnetic set, a big wooden set, or an "Egyptians vs Romans" themed set; as long as you have one set you can use it to play the game with anyone for a lifetime.
Talking about money, in MTG the person that has the most money to invest in the game has an unfair advantage over people that don't. While just buying the rarest cards in the game won't make you a better player, having true knowledge of the game, skill AND plenty of money to spend in cards gives you the power to forge almost any kind of deck you desire, and with it any kind of powerful strategy you wish to implement (some decks can win the game on the very first turn!) In Chess however, you cannot use money to give you an edge in the game. While you can manage to get a Black Lotus card (the most valuable in MTG) with your year's savings and use it to almost bash your opponents, it would be no use to buy 8 queens and replace your pawns with them in Chess. Now, it is true you can buy strategy guides and training material for both games; however, in that case you are investing in upgrading your skills, not in a tangible that gives you more power in the game directly (like a rare card).
Another aspect to have in mind is the actual amount of people that play each game, and where you can find them. For MTG, you can find most players dueling and hanging out in hobby stores. Below that, some school and college/university students like to play during breaks. It is possible to find people having a match in a park or a coffee shop, but this is a rare sight. In general, it is not that easy to find MTG players outside of hobby stores; most people don't even know that this game exists.
On the contrary, Chess has a much, much wider demographic. Almost everyone has heard about the "game of kings" and most know the basic rules of the game. While the sure-fire way to find players is to visit a Chess club, you can find folks that would enjoy a game of Chess in a lot more places. It can safely be assumed that a lot more people, from a wider age range, and from all roads of life play Chess in comparison to MTG. This is something important to have in mind if one of your objectives is to socialize and make plenty of friends through the game you choose.
Now, both of these games have a shady reputation of being played only by "nerds", people with detrimental social skills and in some cases, terrible personal hygiene. You should not let those rumors or dumb sayings like "duhrr, only fat virgins play Magic The Gathering!" stop you from engaging in either of these fun games. While you might stumble with a "dork" every once in a while, you can just ignore the person in question, leave the place politely, and keep searching for more appealing people to share the game with. Now, if you are a "dork" yourself... you should consider taking a bath and be polite with the people you play with!
Another aspect to have in mind is the involvement of 'luck' in both games. In MTG, given that you draw cards one at a time without knowing which card you will get next, chance is involved, which is a variable that is NOT under the control of the player. On the other hand, classic Chess does not involve luck in any form (not counting Chess variants); it is purely deterministic. Some people like to experiment some chance while others hate not having full control of a game.
MTG involves lots of different variables that have to be analyzed and manipulated during each match, like mana, life points, attack and defense points of creatures, counters, and others that require you to keep track during the game by using dice, pen and paper, or other elements. Also, the number of cards you have in a certain zone (hand, battlefield, etc.) counts for the effects of several cards. In Chess there are not a bunch of numbers you have to keep track of; rather, you have to check the current position of the pieces on the chessboard each turn, and analyze which combination of moves would be best to make, and how the opponent might respond to those.
A final aspect I would like to discuss is multiplayer gameplay. While classic Chess is to be played only by 2 persons at a time, variants exist that allow for 3, 4 and more players to play at the same time. These kind of variants usually involve a larger board where 4 sets of pieces of different color (e.g. black, white, red and blue) are placed, and the rules of Chess are followed with certain variations (like being able to actually capture a King). Some of these games are called Chess-4, Vendetta and Conquer The Kings. Unlike classic Chess, MTG can be played by three people and more at the same time, given that each player has his/her own deck. Not only that, but in 2009 a new game mechanic was introduced into MTG to spice up multiplayer games, called 'Planechase', where over-sized cards named 'Plane cards' are used in conjunction with a 'Plane die' in order to trigger special effects that affect all players participating in the current game.
After taking a look into all these different aspects, it's up to you to make a decision on which game you would like to spend more time and money into. Is either MTG or Chess worth your time and money? It really depends on how far you would like to get on any given game. As it was said before, if you plan to just play casually, you can just buy a couple of Magic decks, a chessboard, and be good with it. If you want to participate in tournaments and maybe even become a pro, you will have to invest in training material, a LOT of cards in the case of MTG, and plenty of time for practicing and research. Whatever path you choose, remember: keep learning, and never forget to have fun!
