Privacy Policy

Chess Bird is an online platform that organises and manages skill-based chess tournaments and competitive matches. Players pay a registration fee to compete against other verified participants in structured formats. Chess is universally recognised as a game of skill, strategy, and intellectual ability.

By accessing our platform and registering for any tournament, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and consent to the collection and use of your information as described herein.

We collect only the information that is necessary to operate the platform, verify your identity, process payments, and manage your tournament participation. This includes:

Personal Identification Information

• Full Name — used to identify you in our records, tournament brackets, and leaderboards.
• Email Address — used for communication, registration confirmation, match scheduling, and prize notifications.
• Phone Number — used for WhatsApp/Telegram support contact and important tournament updates.
• Chess.com or Lichess Username — used to verify your identity, fetch your public rating, and track your in-game performance during tournaments.

Payment Information

• Transaction reference numbers and payment status records generated by our payment processor (Razorpay).
• We do not collect, store, or process raw card numbers, CVV codes, UPI PINs, or any sensitive banking credentials directly. All such data is handled exclusively by our PCI-DSS compliant payment gateway.

Technical & Device Information

• Browser type and version, operating system, and device type.
• IP address and approximate geographic location.
• Pages visited, time spent on platform, and interaction logs (for security and fraud prevention).

Chess Performance Data

• Publicly available chess ratings fetched from Chess.com or Lichess APIs.
• Match results, scores, and ranking data generated through tournament play on our platform.

Your data is used solely for the purposes described below. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for commercial gain.

Tournament Registration & Management

• To register and confirm your participation in chess tournaments.
• To generate tournament brackets, assign pairings, and schedule matches.
• To maintain and update the official leaderboard and ranking system.

User Communication

• To send confirmation emails following registration or payment.
• To notify you of your match schedule, opponent details, and round results.
• To inform you of prize distribution timelines or any changes to tournament rules.
• To respond to support queries submitted via email, WhatsApp, or Telegram.

Payment Verification

• To verify successful payment before confirming your tournament spot.
• To reconcile transactions and issue refunds where applicable under our Refund Policy.
• To maintain a secure payment audit trail for financial and legal compliance.

Fair Play & Security

• To verify the ownership and authenticity of registered chess accounts.
• To detect and prevent cheating, engine assistance, multiple account registrations, and fraudulent payment activity.
• To conduct identity verification calls if warranted by suspicious activity.

Platform Improvement

• To analyse usage patterns and improve platform features.
• To address technical issues and ensure a smooth user experience.

Chess Bird takes the security of your financial information extremely seriously. All registration fee payments are processed through Razorpay, a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regulated and PCI DSS Level 1 compliant payment gateway.

• All payment transactions are encrypted using TLS 1.2 / TLS 1.3 encryption protocols.
• Chess Bird does not store, log, or have access to your credit/debit card numbers, CVV, UPI PINs, or net banking credentials at any time.
• Payment data is handled entirely within Razorpay's secure, isolated environment.
• We retain only the transaction reference ID, payment status (success/failure), and amount for our internal records and audit purposes.
• In the event of a refund, the reversal is processed back through Razorpay to your original payment method within the timelines specified in our Refund Policy.

Your personal data is stored securely using Google Firebase (Firestore Database and Authentication), which employs enterprise-grade security infrastructure, including encryption at rest and in transit.

• Access to your personal records is restricted to authorised platform administrators only.
• We implement role-based access controls, ensuring that no single administrator has unrestricted access to all sensitive data.
• Our Firestore Security Rules restrict database read and write access based on user authentication status and role.
• We do not share your personal information with any third party except as required to operate the platform (e.g., payment processor, email service), or as required by applicable law.
• In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you promptly in accordance with applicable legal obligations.

Chess Bird uses a minimal set of cookies and browser storage technologies to enhance your experience and ensure platform security.

Types of Cookies We Use

• Session Cookies: Temporary cookies that expire when you close your browser. Used to maintain your authenticated session during your visit.
• Preference Cookies: Store your preferences (such as form state) to reduce repeated data entry.
• Analytics Cookies: Used via Google Firebase Analytics to understand aggregate usage patterns. These are anonymised and do not identify you individually.

We do not use cookies for advertising, retargeting, or selling data to third-party marketing platforms. You may disable cookies through your browser settings; however, some functionality of the platform may be affected.

We use the following trusted third-party services to operate the platform. Each operates under its own privacy policy and security standards:

• Razorpay (Payment Processing): Handles all payment transactions. PCI DSS Level 1 certified. Razorpay Privacy Policy
• Google Firebase (Database & Authentication): Stores user registration data and manages authentication. Operated by Google LLC. Firebase Privacy Policy
• Chess.com / Lichess API (Rating Verification): Used to fetch publicly available player ratings and verify account ownership. Only public API endpoints are accessed.
• Google Fonts (Typography): Loads web fonts. Google may collect minimal usage data. No personal data from our platform is shared.
• Font Awesome (Icons): Loads icon assets via CDN. No personal data is shared.

We do not sell or share your personal data with any of these third parties beyond what is strictly necessary to provide the services described.

We retain your personal data for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, or as required by applicable law.

• Tournament registration data (name, username, payment status) is retained for a minimum of 2 years following the completion of the tournament, for dispute resolution and audit purposes.
• Payment transaction records are retained as required by Indian tax and financial regulations (typically 7 years).
• If you request deletion of your account and data, we will fulfil the request within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.

You have the following rights with respect to your personal data held by Chess Bird:

• Right of Access: You may request a copy of all personal data we hold about you.
• Right of Correction: You may request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
• Right to Deletion: You may request deletion of your personal data, subject to applicable legal retention obligations.
• Right to Object: You may object to the processing of your data for any purpose beyond what is strictly necessary for tournament operation.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time by contacting us.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our support team using the details provided in Section 10 below.

For any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal data, please reach out to us through any of the following channels. We aim to respond to all enquiries within 2 business days.

Chess Bird is operated in India. This Privacy Policy is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India, including the Information Technology Act, 2000 and applicable rules. Any disputes arising in connection with this Privacy Policy shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in India.