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Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

World Chess Privacy Policy, Effective January 1, 2026

This Privacy Policy applies to the processing of personal data by World Chess Events Limited (the "Controller", "World Chess", "we", "us") and describes how your personal data is processed when you use our services, including the World Chess platform (the "Platform"), our mobile applications available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store (the "Apps"), our website at worldchess.com (the "Website"), and our online store (collectively, the "Services").

This Privacy Policy describes the practices and purposes of personal data processing for the provision of our Services. It also describes how you may exercise your rights as a data subject in your relationship with the Controller. The Controller processes personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR), and other applicable data protection laws. Unless otherwise specified, the terms and conditions in this Privacy Policy have the same meaning as the terms in Article 4 of the GDPR.

To ensure that your personal data is processed in a transparent manner, this Privacy Policy explains the following:

  • What personal data we process
  • How we acquire your personal data
  • For what purposes and on what legal basis your data is processed
  • How long we will process your personal data
  • When personal data may be shared with third parties
  • Information about personal data transfers outside the UK and EU
  • Processing of children's personal data
  • Automatic decision-making
  • Your rights under data protection law
  • Amendments to the Privacy Policy
  • Contact details of the Controller

By using our Services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with this Privacy Policy, please discontinue use of our Services.

1. What Personal Data We Process

To provide you with our Services and achieve the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, we process certain personal data relating to you. Below we indicate the categories of personal data we process.

Registration Data

Personal data you provide when registering an account on the Platform or Apps, including your email address, username, and password.

Identification Data

Data used to identify you, which may include your first name, last name, date of birth, address, country, information received from social media accounts, ID documentation (when registering as a FIDE member), and assigned FIDE ID number.

Contact Data

Data used to contact you, including your email address, phone number, and postal address.

Payment Data

Data related to payments, which may include transaction records, payment history, and billing information. Note: For purchases made through the Apps, payment is processed by Apple (App Store) or Google (Google Play), and we do not directly collect or store your credit card details for such transactions. For purchases made through our Website or online store, payment is processed by our payment service provider Stripe.

Game Data

Data related to games played on the Platform or Apps, including your chess ratings, game results, move history, time controls used, and performance statistics.

Technical Data

Data collected to ensure smooth provision of our Services, including browser type and version, device type, operating system and version, unique device identifiers, mobile network information, installed extensions and fonts, screen resolution, and language settings.

Usage Data

Data about how you use our Services, including your IP address, pages or screens visited, features accessed, time and date of visits, time spent on pages or in the Apps, clickstream data, app crashes, and other diagnostic data.

Cookies and Tracking Data

Data acquired through cookies and similar tracking technologies on our Website and Apps. Cookies are small files stored on your device that may include an anonymous unique identifier. More information about our use of cookies can be found in our Cookie Policy.

2. How We Acquire Your Personal Data

During the provision of our Services, we may acquire your personal data from various sources:

Directly from you

When you register an account, make purchases, contact customer support, or otherwise use our Services.

Automatically

Through cookies, analytics tools, and similar technologies when you use our Website or Apps.

From FIDE and chess federations

When you register as a FIDE member, we may acquire Identification Data (such as your name, country, and FIDE ID) and Game Data (such as your ratings) from FIDE (International Chess Federation) and national chess federations.

From social media platforms

If you choose to register or log in using a social media account, we may receive certain Identification Data and your email address from that platform.

From Apple and Google

When you make in-app purchases or manage subscriptions through the Apps, we receive information about your subscription status and transaction history from Apple or Google, as applicable.

3. Purposes and Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data for the following purposes and on the following legal bases under the GDPR:

To provide and maintain our Services

Including account creation and management, enabling gameplay, processing transactions, and providing customer support.

Legal basis: Performance of a contract (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR).

To process payments and subscriptions

Including managing subscription renewals, processing refunds, and maintaining payment records.

Legal basis: Performance of a contract (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR).

To calculate and maintain chess ratings

Including FIDE Online ratings, which are official sports records.

Legal basis: Performance of a contract (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR) and legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) in maintaining the integrity of chess ratings.

To detect and prevent cheating

Including analysis of game data, usage patterns, and technical data to ensure fair play.

Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) in maintaining fair competition and the integrity of our Services.

To improve and optimize our Services

Including analyzing usage patterns, conducting research, and developing new features.

Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) in improving our Services.

To communicate with you

Including sending service-related notifications, updates, and responding to your inquiries.

Legal basis: Performance of a contract (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR) and legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).

To send marketing communications

Including promotional offers, newsletters, and information about new features or services.

Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR), where required, or legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) for existing customers.

To comply with legal obligations

Including tax reporting, responding to legal requests, and maintaining required records.

Legal basis: Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR).

To protect our legal rights

Including enforcing our Terms of Use, defending against legal claims, and preventing fraud.

Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) in protecting our legal rights and interests.

4. How Long We Retain Your Personal Data

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. The specific retention periods are as follows:

Account Data

Registration Data, Identification Data, Contact Data, and Game Data are retained for as long as your account is active and for 10 years after account deletion.

Purchase Records

Identification Data, Contact Data, Payment Data, and purchase information are retained for 10 years for accounting and legal purposes.

Technical and Usage Data

Generally retained for no longer than 10 years, unless required longer to comply with legal obligations or protect our legal rights.

Anti-Cheating Data

Data processed to detect and prevent cheating is retained for no longer than 10 years.

Game Records and Ratings

Personal data related to rated games on the Platform (including FIDE ID number, game results, and player ratings) may be retained indefinitely as these constitute official sports records. This data may be processed using blockchain technology to ensure the reliability and integrity of online ratings, which means historical data cannot be altered.

Legal Hold

Certain data, including Registration Data, Identification Data, Payment Data, and records of accepted terms and conditions, may be retained after account deletion for the applicable limitation period (up to 10 years) to protect our legal interests in case of disputes or for accounting purposes.

You may request deletion of your account and associated personal data by contacting support@worldchess.com. Please note that after account deletion, your account and associated data cannot be restored, and certain data may be retained as described above.

5. When We Share Your Personal Data

We may share your personal data with the following categories of recipients:

Service Providers

Third-party vendors who perform services on our behalf, including IT service providers (hosting, email services, server maintenance), analytics providers, payment service providers (including Stripe, Inc.), and delivery service providers. These parties act as our data processors and process data only on our instructions.

Platform Providers

Apple Inc. and Google LLC receive information necessary for in-app purchase processing and subscription management when you use our Apps.

FIDE (International Chess Federation)

The Platform operates in partnership with FIDE to enable players to participate in FIDE-rated games. Your Identification Data and Game Data are shared with FIDE for its own processing purposes (where FIDE acts as an independent data controller). Information relating to FIDE Online ratings and titles is retained in our database and shared with FIDE as these constitute official sports records. FIDE's Privacy Policy is available at: https://www.fide.com/privacy

Affiliates and Business Partners

The Platform and Services are operated in partnership with other parties who may have access to your personal data, including:

  • Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE), Avenue de Rhodanie 54, 1007 Lausanne, Switzerland
  • World Chess US Inc., 2 Rector Street, Suite 1202, New York, NY 10006, USA

Legal and Regulatory Authorities

We may share your personal data with law enforcement, courts, regulators, or other authorities when required by law or legal process, or when necessary to protect our rights, property, or safety, or the rights, property, or safety of others.

Professional Advisors

Including auditors, lawyers, consultants, financial institutions, and insurers, where necessary.

Business Transfers

In connection with a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets, your personal data may be transferred to the acquiring entity.

Third-Party API Users

If you choose to use application programming interfaces (APIs) to receive our services through third parties, your data will be shared with those third parties.

Public Information: Certain Identification Data and Game Data (such as username, rating, and game results) are publicly visible to other users and visitors of the Platform and Website.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

6. International Data Transfers

World Chess Events Limited is established in the United Kingdom. Your personal data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside the UK and European Economic Area (EEA), including:

  • Switzerland: Where FIDE is established. The European Commission has determined that Switzerland provides an adequate level of data protection.
  • United States: Where some of our affiliates, service providers, and server infrastructure are located.
  • Other countries: Where our service providers operate.

When we transfer personal data outside the UK or EEA to countries that have not been deemed to provide an adequate level of data protection, we implement appropriate safeguards, including standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission or the UK Information Commissioner's Office. For more information about the safeguards in place or to obtain copies, please contact us at support@worldchess.com.

7. Children's Privacy

Our Services are not directed to children under the age of 13 (or the applicable age of digital consent in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent.

If you become aware that a child has provided us with personal data without parental consent, please contact us at support@worldchess.com, and we will take steps to delete such information. If you previously provided consent for your child's account and wish to withdraw that consent, please contact us and we will delete the account.

8. Automatic Decision-Making

We use automated processing in the following circumstances:

Chess Rating Calculation

Your chess ratings (including FIDE Online ratings) are calculated automatically based on Game Data, including the number of games played, scores against opponents, and opponents' ratings, in accordance with FIDE rules.

Anti-Cheating Detection

To ensure fair play, we use automated tools that analyze Usage Data, Technical Data, Game Data, and other available data to detect potential cheating. Automated analysis is combined with human review before any action is taken against an account. You have the right to appeal any decision in accordance with the Platform's Terms of Use.

9. Your Rights Under Data Protection Law

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

For EEA and UK Residents (GDPR Rights)

  1. Right of Access: Request a copy of your personal data.
  2. Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
  3. Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data, subject to legal retention requirements.
  4. Right to Restrict Processing: Request limitation of processing in certain circumstances.
  5. Right to Data Portability: Request transfer of your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
  6. Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing.
  7. Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.

To exercise these rights, please contact us at support@worldchess.com. We may require verification of your identity before processing your request. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. A list of EU data protection authorities can be found at: https://edpb.europa.eu/about-edpb/board/members_en

For California Residents (CCPA Rights)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to know what personal information we collect, request deletion of your personal information, and opt out of the sale of personal information. We do not sell personal information. To exercise your rights, contact us at support@worldchess.com.

Account Deletion

You may request deletion of your account through the account settings in the Apps or Website, or by contacting support@worldchess.com.

Marketing Opt-Out

You may opt out of marketing communications by following the unsubscribe link in any marketing email, adjusting your notification settings in the Apps, or contacting us.

Push Notifications

You may disable push notifications through your device settings at any time.

10. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. Third-Party Services and SDKs

Our Services may use third-party services that collect information, including:

  • Analytics: Google Analytics, Firebase Analytics
  • Crash Reporting: Firebase Crashlytics
  • Payment Processing: Stripe, Inc., Apple App Store, Google Play Store
  • Cloud Services: Server providers in the United States and other jurisdictions

These third parties have their own privacy policies governing their use of your information. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.

12. Amendments to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The current version will always be available on our Website and within our Apps. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated Privacy Policy and revising the "Effective Date" above. For significant changes, we may also notify you by email or through the Apps. Your continued use of our Services after such changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

13. Contact Details

If you have any questions regarding your personal data processing or this Privacy Policy, please contact us:

Data Controller:

World Chess Events Limited Registration number: 10589323 Eastcastle House, 27/28 Eastcastle Street London, United Kingdom, W1W 8DH Email: support@worldchess.com

EU Representative (pursuant to Article 27 GDPR):

World Chess Europe GmbH Registration number: HRB 238132 Mittelstraße 51-52, 10117 Berlin, Germany Email: support@worldchess.com

EU data subjects (individuals located in the EU/EEA) may contact our EU representative regarding all issues related to the processing of their personal data and to exercise their rights under the GDPR.