I’m embarrassed to admit this in my mid-forties, but I’ve never understood chess well enough to play a full game.
My son and daughter both learned how to play in elementary school. I was glad they had that experience. I tried to pick up the game when they did, but, as a busy mom of three little kids, I just didn’t have the time, the interest, or the stamina to really sit down and learn.
Chess became more popular during the pandemic, and the boom has stuck around; according to a recent Yougov.com survey, around 21 percent of people in the US play chess occasionally, and the game is “more popular among younger adults, men, and college graduates than it is among older Americans, women, and adults without college degrees.”
I hadn’t thought to give chess another try; that is, until late this past spring, when my 11-year-old son excitedly held up his phone to show me a new icon in his Duolingo app. “Look, Mom! Duolingo has a chess program now!” I smiled.
I’ve been a fan of Duolingo for over three years, since I first learned I could play a few games a day and advance my high school-level Spanish. I now have a 1,300-day streak, the longest in my household, and I can’t help but feel proud when my children brag about it to their friends. I learned enough Spanish that I felt comfortable navigating our family through Barcelona on a recent vacation.
So, of course I opened Duolingo to see what its chess program was about.
Opening Moves
From the start, it was easy to follow. I clicked on a piece, and dots appeared on the chessboard, indicating the valid moves. The game is hosted by Duolingo’s generously mustachioed character Oscar, and within a few days of following his instructions, I understood how each piece was able to move around the board.
As I progressed through the different levels, I learned more rules, such as how to accumulate points and how to capture an opponent’s piece. I was surprised how easily I understood the lessons when I had previously had difficulty understanding the game. I was also able to consider both sides of the board to play offense as well as defense—something I had never been able to do before.
I was curious about the intentions behind the program and how it was so quickly teaching me a game that has been on my bucket list since I was a little girl, so I reached out to the chess team at Duolingo.
They explained that the goal for the chess program is to attract people like me who always had an interest in chess but, for one reason or another, never fully committed.
Jake Fishman, founder of Mindful Chess, agrees that the app is good for beginners. “It introduces chess in a fun, accessible manner for beginners, particularly younger players, who are already used to the Duolingo model of gamified learning,” Fishman says. “The bite-sized lessons, rewards, and streaks lessen the intimidation factor of the game and present it more like an enjoyable language-learning experience.”