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5 ways to explore chess during the 2024 World Chess Championship

Nov 25, 2024

[[read-time]] min read

From Google Arts & Culture to GenChess, discover new ways to experience chess with AI and explore the history of this timeless game.

Illustration of colorful red and blue chess pieces and sparkles against a yellow checkered board.

Chess, the classic game of strategy, has long been a proving ground for artificial intelligence. At Google, we've achieved breakthroughs in AI with programs like AlphaZero — a single system that taught itself, from scratch, how to master chess — demonstrating AI's ability to find creative solutions in complex scenarios.

The methods we’ve developed and refined through games like chess have also led to real-world results. For example, we've applied similar techniques to predict protein structures with AlphaFold, accelerate mathematical research with AlphaProof and even discover entirely new algorithms with AlphaDev. This ongoing exchange between chess and AI fuels our passion for the game and its enduring impact on the field.

Now, with Google as the title sponsor of the World Chess Championship, we’re celebrating this timeless game with a range of new experiences worldwide.

1. Take chess beyond the board with a historical deep dive

  • A black and white photo of a woman at a round table with white tablecloth, chess board, and clocks.

    Vera Menchik, the first and longest-reigning Women's World Chess Champion

  • A man and woman in 18th-century attire, playing chess in a dimly lit room surrounded by onlookers.

    The Game of Chess by Giulio Campi, from Palazzo Madama Collection

  • A black and white photo of a spectacled man sitting beside a machine.

    Mikhail Botvinnik working with an early computer

  • Illustration of two men in robes and caps seated at a table with an open book, engaged in conversation.

    The second book ever published in English was about chess. The Game and Playe of Chesse was published in the 1470s.

  • Two men playing chess in a large room, with a hanging chandelier in the center.

    The International Chess Federation (FIDE) is one of the oldest sports governing bodies, established in Paris in 1924.

  • A black and white photo of a complex electronic device with wires, dials, and light bulbs

    1912, The First Computer Game in History

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) and Google Arts & Culture have launched "Beyond the Board," a digital exhibition exploring the history of chess from the sixth century to today. Curated by Woman Grandmaster Anna Burtasova, the exhibition features the International Chess Federation’s archival collection of photos, rare scoresheets, and artworks, highlighting the evolution of the game and its key figures.

“Beyond the Board” also examines the impact of AI on modern chess, showcasing the dramatic increase in processing power of chess engines, while celebrating the enduring appeal of chess as a space for human creativity and strategic thinking. This exhibition was made possible through close partnerships with experts and cultural organizations, and we’re looking forward to continuing to work with them on the next installment of this series.

2. Transform your ideas into one-of-a-kind chess pieces

Next up, you’ll be able to reimagine the traditional chess set with GenChess, a new AI-powered experiment from Google Labs. Simply provide a text prompt like "sushi" or "mountain climbing" and Google’s most advanced image generation model, Imagen 3, will create a unique chess set for you.

3. Join the challenge to build an AI chess bot

Playful illustration of a man and woman playing chess with Google, Kaggle, and FIDE’s logos in the bottom right hand corner.

FIDE and Google are partnering together to help create the next wave of breakthroughs in efficient AI with the FIDE & Google Efficient Chess AI Challenge, hosted by Kaggle.

This coding challenge invites people from around the world to participate in creating their own AI chess engines on Kaggle. This competition has a unique twist: these engines must operate under strict memory and processing limitations. This levels the playing field, allowing anyone with a passion for AI and a creative mind to participate. Kaggle even provides free computational resources, alongside starter materials and a friendly community to help you dive in. Visit the competition homepage on Kaggle to learn more and participate.

4. Test your talent against Gemini’s Chess Gem

A digital chessboard displaying the first moves of a game. White has played e4, and Black has responded with c5.

Coming in December, Chess champ is a new, conversational way to experience chess within the Gemini app. Test your talent against a language model in a game of chess. Explore different openings, banter with Gemini and see if you can beat it. This feature will be available in English in the Gemini web app for Gemini Advanced subscribers.

5. Follow every move at the WCC with commentary by Gemini

A black banner with the words “Chatting Chess” in middle, and two king chess pieces to the left and right.

This year, we're bringing AI directly to viewers who tune into the World Chess Championship. Imagine having an AI companion to guide you through the intricacies of a championship match — that's what we're doing with "Chatting Chess." This new segment on the FIDE livestream will use Gemini to demystify the game, offering insightful commentary and fascinating chess trivia. You can also expect to find interesting comparisons and relatable analogies to help understand key moves and strategies.

The championship kicks off on Monday, November 25, and you can catch all the action, including "Chatting Chess," on FIDE's YouTube livestream starting at 5:00 PM Singapore time.

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