Duolingo launches a chess course
Duolingo is a free, gamified language-learning app and website that offers courses in over 40 languages, including Spanish, French, German, and even constructed languages like Esperanto and Klingon. Launched in 2011, it uses bite-sized lessons with interactive exercises, such as translation, listening, and speaking tasks, to teach vocabulary and grammar. The app employs a reward system with virtual currency (lingots or gems) and streaks to keep users motivated, while its adaptive algorithm tailors lessons to individual progress.
As of today, Duolingo launched its chess course. Yes, you can learn chess on Duolingo!
Chess is the company’s first new subject since it branched beyond languages and introduced math and music classes in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Duolingo’s chess course will take users, who can range from complete novices to those with a solid understanding of how to play, through its gamified exercises to become better game players. The focus is mostly on attracting new players, including those who have felt chess is too difficult to learn or otherwise inaccessible.
“For the most part, a lot of chess products out there are usually built by an advanced user for more advanced-use cases—someone who already is familiar with chess and is kind of trying to elevate their abilities even further,” Edwin Bodge, Duolingo senior product manager, tells Fast Company. “So we are more targeting beginners and think that we’re addressing a part of the market that hasn’t previously been addressed.”