ChessMessTerms of Service
These terms are an agreement between you and ChessMess ("we", "us"), the chess website at www.chessmess.online. ChessMess is run from Pakistan. By using the site you agree to these terms and to our Privacy Policy. If you don't agree, please don't use ChessMess.
Questions? Email [email protected].
Who can use ChessMess
- You can play without an account.
- To create an account you must be at least 13 years old. If you're under 18, you need a parent's or guardian's permission.
- One person per account. Keep your password private; you're responsible for what happens on your account.
What's free
Every tool for playing and learning is free: bots, coach mode, game review, the analysis board, the mistake trainer, the World Tour, games with friends and everything else listed in the Guide. Some pages show ads, and a few features unlock with a short video (see "Ads" below). We may add, change or remove features, and we can't promise the site will always be available or error-free.
Ads
ChessMess is paid for partly by ads from Google AdSense:
- small banner ads on some menu and reading pages, never on the game screen;
- optional short videos that unlock Coach for 24 hours, takebacks for the rest of a bot game, or a premium board or piece set for 3 days. A video only plays when you choose to watch one; if no video is available, the feature unlocks anyway.
Don't click ads you aren't interested in, use automated tools to view them, or try to get around the unlock system. Supporters see no ads or videos. Ads come from third parties, and we aren't responsible for advertisers' products or websites.
Fair play and behaviour
When you play other people, play your own moves. Don't:
- use an engine, another person or any outside help in games against people, except coach hints a room's host has switched on for everyone to see;
- harass, threaten or impersonate anyone, or use offensive names, handles or avatars;
- cheat, abuse bugs, or try to break, overload or get around the site's limits and security;
- scrape the site, run automated accounts, or resell the service.
We may remove content, change an offensive name or handle, and suspend or close accounts that break these rules.
AI opponents and practice bots
- Online play: while the community grows, online games are against AI opponents matched to your rating. We say so on the Online page.
- Practice bots from real players: "Play like your opponent" builds a bot from a player's public games on Lichess or Chess.com. The bot copies their opening choices and plays at about their rating; it is not that person, and ChessMess isn't affiliated with Lichess or Chess.com.
Your games and content
Games you play, clips you make and names you choose are yours. You let us store and show them as needed to run ChessMess (for example, your game history, your profile and the games you share). Don't share content you don't have the right to share.
Optional payments
ChessMess is free to use. You can choose to pay for:
- Supporter time (for example 1 month or 1 year) and tips, which help cover running costs and give thank-you extras: no ads or videos, a supporter badge and the Gilded theme;
- an early name or handle change, if you want one before your free yearly change.
Current prices are shown on the Support page and at checkout. All payments are one-time and processed by Stripe; nothing renews automatically, and we never see your card details. Supporter extras never affect play, learning or ratings, and supporter time can't be transferred or exchanged for cash.
Refunds: if you were charged by mistake or something you paid for didn't work, email us within 14 days and we'll refund you. If a payment is refunded or disputed, we may remove what it paid for. Nothing in this section limits rights you have under consumer law where you live.
Our content and open-source software
The ChessMess name, logo, text and design belong to us. ChessMess is built with open-source software and artwork, including the Stockfish chess engine and chess libraries licensed under the GNU GPL, and piece sets under their own licences; their authors are credited on the About page, and those licences apply to those parts.
Third-party services
We use Stripe for payments, Postmark for email, Cloudflare for security and delivery, and Railway for hosting. Practice bots read public data from Lichess and Chess.com. Their own terms apply to your use of their services.
No warranty
ChessMess is provided "as is". Engine evaluations, move labels and coach explanations are computer estimates and can be wrong. To the fullest extent the law allows, we don't give warranties of any kind.
Limit of liability
To the fullest extent the law allows, we aren't liable for indirect or consequential losses, or for lost data, games or ratings. Our total liability to you for any claim is limited to the amount you paid us in the 12 months before the claim, or US$10 if you paid nothing.
Closing your account
You can delete your account at any time in Settings; this permanently removes your account data as described in the Privacy Policy. We may close accounts that break these terms or stay inactive for a long time, after trying to warn you by email where possible.
Changes to these terms
We may update these terms. If a change is important, we'll show a notice on the site or email account holders before it takes effect. The date at the top shows the latest version.
Law and disputes
These terms are governed by the laws of Pakistan, and the courts of Pakistan have jurisdiction, except where the law of your country gives you the right to bring a claim in your own courts or under your own law. Please contact us first; most problems can be solved by email.