Terms of Service

Last updated: 6 June 2026 · Operator: [Your Company Name]

1. Eligibility & Account

You must be at least 13 years old to use ChessFlow. Users under 16 (or 18 in some jurisdictions) require parental or guardian consent. By creating an account you confirm you meet the age requirement.

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your credentials. One person may hold only one account unless explicitly approved by us. You must provide accurate registration information.

2. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

• Use engine assistance, databases, or any external aid during live rated games or puzzles (see §3 for detail).
• Harass, threaten, or abuse other users, coaches, or staff in any communication channel.
• Post or transmit defamatory, false, or fraudulent statements about other users.
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to accounts, servers, or databases.
• Scrape, crawl, or data-mine the platform at scale without written permission.
• Create fake accounts, impersonate others, or manipulate ratings.
• Upload or share illegal, pornographic, or violent content.
• Engage in spam, phishing, or pyramid schemes via the messaging system.
• Interfere with the normal operation of the service (DDoS, injection, exploits).
• Sell, transfer, or commercially exploit your account without permission.

Violations may result in warnings, temporary suspension, or permanent account termination depending on severity.

3. Fair Play & Anti-Cheat

Chess integrity is fundamental to ChessFlow. Our automated system analyses move quality, timing patterns, and statistical outliers. Flagged accounts are reviewed by a human moderator before any action is taken.

Prohibited conduct

• Engine assistance — using chess engines (Stockfish, etc.) during a live or correspondence game.
• Tab-out analysis — consulting external analysis tools between moves.
• Pre-move databases — using real-time opening book lookups beyond what the platform provides.
• Account manipulation — sandbagging, rating farming, or intentional loss to manipulate rating.
• Identity fraud — playing under a false identity or having someone else play on your behalf.

Consequences

• First detected offence (minor statistical anomaly): account flag, warning email.
• Confirmed engine use: permanent ban, rating wiped, lifetime block from leaderboards.
• Severe or repeat violations: permanent ban without appeal.

The full Fair Play Policy including detection methodology and appeal instructions is published separately.

4. Chat & Messages

ChessFlow provides a direct messaging system for players and coaches. Messages are stored server-side and may be reviewed by moderation staff in response to reports.

Standards

• No harassment, threats, slurs, or targeted abuse of any kind.
• No unsolicited commercial messages (spam).
• No sharing of personal data belonging to third parties without consent.
• No false accusations of cheating published in any channel visible to other users.

Reporting a message

Use the ⚑ Report button visible on any received message. Reports are reviewed within 72 hours (target SLA). For urgent harassment or threats, email safety@chessflow.app and we will respond within 24 hours.

Defamation risk

Posting false public accusations of cheating against another user constitutes potential defamation. Such posts will be removed as soon as they are reported or discovered. The poster's account may be suspended pending review. ChessFlow is not liable for user-generated content under applicable safe harbour provisions but takes swift action on takedown requests.

5. Content Moderation

ChessFlow applies automated content filtering to all messages at the point of sending. Messages containing high-severity content are blocked. Messages containing lower-severity flagged content are delivered but queued for review.

Moderation process

1. User submits a report via the ⚑ button or reports a user via their profile.
2. The report is queued in the admin moderation panel with the message or content in context.
3. A moderator reviews within 72 hours. Urgent safety reports are escalated within 24 hours.
4. Action taken: dismiss (no violation), warn sender, suspend sender, or delete/take down the content.
5. The reporter receives a notification of the outcome. The reported user receives a notice if action is taken.

Takedown requests

To request removal of specific content (defamatory posts, false accusations, personal data), email safety@chessflow.app with the content reference (message ID or URL). We aim to remove qualifying content within 48 hours of a valid request.

6. Coach-Student Relationship & Code of Conduct

For coaches

By registering as a coach on ChessFlow you agree to this Code of Conduct:

• Competence — only represent skills, titles, and experience you actually hold. False credentials are grounds for immediate removal.
• Professionalism — maintain respectful, professional communication with all students at all times.
• Appropriate content — sessions must remain focused on chess. Any sexual, abusive, or exploitative conduct is prohibited and will be reported to law enforcement where applicable.
• No conflicts of interest — do not wager against students or use student data for commercial gain outside the platform.
• Honest pricing — display your actual hourly rate. Do not request off-platform payments to circumvent ChessFlow fees.
• Privacy — do not share student game data, performance details, or personal information without the student's explicit consent.
• Reporting — if a student discloses information suggesting harm (especially where a minor is involved), coaches have a moral (and potentially legal) duty to report to appropriate authorities.

For students

• You are responsible for evaluating a coach's suitability for your needs. Read reviews and verify credentials independently if you have concerns.
• ChessFlow does not guarantee the accuracy of coach-supplied credentials (titles, FIDE ratings). The FIDE verification badge is based on publicly available FIDE data but is not independently audited.
• Report concerns about coach conduct using the platform's reporting tools or by emailing safety@chessflow.app.

Enforcement

Reports of coach misconduct are reviewed within 72 hours. If confirmed, the coach's profile is suspended pending investigation. Serious violations (fraud, abuse, false credentials) result in permanent removal from the platform. We cooperate fully with law enforcement requests.

7. Account Termination

Termination by you

You may delete your account at any time via Profile → Your Data & Privacy → Delete Account. Paid subscriptions are not automatically refunded on voluntary deletion — see the Subscription Terms.

Termination by us

We may suspend or terminate accounts that:

• Violate the Fair Play Policy (confirmed engine use, rating manipulation).
• Engage in harassment, threats, or abuse of other users or staff.
• Post defamatory or fraudulent content.
• Repeatedly violate these Terms after prior warnings.
• Are used to attempt security breaches, scraping, or other attacks on the platform.

For temporary suspensions (1–30 days), the reason is communicated by email. Access to personal data export remains available during a suspension.

8. Appeals Process

We aim to be transparent and fair. All bans are subject to human review before being issued. If you believe a ban was applied in error you may appeal.

How to appeal

1. Log in to your account (appeals require authentication).
2. Go to Profile → Your Data & Privacy → Appeal a Ban.
3. Submit a written appeal (up to 2,000 characters) explaining why you believe the ban is incorrect. Include any relevant context.
4. You may submit one appeal per ban. Duplicate or repeated appeals for the same ban will be dismissed.

Review timeline

• Initial acknowledgement: within 48 hours.
• Full review decision: within 7 business days.
• You will be notified by email of the outcome.

Outcomes

• Approved: Ban lifted. Account restored. Rating history reviewed case by case.
• Denied: Ban stands. The denial notice will include the reason. A second appeal may be submitted only if new evidence is available.
• Escalated: In borderline cases, a senior moderator reviews before a final decision is issued.

Decisions on permanent bans for confirmed engine use are final after two denied appeals.

9. Intellectual Property

ChessFlow and its logos are trademarks of [Your Company Name]. The platform code, design, and original content are owned by us. Game notation, moves, and opening theory are not copyrightable. Your game history belongs to you — you can export it at any time.

You grant ChessFlow a non-exclusive licence to store and display your content (messages, profile info, uploaded images) solely for operating the platform. We do not sell your content to third parties.

10. Disclaimers & Liability

The platform is provided "as is". We do not guarantee uninterrupted availability, accuracy of engine analysis, or suitability of coaching. To the maximum extent permitted by law, our liability for any claim arising from use of the platform is limited to the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim.

We are not liable for user-generated content, coach conduct, or outcomes of coaching relationships. See §6 (marketplace disclaimer).

11. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of [Your jurisdiction]. EU consumers retain all statutory rights that cannot be excluded by contract. Disputes that cannot be resolved informally may be referred to the courts of [Your jurisdiction] or, for EU consumers, the EU Online Dispute Resolution platform.

12. Contact

Safety & harassment reports: safety@chessflow.app
Takedown / defamation requests: safety@chessflow.app
Appeals (if account access is unavailable): appeals@chessflow.app
General support: support@chessflow.app

Related policies: Fair Play Policy · Subscription Terms · Privacy Policy