Terms of Service

Acceptance of terms

By accessing or using ChessMethod, you agree to these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service. These terms apply to all users, including learners, coaches, and administrators. ChessMethod is operated by Shortcastle Pte. Ltd.

User accounts

You are responsible for keeping your login credentials confidential and for all activity that occurs under your account. You must provide accurate information when creating an account. Notify us immediately at support@chessmethod.io if you suspect unauthorized access.

Acceptable use

When using the Service, you agree to:

• Use ChessMethod only for lawful chess education, practice, and certification
• Treat other users and staff with respect — no harassment, bullying, or abusive behavior
• Not cheat on exams, share exam content, or otherwise undermine certification integrity
• Not attempt to reverse engineer, hack, or abuse Service infrastructure
• Not upload harmful, illegal, or inappropriate content

Educational content

Lessons, activities, videos, puzzles, and other learning materials available on ChessMethod may be owned by Shortcastle, curriculum partners, or licensors. You receive a limited, non-transferable license to access and use this content for personal learning. You may not copy, redistribute, or commercially exploit it without permission.

Payments and refunds

Some features require payment: learner levels (each includes its curriculum, practice, mock exams and the certification exam), level credits for coaches, and the coach plan. On the website and the Android app, payments are processed by Razorpay (Indian rupees) or Stripe (other currencies). In the iOS app, purchases are made through Apple's In-App Purchase and billed to your Apple ID by Apple; prices in the app are the App Store prices for your country or region. Prices, taxes and what you get are shown before you pay. Refunds for purchases made through the App Store are handled by Apple under Apple's terms (request one at https://reportaproblem.apple.com). For purchases made on the website, contact support about charges, refunds or billing disputes.

Auto-renewable subscriptions

The ChessMethod Coach Plan is an auto-renewable subscription with a length of one year, at the price shown before you subscribe. When bought in the iOS app, payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically for another year at the then-current price unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for the renewal within the 24 hours before the current period ends. You can manage or cancel the subscription at any time in your Apple ID account settings (on iPhone or iPad: Settings > your name > Subscriptions); cancelling stops future renewals, and access continues until the end of the period already paid. A subscription bought on the website is managed from your account and billed by Stripe.

Certification exams

Proctored exams require camera consent and a suitable environment. We may review snapshots, event logs, and recordings for identity and integrity. We may withhold, revoke, or refuse a certificate if we reasonably believe an exam was compromised. Passing an exam does not guarantee any particular academic, employment, or federation outcome.

Intellectual property

The Service, its design, software, and ChessMethod branding are owned by Shortcastle Pte. Ltd. and its licensors. Nothing in these terms grants you ownership of Service technology or third-party content.

Account suspension

We may suspend or terminate your account if you violate these terms, engage in harmful behavior, or misuse the Service. We will make reasonable efforts to notify you, but reserve the right to act immediately in cases of serious misconduct or security threats.

Disclaimer of warranties

The Service is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. We do not guarantee uninterrupted, error-free, or secure operation at all times. Exams, curriculum, and payments depend on internet connectivity and third-party services that may occasionally experience downtime.

Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Shortcastle Pte. Ltd. is not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from your use of the Service. Our total liability for any claim related to the Service is limited to the amount you paid us in the twelve months before the claim, or one hundred dollars (USD), whichever is greater.

Changes to terms

We may update these Terms of Service from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the revised terms.

Additional terms for the iOS app (Apple App Store)

If you downloaded ChessMethod from Apple's App Store, these terms also apply, and they take precedence where they conflict with the rest of these Terms:

• These Terms are between you and Shortcastle Pte. Ltd. only, not with Apple Inc. ("Apple"). Shortcastle Pte. Ltd., not Apple, is solely responsible for the ChessMethod app and its content.
• Your licence to use the app is limited to a non-transferable licence to use it on Apple-branded devices that you own or control, as permitted by the Usage Rules in Apple's Media Services Terms and Conditions.
• Shortcastle Pte. Ltd. is solely responsible for maintenance and support of the app (contact support@chessmethod.io). Apple has no obligation to provide any maintenance or support services for the app.
• If the app fails to conform to any applicable warranty, you may notify Apple, and Apple will refund the purchase price of the app (if any) to you. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Apple has no other warranty obligation with respect to the app; any other claims, losses, liabilities, damages, costs or expenses attributable to a failure to conform to a warranty are the responsibility of Shortcastle Pte. Ltd.
• Shortcastle Pte. Ltd., not Apple, is responsible for addressing any claims by you or a third party relating to the app or your possession or use of it, including product liability claims, claims that the app fails to conform to any applicable legal or regulatory requirement, and claims arising under consumer protection, privacy or similar legislation.
• If a third party claims that the app or your possession and use of it infringes that third party's intellectual property rights, Shortcastle Pte. Ltd., not Apple, is solely responsible for the investigation, defence, settlement and discharge of that claim.
• You represent that you are not located in a country subject to a U.S. Government embargo or designated as a "terrorist supporting" country, and that you are not on any U.S. Government list of prohibited or restricted parties. You must also comply with any applicable third-party terms (such as your mobile carrier's) when using the app.
• Apple and Apple's subsidiaries are third-party beneficiaries of these Terms. Once you accept these Terms, Apple has the right (and is deemed to have accepted the right) to enforce them against you as a third-party beneficiary.

Contact

Questions about these Terms of Service? Email support@chessmethod.io.