Why Live Chess On Duolingo Is Underwhelming
With very little fanfare, Duolingo has rolled out live chess. It is now available through its player-vs-player (PvP) mode. It previously launched its new chess course in mid-2025.
The expanded option to play live chess with an opponent (other than Oscar, the company’s virtual chess coach) was added in late 2025. So far Duolingo hasn’t announced it on Instagram or X/Twitter, perhaps because the features are so limited, although it was publicized as a product highlight for 2025 in a blog. How does the live chess option on Duolingo compare with what chess players want and expect? Here is why I was underwhelmed with the experience.
Only One Time Control
Games are limited to one time control: 10 minutes per player. There is no option to change to a different time control.
Missing Features On Duolingo
Important features of live chess are also missing. How does a player offer a draw? There is no option. A game ends only when a checkmate is made, a player abandons the game (thus signifying resignation), or time expires for a player. (PvP mode on Duolingo Chess does recognize stalemate and en passant moves.) In addition, when a game ends, it cannot be reviewed or preserved.
Ratings On Duolingo
My initial opponents played seriously below the level that I expected. One let me easily capture a rook in midgame. My opponents also didn’t seem well prepared to play 10-minute games; they fell far behind on time. I also suspect that player ratings on Duolingo are even more inflated than those experienced on lichess.
Where Is Live Chess On Duolingo?
So far, live chess on Duolingo appears to be restricted to iOS and Android devices. To play, make sure you have updated the app and have the latest version of Duolingo.
You access live chess from the “Matches” tab for competitive games. Rather than playing against Oscar, select the “Play a Person" option to be matched with another player at a similar skill level.
By the way, I’m very familiar with Duolingo; I recently completed lessons for 2,000 consecutive days (and the streak continues). However, at this point, playing live chess on Duolingo is awkward. Nevertheless, it is still a useful learning platform for languages.
What do you think? Have you played a live game against another player on Duolingo?
Ray Linville’s high point as a chess player occurred when he swiped the queen of GM Hikaru Nakamura in a 60-second bullet game in 2021. This game was reported in a “My Best Move” column of the Chess Life magazine, published by the U.S. Chess Federation.
At Chess.com, he has been an editor (part-time) since 2019 and has edited news articles and tournament reports—including those of the Candidates and World Championship Tournaments and other major events—by titled players and noted chess writers as well as Game of the Day annotations by leading grandmasters. He has also been a contributing writer of chess terms, e-books, and general interest articles for ChessKid.com.
He enjoys “top blogger” status at Chess.com. His blog has won the award for Best Chess Blog from the Chess Journalists of America for several years. In addition, he has also been the recipient of first-place CJA awards for feature article, humorous contribution, online review, and educational lesson as well as honorable mention in the categories of personal narrative and historical article.