PlayChessOnline.eu Privacy Policy

Welcome to PlayChessOnline.eu. We built this site so anyone, at any age, can learn and enjoy chess. Your privacy matters to us, so this page explains - in plain language - what information we handle and what we don't.

In short: PlayChessOnline.eu runs largely in your browser. We don't require an account, sell personal data, or use advertising trackers. With your consent, we use limited first-party analytics to count visits and understand which pages are used.

What we collect

PlayChessOnline.eu is designed to minimize the information sent to our server:

• No accounts. You can play, train, and use every feature without signing up or giving us your name.
• First-party analytics after consent. We send a random visitor ID, a random browser-session ID, the requested page path (including its query string), and timestamps to our own server. The browser sends a heartbeat every 30 seconds while the page is visible.
• Limited retention. Session-start records are kept for up to 90 days. A browser user-agent may be processed in memory for the live-session view for approximately two minutes, but it is not written to the persistent analytics store.
• Chess data stays local. Your games, moves, uploaded PGNs, and training progress are not included in analytics and stay in your browser.

Settings stored in your browser

To remember your preferences between visits, PlayChessOnline.eu stores small pieces of data in your browser's localStorage - things like your board style, piece colors, sound settings, chosen bot, and puzzle progress. Those chess and preference values stay on your device.

After you start opening practice, the larger opening-book file is saved in your browser's Cache Storage so it normally does not need to be downloaded again on later visits. A new book version replaces the previous cached version automatically. Your browser can remove this functional cache when storage is cleared or space is needed; it is not used for analytics or advertising.

If you accept analytics, a random visitor identifier is also stored in localStorage and a random session identifier in sessionStorage. The visitor identifier remains until you withdraw consent or clear this site's browser storage; the session identifier ends with the browser session.

PGN uploads and games

Features like the Game Analyzer and Bot Detector let you upload a PGN file. These files are parsed and analyzed entirely inside your browser - we do not upload them to any server, and we never see their contents.

Contact messages

If you use the contact form, we process the name, email address, subject, and message that you provide so we can receive and answer your request. The form sends that information to our Gmail mailbox using Google's email service.

Contact correspondence is kept only as long as reasonably necessary to answer the message, maintain the resulting correspondence, or meet a legal obligation. Do not include sensitive information that is not needed for your request.

Analytics consent and browser controls

We do not use Google Analytics or advertising cookies. The optional first-party analytics described above use localStorage and sessionStorage and start only after you choose “Accept.” The analytics purpose is to measure audience size and page usage so we can improve the service.

Do Not Track is respected: when your browser sends DNT: 1, the tracker stays disabled. Declining or withdrawing analytics consent removes the stored analytics identifiers from this browser.

Your rights (GDPR)

If you are in the European Union, the General Data Protection Regulation gives you rights over any personal data a service holds about you - including access, correction, deletion, restriction, portability, and the right to object. You can withdraw analytics consent at any time using the controls above. To exercise another right, contact us using the address below.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your national data protection authority.

Chess is for all ages

Chess is a wonderful game at any age, and PlayChessOnline.eu has no minimum age requirement. We do not knowingly request personal data from children. Optional analytics are limited to pseudonymous visit information, and parents or guardians can decline analytics before using the site together with children.

Changes to this policy

If we add new features - such as the newsletter or other services - we may update this page to reflect them. The "Last updated" date at the top will always show when the most recent change was made.