Legal

Data controller

The controller responsible for processing your personal data is:

Data we collect

ChessApp collects only the minimum data necessary to function:

• Location data (approximate or precise, depending on your permission choice), used only to show local tournaments.
• A push notification token, used only to send notifications about tournament updates you follow.
• An anonymous device identifier, used to remember your preferences and usage limits across sessions.
• If you sign in with Google or Apple: your name and email address, used solely to identify your account and sync your data across devices.
• Subscription status and purchase tokens, used to verify and manage your Pro subscription.
• If you use the scoresheet scanner: the photo you take or choose, the moves read from it, and any corrections you make (see Scoresheet scanner).
• Server request logs: your IP address, the device identifier, the feature you requested and its parameters (which can include search terms and, for the nearby search, your location), and the time. Used for security, abuse prevention and troubleshooting.

We do not collect contacts, advertising identifiers, or any other personal information beyond what is listed above. Photos are collected only when you use the scanner.

Purpose of processing

Data is processed solely for:

• Showing tournaments relevant to your region.
• Sending notifications about tournament changes you follow.
• Remembering your recently viewed players and tournaments.
• Managing your Pro subscription and verifying purchase validity.
• Syncing your favorites and history across your devices when signed in.
• Reading scanned scoresheets and showing the game to you.
• Keeping the service secure and fixing problems.

Data is never used for advertising, profiling, or any commercial purpose beyond delivering the app's stated features.

Legal basis

Location data is processed based on your explicit consent via the device permission prompt. You may withdraw this consent at any time in your device settings.

Account and subscription data is processed on the basis of contractual necessity — it is required to deliver the service you have subscribed to.

The notification token is processed on the basis of our legitimate interest (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR) in delivering tournament update notifications you have chosen to receive.

Scanned scoresheets are processed because this is necessary to provide the scanner you choose to use (contractual necessity). Using your scans to improve recognition is based solely on your consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR), which you can withdraw at any time.

Server request logs are processed on the basis of our legitimate interest in keeping the service secure and working.

Data retention

Your location is used only at the moment of a nearby-tournament search. It is not stored in your account or profile, but it can appear in our server request logs, which are deleted after 90 days.

Server request logs, including IP addresses, are deleted after 90 days.

Scanned scoresheets are kept until you delete them in the app (see Scoresheet scanner).

Notification tokens are retained only as long as you use the app and have notifications enabled.

Account data (name, email, preferences) is retained for as long as your account exists. You may delete your account at any time from within the app, which permanently removes all associated personal data from our servers.

Anonymous usage data (device token, usage counts) may be retained in aggregated, non-identifiable form for service improvement.

Sharing with third parties

We do not sell your data.

• Google / Apple Sign-In: authentication is handled by Google or Apple. We receive only a verified identity token and basic profile information.
• Apple App Store / Google Play: subscription purchases and validation are handled by Apple and Google respectively. We receive purchase tokens solely for subscription verification.
• Push notifications: we use Expo's notification service, which receives only the anonymous device token required to deliver messages.
• Scoresheet scanner: photos are processed by our own recognition service on servers we operate. They are not sent to third-party AI services.

Data may also be disclosed if required by law or court order.

Scoresheet scanner

If you use the scanner, we process the photo you take or choose, the moves read from it, and any corrections you make.

• Private to you: photos, the cut-out images of each move and the resulting game are stored encrypted and linked to a pseudonymous identifier derived from your account (or, if you are not signed in, your device). Other users cannot see them.
• Our access: our team can access a scan only to operate the service and fix problems, for example to investigate a scoresheet that was read incorrectly.
• Deleting scans: scans are kept until you delete them in the app (Scan history → press and hold a scan → Delete), which removes the photo, the move images and the game. Deleting your account deletes all your scans.
• Improving recognition: your scans may be used to improve handwriting recognition only if you turn on Help improve scanning, which is off by default. You can turn it off at any time in the scanner under Privacy & tips; the change applies to all your scans, including earlier ones.

Scan results are produced automatically and may contain errors; please check the moves against your scoresheet.

Your rights

Under applicable data protection law (including the GDPR and the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection, FADP), you have the right to request access, rectification, erasure, or objection in relation to personal data we process.

You can delete your account at any time from within the app (tap your account badge → Delete account). This permanently removes your email, name, favorites, history, and all associated personal data from our servers. See Data deletion below for details on deleting your account or just your activity data.

To exercise any other rights, write to: support.chessapps@gmail.com. We will respond within 30 days.

Revoking location permission

You can withdraw location access at any time via your device settings. Revoking this permission does not affect core app functionality.

Data deletion

Deleting your account

You can delete your account at any time directly within the app: tap your account badge → Delete account. This permanently removes your email, name, favorites, history, scanned scoresheets, and all associated personal data from our servers. No further action is required.

Deleting your activity without deleting your account

If you would like us to delete certain data we have collected — such as your activity history, recently viewed players and tournaments, or favorites — without deleting your entire account, you can request this by emailing support.chessapps@gmail.com.

Please send your request from the email address associated with your account, and tell us which data you would like removed, so we can verify and process it. We will action your request and respond within 30 days.

Deleting scanned scoresheets

You can delete any scan yourself in the app: Scan history → press and hold a scan → Delete. Deleting your account also permanently deletes all your scans, including their photos.

Security

Reasonable technical and organisational measures are in place to protect data against unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. Connections between the app and our servers are encrypted, scanned scoresheets are stored encrypted, and traffic between our servers runs over an encrypted private network. No method of transmission over the internet is fully secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The date at the top of this page will always reflect the most recent version. For material changes, we will notify you via an in-app notice.

Questions

Acceptance of terms

These Terms of Use ("Terms") govern your use of ChessApp (the "App"). By accessing or using the App, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the App.

For purchases made through the Apple App Store, you also agree to Apple's Standard End User License Agreement (EULA), available at apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula. Where these Terms and Apple's standard EULA differ, Apple's EULA applies to your App Store purchase, and these Terms apply to all other aspects of your use of the App.

Description of service

ChessApp is a mobile application that allows users to browse chess tournament results, player histories, pairings, standings, and game analysis, and to turn photos of paper scoresheets into games. Tournament data is sourced from publicly available chess databases including chess-results.com and the FFE (Fédération Française des Échecs).

ChessApp is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to chess-results.com, FIDE, or any national chess federation.

ChessApp Pro subscription

ChessApp offers an optional auto-renewable subscription ("ChessApp Pro") that unlocks unlimited access to premium features including the Opening Tree, Explorer, unlimited game browsing, and PGN sharing.

Prices are displayed in the App at the time of purchase and vary by country and region. Payment is charged to your Apple ID or Google Play account at confirmation of purchase.

You can manage or cancel your subscription at any time in your device's subscription settings: iOS: Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions. Android: Google Play → Subscriptions.

No refunds are provided for the unused portion of a subscription period, except where required by applicable law.

Free tier and usage limits

The App is available for free with daily usage limits on certain features. These limits may change over time. Users who sign in with a Google or Apple account receive higher free usage limits than anonymous users.

User accounts

You may sign in using your Google or Apple account. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account and for all activities that occur under it.

You may delete your account at any time from within the App. Upon deletion, all personal data associated with your account is permanently removed from our servers.

Acceptable use

You agree not to:

• Use the App for any unlawful purpose or in violation of these Terms.
• Attempt to reverse engineer, decompile, or extract the source code of the App.
• Use automated tools to scrape, crawl, or systematically access App data or the underlying APIs.
• Attempt to circumvent usage limits, subscription gates, or authentication mechanisms.
• Interfere with or disrupt the servers or networks used to provide the App.

Data accuracy

Tournament data, player ratings, and game information are sourced from third-party databases and are provided for informational purposes only. We make no warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of this data. ChessApp is not responsible for errors or omissions in tournament data.

Games produced by the scoresheet scanner are read automatically from your photo and may contain errors. Please check them against your scoresheet.

Intellectual property

The App, its design, and its original content are the property of ChessApp. Tournament data displayed in the App is sourced from publicly available third-party databases and remains the property of their respective owners.

You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from any part of the App without our prior written consent.

The chess piece artwork is by Colin M.L. Burnett and is used under its free licence; see Acknowledgements.

Disclaimer of warranties

The App is provided "as is" and "as available" without any warranties of any kind, either express or implied. We do not warrant that the App will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of viruses or other harmful components.

Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, ChessApp shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of or inability to use the App.

Changes to these terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. The date at the top of this page will reflect the most recent version. Continued use of the App after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

Governing law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with applicable law. Any disputes arising under these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts.

Acknowledgements

Our warm thanks to Colin M.L. Burnett (Cburnett), whose chess piece set is used throughout ChessApp. The pieces are released by their author under free licences (GFDL, BSD and GPL) and are available on Wikimedia Commons.

Contact us

For any questions regarding these Terms, contact us at: