Privacy Policy
Last updated: October 7, 2026
1. Who we are
chessMMO ("we," "us," or "our") operates the website chessmmo.gg, the browser game at play.chessmmo.gg, the chessMMO apps for iOS and Android, and the game servers behind them (together, the "Service"). This policy explains what information we collect, why, who we share it with, how long we keep it, and the choices you have. Questions or requests: dan@chessmmo.gg.
2. Information we collect
2a. Your account
When you create an account we collect your username, your email address and your password. Your password is stored only as a cryptographic hash; we never see or store it in plain text. Your username is public. Your email address is never shown to other players.
2b. Gameplay
To run the game and keep your progress we store: • Your rating, games played, wins, draws, losses and win streak • A record of each rated game: the moves, result, time control, start and end times, your opponent, and the rating change • Trophies, total time played and when you were last seen • Your skill experience, items, bank, worn equipment, health and how far you have progressed through the world We do not store your position in the world.
2c. Chat, friends and clans
• Public world chat: messages you send in world chat are stored with your username and the time, so recent chat can be shown to players who join later and so we can moderate. Messages are filtered for profanity before they are stored. • Reactions you add to chat messages. • Friends: your friend list and friend requests. • Direct messages: messages between you and your friends are stored so you can read them later. • Clans: clans you create or join, join requests, and clan chat messages. • Blocks and mutes you set on other players.
2d. Country, device and IP address
• Country: when you sign in, we work out your approximate country from your IP address, and store the country (not your city and not your IP address) with your account. We show it publicly as a flag next to your name, and use it for statistics. • Device and app: your platform (for example web, iOS or Android), operating system, a short part of your browser's user agent, and the app version. • IP address: used briefly to route your connection, to look up your country, and to limit repeated sign-in and password-reset attempts. IP addresses kept for rate limiting are deleted within one day. We do not store your IP address with your profile. We do not collect your precise location, your contacts, or access to your camera or microphone.
2e. Purchases and subscriptions
Supporter subscriptions are sold through the Apple App Store and Google Play. We never receive your card or payment details. We receive your subscription status and basic transaction details (such as the product, price, store, country and dates), which we use to give you your supporter benefits and for our records.
2f. App analytics and advertising measurement (mobile apps)
Our iOS and Android apps use advertising measurement tools so we can understand how people find the app and how well our ads work. This may include events such as installing and opening the app, creating an account and playing a first game, together with device information, your IP address, a hashed (scrambled) account identifier and, where allowed, your device's advertising identifier. On iOS, the app asks for your permission to track (App Tracking Transparency); if you decline, this data is not used for ad tracking. On Android you can reset or delete your advertising ID in your device settings. We do not show ads in the game.
2g. Crash reports
If the mobile app crashes or hits an error, it sends a technical report so we can fix it. Reports include device and app details and what the app was doing.
2h. Notifications
If you allow notifications in the mobile app, we store a push notification token for your device so we can send them. You can turn notifications off in your device settings at any time.
2i. Website analytics
Our website chessmmo.gg uses Google Analytics, which uses cookies, to understand how many people visit and which pages they view. The browser game at play.chessmmo.gg does not use Google Analytics. You can block analytics cookies in your browser or with Google's opt-out add-on.
2j. Playing without an account
Where we let people play without an account, a guest's progress is not saved. Public chat messages sent as a guest are stored under the guest name, as described in 2c.
3. How we use your information
We use your information to: • Create and secure your account and keep you signed in • Run the game: validate moves on our servers, run clocks, record results and calculate ratings • Save your progress, items and skills • Show your username, rating, flag, supporter status and profile to other players • Deliver chat, direct messages, friends and clans • Give supporters their benefits • Moderate chat and enforce our Terms, including detecting cheating and abuse • Fix bugs, keep the Service running and plan capacity • Understand how many people play and on which platforms and countries • Measure our app marketing, as described in 2f We do not sell your personal information to data brokers.
4. Chat moderation
To keep chat safe, public world chat is moderated, including with automated tools, to find harassment, hate speech and other rule breaking. Moderators may act on what they find, including muting accounts. Direct messages and clan chat are not part of this moderation.
5. What other players can see
By design, other players can see your username, rating, chess title, trophies, win/draw/loss record, country flag, supporter crown, whether you are online, your public profile (including your rated games and rating history), and the public chat messages you send. Your friends can see your direct messages to them, and clan members can see clan chat. Your email address is never shown.
6. Who we share information with
We share information only with service providers that help us run the Service (such as hosting, databases, email, payments, crash reporting, moderation tools and advertising measurement), and only as needed for them to provide their services to us. Payments are handled by Apple and Google. Our website chessmmo.gg uses Google Analytics. We may also disclose information if required by law or valid legal process, to protect the safety of our players or the public, or as part of a merger, acquisition or sale of assets (in which case we will tell you before your information becomes subject to a different policy).
7. How long we keep information
• Account, progress and social data: for as long as your account exists. • Public chat messages: for as long as your account exists, or until removed by moderation. Guest chat messages are kept without a link to any account. • Rated game records: kept to preserve other players' game histories and ratings. If you delete your account, your name is removed from them (see section 8). • Purchase and subscription records: kept as long as needed for accounting, tax and legal purposes, even after account deletion. • Rate-limit records containing IP addresses: deleted within one day. • Information held by our service providers is kept according to their own retention policies.
8. Deleting your account
You can delete your account in the game: open Settings, choose "delete account" and confirm with your password. You can also email dan@chessmmo.gg. When you delete your account we delete your profile, email, progress, items, skills, friends, direct messages, clan memberships and clan messages, your public chat messages and reactions, and your device and country records. Your rated games are kept for your opponents' histories, but are reassigned to a "deleted player" and no longer linked to you. Your opponents' own personal game summaries may still show the username you used. Purchase records are kept as described in section 7.
9. Security
We protect your information with encryption in transit, hashed passwords, access controls on our database, and server-side game logic. No system is perfectly secure; if a breach affects your personal information we will notify you as required by law.
10. Your rights and choices
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, delete or export your personal information, to object to or restrict some processing, and to withdraw consent. To make a request, email dan@chessmmo.gg; we will respond within 30 days and may need to verify your identity. Choices you have at any time: decline tracking on iOS, reset your advertising ID on Android, turn off notifications, block analytics cookies on our website, and delete your account in the game. California residents: we do not sell personal information for money. Sharing limited app data with advertising partners to measure our ads may count as "sharing" for cross-context behavioral advertising under California law; you can opt out by declining tracking on iOS, resetting or deleting your advertising ID on Android, or emailing us. EEA and UK residents: we process your information to provide the game you signed up for (contract), to keep the Service secure and fair and to understand its use (legitimate interests), to meet legal obligations, and, for app tracking on iOS, with your consent. You may complain to your local data protection authority.
11. Children
chessMMO is not directed at children under 13, and you must be at least 13 to create an account (or older where your country requires it, such as 16 in some EEA countries). If you believe a child under the required age has given us personal information, contact dan@chessmmo.gg and we will delete it.
12. International transfers
Our providers may process information in the United States and other countries, which may have different data protection laws from yours. Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards for these transfers.
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the game changes. When we make material changes we will update the date at the top and, where required, let you know in the game or by email.
14. Contact
Email: dan@chessmmo.gg Website: chessmmo.gg