Chess represents a game technology advance over checkers: widespread play of chess became possible when the technology to produce, ideally mass produce, many types of physically distinct game pieces (6 types * 2 colors) became widely available.
More technology: the chess clock made chess a real-time strategy game, and the invention and implementation of the Fischer increment improved it further.
An older technological advance between games: checkers represents an advance in technology over tic-tac-toe (and related games in that family, e.g., gomoku, Connect 6), because checkers needs a way for pieces to move rather than being permanently stuck where they were initially placed or marked.
Continuing this theme, what happens if we invent chess variants permitting any and all modern technology? Each of the variants listed above incorporated as much technology as was easily available at the time to make games better: we should, too.
One might end up with something like Starcraft 2: a chess variant with a large and complex board, many piece types and abilities, real-time strategy, randomization, and the computer keeping track of things and enforcing rules.
Traditionalists bemoan chess's lack of popularity these days compared to video games, but look at it instead as each generation gravitating toward the chess (or tic-tac-toe) variant that makes best use of that generation's technology to provide the most enjoyable game. Chess traditionalists sound just as silly as hypothetical even-more-traditionalists advocating (for "tradition") tic-tac-toe or checkers over chess.
That said, chess is still sometimes superior to video games even in this modern age. It is better when there are adverse conditions such as lack of electric power or significant possibilities of theft or damage. It might also be better (or worse) in its number of levels of human play.
Of course, modern technology also continues to improve chess in ways that keep it recognizably close to traditional chess, most notably with electronic boards (e.g., screen) which automatically record moves, and online play which allows players separated by great distances to play.
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