Privacy Policy

Introduction

ChessBhumi ("ChessBhumi", "we", "us" or "our") operates the ChessBhumi website and the online chess service available on it (the "Service"). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. We've written it in plain language because a privacy policy should be readable, not just legally complete. By using ChessBhumi, you agree to the practices described here.

Information we collect

We aim to collect as little personal information as possible. What we handle falls into a few categories:

• Account information. When you register, we collect a username, an email address and a securely hashed password. You may optionally add profile details such as a country, a short bio or cosmetic preferences.
• Gameplay data. To run the Service we store the games you play, your moves, ratings, puzzle results, and related activity such as friends, messages and reports.
• Information you choose to provide. If you contact us or submit a request, we receive what you send — such as your name, email address and the contents of your message — and use it only to respond.
• Aggregated, non-identifying usage data. We collect anonymous statistics about how the Service is used to understand what's useful and to improve it.

Automatically collected data

Like most websites, our servers and service providers may automatically record certain technical information when you visit, including your IP address, browser type and version, device type, operating system, referring pages, and the date and time of your visit. This is used for security, to diagnose problems, to prevent abuse and cheating, and to compile aggregate analytics. It is not used to personally identify you beyond what is necessary to operate and protect the Service.

How we use your information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide the Service — create your account, run your games, and calculate ratings and puzzle progress.
• Keep the Service secure and fair, including detecting abuse and protecting the integrity of rated play.
• Respond to your messages, support requests and feature suggestions.
• Send essential account emails, such as email verification and password resets.
• Understand usage in aggregate so we can improve performance and design.

Cookies

Cookies are small text files stored on your device by your browser. ChessBhumi uses cookies and similar technologies to keep you signed in, remember your preferences (such as your board theme and light/dark mode), maintain security, measure traffic and — where applicable — support advertising. You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings at any time, although disabling certain cookies may affect how parts of the site work. We use:

• Essential cookies necessary for sign-in, security and core functionality.
• Preference cookies that remember your settings.
• Analytics cookies that help us understand, in aggregate, how the Service is used.
• Advertising cookies that may be used by third-party partners to deliver and measure ads (see below).

Analytics

We may use analytics tools, such as Google Analytics, to measure and improve the performance of ChessBhumi. These tools use cookies and similar identifiers to tell us, in aggregate, how many people visit, which features are popular, and where we can make the experience faster and clearer. Analytics data is reported in aggregate and does not identify you personally. You can opt out of Google Analytics with the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on; see Google's Privacy Policy for more.

Advertising

We may display advertising, including through Google AdSense, to help keep ChessBhumi free. When advertising is active, third-party vendors, including Google, may use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites. You can opt out of personalised advertising through Google Ads Settings, and from many other vendors at aboutads.info and youronlinechoices.eu. Where required by law, non-essential cookies are used only with your consent, which you can change or withdraw at any time.

Third-party services

We rely on a small number of trusted third-party providers to deliver and improve ChessBhumi — for example web hosting, email delivery, analytics and advertising partners. These providers process data on our behalf, or under their own privacy policies, and only to the extent necessary to perform their service. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services referenced here.

Data security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure or destruction. Passwords are stored only as secure hashes, never in plain text. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Your rights and choices

Depending on where you live, you may have rights over your personal data — including the right to access, correct, delete or export it, and to object to or restrict certain processing. These rights are recognised under regulations such as the EU/UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. You can update much of your information in your account settings, and you can request account deletion at any time. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at chessbhumi19@gmail.com and we'll respond in line with applicable law.

Children's privacy

ChessBhumi is intended for a general audience and is not directed at children under the age of 13 (or the minimum age required in your country). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

External links

ChessBhumi may contain links to third-party websites and resources. We provide these for convenience and do not control, endorse or take responsibility for the content or privacy practices of those external sites. Visiting a linked website is at your own discretion, and we encourage you to read its privacy policy.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements or features. When we make material changes, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Your continued use of ChessBhumi after an update means you accept the revised policy.

Contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, email us at chessbhumi19@gmail.com or use our Contact page.