It started with a tweet.
“Get your knights ready… Chess is coming.” That’s all Duolingo had to say on April 22, and the internet exploded. One image, one sentence, and now, the chess world’s buzzing with questions.
Duolingo, the quirky green owl famous for language lessons and guilt-tripping you into daily practice, is taking a bold step. They’re adding chess to their platform. Yes, you read that right.
But this isn’t the first time Duo has flirted with the 64 squares.
Duolingo and Chess.com: A Not-So-New Romance
Long before the tweet, Duolingo and Chess.com already had something going on.
Back in 2023, Duolingo made waves by collaborating with Chess.com and launching a “Duolingo Chess” feature.
The main gist was that Duolingo partnered with Chess.com to introduce Duolingo characters as playable bots on the Chess.com platform.
The collaboration would offer a multilingual experience, allowing players to engage with the game in multiple languages.
The collaboration also aimed to integrate language learning with the strategic experience of chess, according to Chess.com.
Turns out, people who love learning languages also love losing to Stockfish at 2 a.m.
The Tweet That Started It All
Then came the real twist.
On April 22, 2025, Duolingo dropped the tweet heard around the chess world:
“Get your knights ready… Chess is coming.”
Accompanied by an image of Duo staring nervously at a chessboard while a moustached player hovered menacingly over the board. The tweet racked up 435,000+ views in no time.
No follow-up. No blog post. Just vibes. But it was enough.
The Chess Community Reacts
You know the chess world, it doesn’t take much to get us talking.
Chess.com jumped in with a simple, vaguely alarmed “Oh?!” tweet that somehow managed to be funny, confused, and possibly threatened all at once.
Then came Levy Rozman, A.K.A GothamChess, dropping a perfectly dry “Stay in your lane”, expressing possible disapproval.
On the flip side, streamer Alexandra Botez was all in, tweeting “Let’s go!” in full support.
Basically, it was like watching a family argue over pineapple on pizza. No one agreed, but everyone had feelings.
So… What Exactly Is Duolingo Planning?
Here’s the fun part: nobody really knows. But speculation? Oh, we’ve got plenty.
Maybe it’s going to be:
- A beginner-friendly chess course (like their other learning paths).
- Gamified tactics puzzles with XP, streaks, and that ever-judgy owl.
- Mini-games with storyline chess bots, and quirky challenges.
Whatever it is, it probably won’t be your typical training suite like Lichess or Chess.com.
Duolingo’s magic has always been its ability to motivate people to learn every day, even if it’s just five minutes at a time.
If they apply that philosophy to chess, we could see a whole new wave of casual chess lovers flooding in.
What This Means for Chess
Duolingo entering the chess space might sound weird, but it’s actually genius.
They already have a massive, engaged user base. Their app’s design is addictive (ask anyone who’s tried to break a streak). And chess, much like languages, thrives on consistency and bite-sized learning.
If they make it fun, easy, and non-intimidating? That’s a win for chess growth.
And honestly… the idea of losing to a cartoon owl in a daily chess puzzle? Kinda iconic.
Final Thoughts
Duolingo’s move into chess isn’t just bold, it might be brilliant. We’ve seen flashes of their potential from earlier team-ups with Chess.com, and now, they’re making a full move onto the board.
Will it stick? Will the owl finally capture our king? We’ll have to wait and see.
But one thing’s for sure: chess is popping up in the unlikeliest of places, and we’re here for it.
Now, excuse us while we prep our pawns and get ready to get roasted by Duo.
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