MyChessPlace

Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how MyChessPlace collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data when you use our website, courses, quizzes, game review, bots, uploaded PGNs/games, and related chess training features.

MyChessPlace is operated by ONLINECHESSCOURSES S.R.L. If the company name changes in the future, this Privacy Policy will be updated.

Contact: [email protected]

1. Who is responsible for your data

ONLINECHESSCOURSES S.R.L. is the data controller for MyChessPlace. This means we decide how and why personal data is processed when you use MyChessPlace.

For privacy questions or requests, contact us at [email protected].

2. Data we collect

Depending on how you use MyChessPlace, we may collect the following types of information:

  • Account information: email address, username or display name, password authentication data stored in a secure form, and login/session information needed to keep your account working.
  • Chess activity: course progress, quiz answers and scores, uploaded PGNs/games, game review data, bot games or moves, and other chess-related activity needed to provide the platform features.
  • Technical information: IP address, browser and device information, server logs, approximate location based on IP address, and basic usage information such as pages visited or features used.
  • Payment information: purchase status, product purchased, payment status, refund status, billing information, transaction identifiers, and related records provided by Stripe or another payment provider used at checkout. We do not store full card details.
  • Communication information: emails or messages you send us, support requests, newsletter preferences, and related communication history.

3. How we use your data

We use personal data to:

  • Create and manage user accounts
  • Provide access to courses and platform features
  • Save course progress, quiz results, game review history, and chess activity
  • Store and process uploaded PGNs/games for platform features
  • Run game review, bots, quizzes, and other training tools
  • Process purchases, refunds, invoices, and product access
  • Provide customer support and respond to messages
  • Improve the website, product experience, and educational features
  • Maintain security, prevent abuse, investigate bugs, and protect the platform
  • Send important service messages related to your account, purchases, or platform use
  • Send marketing emails only when allowed, such as when you subscribe or give consent
  • Comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations

4. Legal bases for processing

Depending on the situation, we process personal data based on one or more of the following legal bases:

  • Performance of a contract: to provide your account, purchases, courses, and platform features.
  • Legitimate interests: to improve the platform, maintain security, prevent abuse, fix bugs, and understand product usage in a privacy-friendly way.
  • Consent: where required, such as optional marketing emails or optional cookies if added in the future.
  • Legal obligations: for tax, accounting, fraud prevention, consumer protection, and other legal requirements.

5. Uploaded PGNs and games

Uploaded PGNs/games are stored in MongoDB.

We use uploaded games to provide features such as game review, training, bots, and related chess tools. Uploaded games are treated as private by default unless we clearly offer a sharing or public feature and you choose to use it.

We do not sell uploaded PGNs/games.

6. Game review and bots

Game review and bot features are processed on our own servers. We do not currently send user games or moves to an external game-review or bot API provider.

If this changes in the future, we will update this Privacy Policy to describe the relevant provider and data flow.

7. Payments and refunds

Payments are processed through Stripe or another payment provider shown at checkout. We do not store your full card details.

Stripe may process payment details, billing details, transaction information, refund status, and fraud-prevention information as needed to process your payment and manage refunds.

After a refund, product access may be removed and the order may be marked as refunded in your account.

8. Analytics

We use Matomo Analytics to understand how MyChessPlace is used and to improve the platform.

At launch, Matomo is intended to be used in a privacy-friendly setup without non-essential analytics cookies. We do not currently use Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, Google Ads tracking, Hotjar, LogRocket, or session replay tools.

If we add additional analytics, advertising, or session replay tools in the future, we will update this Privacy Policy and request consent where required.

9. Cookies

At launch, MyChessPlace uses only necessary login/session cookies. These cookies are needed for the website to work, for example to keep you logged in, protect your session, remember necessary preferences, and maintain security.

We do not currently use advertising cookies or non-essential marketing cookies.

If we add optional analytics, advertising, or marketing cookies in the future, we will update this Privacy Policy and request consent where required.

10. Providers we use

We use trusted service providers to operate MyChessPlace. These may include:

  • DigitalOcean: hosting, backend/server infrastructure, and related technical services.
  • MongoDB: database storage, including uploaded PGNs/games and platform data.
  • Matomo Analytics: privacy-friendly analytics.
  • Stripe: payment processing, refunds, billing, and fraud prevention.
  • ConvertKit: email marketing, newsletters, and subscription preferences, if you subscribe or where otherwise permitted.

We may also share data with professional advisers, accountants, legal advisers, or authorities where required by law.

We do not sell your personal data.

11. International transfers

Some service providers may process data outside your country or outside the European Economic Area. Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as data processing agreements, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms.

12. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as needed for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.

  • Account and chess activity data may be kept while your account is active.
  • Uploaded PGNs/games may be kept while your account is active or until you delete them where deletion tools are available.
  • Payment, tax, accounting, refund, and legal records may be kept for the period required by law.
  • Technical logs are kept for a limited period unless needed for security, debugging, fraud prevention, or legal reasons.

You may request deletion of your account by contacting [email protected].

13. Your rights

Depending on your location, especially if you are in the European Union, you may have rights to:

  • Access your personal data
  • Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
  • Delete your data
  • Restrict or object to certain processing
  • Request data portability
  • Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
  • Lodge a complaint with a data protection authority

To exercise these rights, contact us at [email protected]. We may need to verify your identity before completing a request.

14. Automated decision-making

MyChessPlace does not currently use automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects for users.

Quizzes, scores, bots, and game review features are educational tools and are not used to make legal, financial, employment, or similarly significant decisions about you.

15. Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect personal data. However, no online service can guarantee perfect security.

You are responsible for keeping your login details safe and using a secure password.

16. Children and minors

MyChessPlace is intended for users aged 16 and above. If you are under 18, you should use the platform with permission from a parent or legal guardian.

We do not knowingly collect personal data from children below the minimum age required by applicable law.

17. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make important changes, we will update the "Last updated" date and may notify users where appropriate.

18. Contact

For questions about this Privacy Policy or your personal data, contact us at:

[email protected]