Back office ops · Production

Chess.com launches Play Coach with iconic voices powered by ElevenLabs

The problem

New chess players struggled to learn without feeling overwhelmed by competitive play, and Chess.com needed a way to lower the barrier to entry for beginners while providing guidance from voices they already trusted.

Workflow diagram · grounded in source
1
Learner selects creator coach
trigger
“learners can select a creator, practice with spoken guidance, and request hints to better understand moves”
2
Voice Cloning shapes digital voice
ai_action
“Each digital voice was shaped in collaboration with the players, so their vocabulary, pacing, and tone feel authentic and instantly recognizable”
3
TTS delivers spoken feedback
output
“The feature is powered by ElevenLabs Text to Speech and Voice Cloning, bringing the voices of these top creators and grandmasters directly into the product”
4
Player requests move hints
trigger
“A non-competitive learning environment where users can practice and request hints”
Reported outcome

Chess.com embedded ElevenLabs-powered voices of creators Hikaru Nakamura, Levy Rozman, and Magnus Carlsen into Play Coach, making chess learning more approachable, personal, and engaging for millions of beginners.

Reported metrics
Chess.com members worldwide225 million
Learning experience qualitymore personal, engaging, and accessible
Reported stack
ElevenLabs Text to SpeechVoice Cloning
Source
https://elevenlabs.io/blog/chess-dot-com-iconic-voices
Read source ↗

Frequently asked questions

What did this team achieve with this AI workflow?

Chess.com embedded ElevenLabs-powered voices of creators Hikaru Nakamura, Levy Rozman, and Magnus Carlsen into Play Coach, making chess learning more approachable, personal, and engaging for millions of beginners.

What tools did this team use?

ElevenLabs Text to Speech, Voice Cloning.

What results were reported?

Chess.com members worldwide: 225 million; Learning experience quality: more personal, engaging, and accessible (source-reported, not independently verified).

How is this back office ops AI workflow structured?

Learner selects creator coach → Voice Cloning shapes digital voice → TTS delivers spoken feedback → Player requests move hints.

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