Duolingo’s Chess Program Gains Popularity

Duolingo has introduced a chess program, offering a new approach to learning the game. Chess saw a surge in popularity during the pandemic, and a recent survey indicates that about 21% of the US population plays chess occasionally. Duolingo's chess program is designed to be accessible for beginners.

The program helps users learn the basic rules of chess, accumulate points, and capture opponents' pieces. It targets individuals who have always been interested in chess but lacked the time or opportunity. Duolingo's gamified learning model makes chess fun and accessible, similar to language learning.

The development of the chess program involved people with diverse experiences. Duolingo offers a program suitable for both beginners and intermediate players, adjusting difficulty based on the user's skill level. The chess program has a long-term goal, requiring patience and thought from users.

Duolingo's chess team assists users in learning chess, improving their Elo scores, and becoming better players. Although the program currently lacks an option to compete against other players, this feature is being considered for future updates.