1. Our Core Philosophy on Data
Simple: we collect the absolute minimum data required to run the service. We are not in the business of harvesting or selling your information. We're in the business of chess. Your personal data is a liability to us, not an asset. We'd rather focus on checkmates than on cookies.
2. What We Collect and Why
When You Register for a Tournament:
Through our contact form, we ask for:
- Your Name & BlitzChess Username: So we know who you are in the tournament bracket and on the leaderboard.
- Your Email Address: This is our ONLY way of contacting you if you win a prize or if there are important tournament updates. We will never send you unsolicited marketing spam.
When You Browse Our Website (Anonymous Data):
Like virtually all websites, we collect anonymous, non-personal data to see how our site is being used. This includes things like:
- What pages are most popular.
- What features are being used.
- What country visitors are from (but not your specific location).
This data is completely anonymous and helps us improve the site. We can't identify you from it, even if we wanted to.
3. What We Absolutely DO NOT Collect
This is the important part. We will never ask for, store, or have access to:
- Passwords. Because there are no accounts to log into.
- Payment Information. We don't sell anything directly on the site.
- Your Precise Location, Photos, or Contacts. We're a chess site, not a social network.
4. Data Sharing (or Lack Thereof)
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information with any third parties for marketing purposes. Full stop.
The only time your data might be seen by a third party is in the context of essential site operations (e.g., our web hosting provider stores the site files), but they are bound by their own strict privacy policies.
5. Your Control and Rights
You are in control. If at any time you want to know what information we have on you (which is just your tournament entries) or you want it deleted, simply send us an email from the address in question. We'll handle it promptly. It's your data, your rules.
6. Changes to This Policy
If we ever make significant changes to this policy, we will post a prominent notice on the website. But our core philosophy of collecting minimal data will never change.
7. Questions?
If you have any questions about this policy, please don't hesitate to reach out . We believe in transparency and are happy to clarify anything.