What is the Google Doodle today? Celebrating Chess explained - and when World Championship is

• Google Doodle for Monday November 25 is ‘Celebrating Chess’
• It features a beautiful graphic design inspired by the popular game.
• The doodle comes as the World Chess Championship is about to start.

Google’s latest Doodle is celebrating one of the oldest games in the world. It is of course chess - which you may or may not have pretended to play over the years.

If the design of the latest graphic on the search engine looks familiar, it is because it features some of the most famous chess pieces. The Queen, the King, the Rook and of course the Knight (the horse one).

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But why on earth is chess the Google Doodle - is Monday November 25 a memorable day in the history of the game? Here’s all you need to know:

What is the Google Doodle today?

For its doodle today (Monday November 25), Google is ‘celebrating chess’. The design features signature pieces from the age-old game in a colourful and memorable design.

But why ‘Celebrating Chess’?

On its doodle website, Google explains: “That’s right, it’s time for chess! This Doodle celebrates chess, a dynamic game played on 64 black and white squares.

“Chess is a two-player board game where strategy is king. The game has been played since the sixth century in India, and the rules of the game began taking their modern shape in the 15th century. The first international competition was held in 1851. Competitions evolved with new iterations including timed and speed chess where players could catch their opponents off guard with a quick Scholar's Mate.”

Google adds: “If you love chess more than just en passant (in passing), celebrate by watching the World Chess Championship! This November and December, top chess players globally will go head to head in Singapore in 14 classical games — each potentially lasting over four hours.

“The first player to win 7.5 points will become the world champion. In the event of a tie, look out for the upcoming rapid games, followed by blitz games, where each player only gets 3 minutes to checkmate the other!”

When is the World Chess Championship?

The World Chess Championship 2024 actually starts today (Monday November 25). It is contested as the best of 14 games and could run until December 13 - if all matches are played.

Defending champion Ding Liren - a Chinese grandmaster - is looking to back-up his 2023 title, while Indian grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju is the challenger looking to dethrone him. The tournament is taking place in Singapore.

What do you think of the Google Doodle - which has been your favourite over the years? Share your thoughts by emailing me: [email protected].