Tech giant Google to sponsor Fide World Chess Championship in Singapore
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China's Ding Li Ren (pictured) will defend his world title against India's Gukesh Dommaraju at the Resorts World Sentosa.
PHOTO: FIDE
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SINGAPORE – In a first for the tournament, the International Chess Federation (Fide) and Singapore Chess Federation (SCF) on Sept 12 announced tech giant Google as the title sponsor of the upcoming World Chess Championship.
The prestigious event will be held at the Resorts World Sentosa from Nov 23 to Dec 15, and will feature China’s world champion Ding Liren against challenger Gukesh Dommaraju of India in a best-of-14 format.
This is the first time that the championship is partnering a global technology leader and, while SCF and Google declined to reveal the value of the sponsorship, it will go some way to funding the event’s budget.
It was previously reported that the championship would cost US$8.5 million (S$11.1 million), with US$2.5 million used for prize money, US$1.1 million to Fide for licensing fees and the rest for venue and organising costs.
SCF chief executive Kevin Goh said: “For Google to be our presenting sponsor for this year’s World Championship match is a groundbreaking moment for chess, both in Singapore and globally.
“It is the first time a global technology leader has sponsored the most important chess event. Among many other innovative breakthroughs, Google has in recent years captivated the chess community with AlphaZero, its neural networks inspired chess program.”
AlphaZero is a computer program developed by artificial intelligence research company DeepMind – a subsidiary of Google – to master the games of chess, shogi and go.
Goh, who became a grandmaster in 2020, added: “As a chess player and fan myself, Google’s Deepmind team has moved chess forward significantly in the last decade through its neural networks inspired AlphaZero, giving extra meaning to this collaboration.
“Chess is all about problem-solving and we are glad that Google’s special focus on deep learning resonates well with the game.”
Google’s Asia Pacific chief marketing officer Simon Kahn said in a media statement: “Google is excited to sponsor this historic event. Chess represents a profound intersection of human ingenuity and technological potential, and has always been a proving ground for AI innovation.
“Some of our earliest AI breakthroughs came from mastering chess as a proof-of-concept. Through Search, YouTube, and AI, we are now delighted to enhance the championship experience for chess fans globally, celebrating the beauty of this game that continues to inspire and challenge us.”
Calling the sponsorship a “milestone for our sport”, Fide chief executive officer Emil Sutovsky said: “This collaboration brings a new dimension to the competition, blending the tradition of chess with the innovation of AI.
“The partnership is set to elevate the visibility of the World Chess Championship, taking the broadcast of the event to the next level and attracting new audiences globally.”
The 23-day championship headlined by chess stars Ding and Gukesh will also feature a top-level open tournament – the Singapore International Open – and a couple of smaller competitions.
Chess fans can also look forward to other activities such as masterclasses, exhibition matches and meet-and-greet sessions with international grandmasters.
