Duolingo will soon be able to help you learn another new skill: chess.
The platform’s latest chess course incorporates brief puzzles designed to enhance your understanding of the game. For example, you might move a knight to refine its L-shaped maneuver or checkmate a cornered king. Additionally, you can engage in “mini-matches” or entire games against Duolingo’s Oscar character, who acts as your mentor throughout the lessons.
During a recent video call, Duolingo provided me with a short demonstration of the chess course, and it appears quite enjoyable. According to Edwin Bodge, Duolingo’s group product manager, their strategy was to “make chess as accessible as possible,” as he explained to The Verge. The course is designed to cater to a wide array of skill levels, allowing users to begin at their current level of chess familiarity.
Chess is now part of Duolingo’s offerings alongside subjects like music and math, which aren’t based on language but are still teachable through the platform. When asked about potential courses centered on other games, staff software engineer Sammi Siegel mentioned, “while we don’t have any plans to share right now, we’re observing the launch and will make decisions from there.”
The chess course is launching in beta testing on iOS in English, according to Monica Earle, Duolingo’s PR director. Earle estimates that in four to six weeks, more people on iOS will be able to try it, and then it will head to Android and be available in other languages down the line.
