Privacy Policy

We collect information that you provide directly to us, information collected automatically as you use the Platform, and information from third-party services you connect to your account.

We only collect information that is necessary to provide, improve, and secure the ApexChess platform and its services.

When you create an account, we collect your username, email address, and password (stored as a secure hash). You may optionally provide an avatar image.

Your username is publicly visible to other players on the Platform, including on leaderboards, brackets, and tournament results. Your email address is never publicly displayed and is used only for account communication and support.

We also record your account creation date, last login timestamp, and any profile settings you configure.

When you use the Platform, we automatically collect certain technical information, including: IP address, browser type and version, device type, operating system, pages visited, time spent on pages, and actions performed within the Platform.

We collect tournament participation history, match records, game outcomes, move notation (for fair play review purposes), and any in-platform communications associated with your account.

This data is used to operate the service, improve performance, and investigate potential violations of our fair play policy.

ApexChess uses cookies and similar technologies to maintain your session, remember your preferences, and improve your experience on the Platform. Session cookies are deleted when you close your browser; persistent cookies remain on your device for a set period.

We do not use third-party advertising cookies. You may disable cookies through your browser settings, but doing so may affect the functionality of the Platform, including the ability to stay logged in.

We use the information we collect to:

• Create and manage your account and authenticate your identity.
• Operate, maintain, and improve the Platform and its features.
• Process tournament registrations and distribute prizes.
• Detect, investigate, and prevent cheating, fraud, or abuse.
• Respond to support requests and communicate with you about your account.
• Send important service-related notifications such as tournament reminders.
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We do not use your data for targeted advertising.

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information, including encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS), secure password hashing, and access controls that limit which personnel can access user data.

While we take reasonable steps to protect your data, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your information.

In the event of a data breach that may affect your rights, we will notify affected users as required by applicable law.

ApexChess uses third-party infrastructure and services to operate the Platform, including cloud database providers, authentication services, and payment processors. These providers are bound by their own privacy policies and may process your data in accordance with those policies.

We do not share your personal data with third-party service providers beyond what is strictly necessary to operate the Platform.

The Platform may contain links to external websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites and encourage you to review their privacy policies independently.

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access — the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Correction — the right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Deletion — the right to request deletion of your personal data (subject to legal obligations).
• Portability — the right to receive your data in a structured, commonly used format.
• Objection — the right to object to certain processing of your data.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us through the Support page. We will respond to verified requests within the timeframes required by applicable law.

We retain your account information and activity data for as long as your account remains active or as needed to provide you with services. If you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal data within 30 days, except where we are required to retain data for legal, fraud prevention, or dispute resolution purposes.

Tournament and match records may be retained in anonymized or aggregated form indefinitely to maintain platform history and statistics.

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your data rights, or want to report a privacy concern, please contact us through the Support page. We take privacy inquiries seriously and will respond promptly.

By continuing to use ApexChess, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.