Duolingo is getting a chess course

Duolingo volition soon beryllium capable to assistance you larn different caller skill: chess.

The platform’s caller chess people volition usage abbreviated puzzles, specified arsenic moving a knight to the close spot to signifier its L-shaped question oregon checkmating a king that’s stuck successful a corner, to assistance thatch you the game. You’ll besides beryllium capable to play “mini-matches” oregon afloat games against Duolingo’s Oscar character, who serves arsenic your manager done the lessons.

Duolingo gave maine a little demo of the chess people connected a caller video call, and it looks similar it could beryllium a batch of fun. The team’s attack was to “make chess arsenic accessible arsenic possible,” Duolingo radical merchandise manager Edwin Bodge tells The Verge, and the people volition connection lessons for a wide scope of accomplishment levels truthful that radical tin leap successful astatine immoderate level of familiarity they already person for chess.

Chess joins topics similar music and math that aren’t language-based but tin inactive beryllium practiced via Duolingo. I asked if the institution plans to physique courses astir different games, and unit bundle technologist Sammi Siegel says that “while we don’t person immoderate plans to stock close now, I deliberation we’re conscionable seeing however this motorboat goes and past we’ll spell from there.”

The chess people is launching successful beta investigating connected iOS successful English, according to Monica Earle, Duolingo’s PR director. Earle estimates that successful 4 to six weeks, much radical connected iOS volition beryllium capable to effort it, and past it volition caput to Android and beryllium disposable successful different languages down the line.