Duolingo Expands Beyond Languages with New Chess Course
Duolingo, best known for its popular language learning app, is branching out into the world of strategy games — starting with chess.
The company has announced a new chess course designed to teach players the fundamentals through interactive lessons and bite-sized puzzles. Users will tackle challenges like moving a knight in its classic L-shape or delivering checkmate to a cornered king. The course also features “mini-matches” and full games against Oscar, one of Duolingo’s quirky mascot characters, who doubles as a virtual coach throughout the lessons.
According to Edwin Bodge, group product manager at Duolingo, the goal was to “make chess as accessible as possible.” The course is designed to accommodate learners of all levels — from complete beginners to those with some chess experience.
Chess joins other non-language topics like math and music, which Duolingo has recently introduced in its bid to expand the scope of its educational content.
When asked if more game-based learning experiences are in the pipeline, Sammi Siegel, a staff software engineer at Duolingo, hinted that future plans would depend on the success of the chess course: “We’re just seeing how this launch goes and then we’ll go from there.”
The chess course is currently rolling out in beta for iOS users in English, according to Monica Earle, Duolingo’s PR director. A broader iOS release is expected in four to six weeks, with Android support and additional languages planned for a future update.
Whether you’re a total novice or looking to brush up your skills, Duolingo’s playful and intuitive approach could make learning chess just as fun as picking up a new language.
