Terms of Use & Service
Last Updated: October 2026 • Applies to com.example.chesshub (Android) & com.rakr.chesshub (iOS)
These Terms of Use ("Terms", "Agreement") constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("User", "Player", or "You") and the developers and operators of ChessHub ("we", "us", or "our").
By downloading, installing, launching, accessing in Guest Mode, or creating an authenticated account on ChessHub across Apple iOS or Google Android, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by these Terms and our companion Privacy Policy.
1. Account Eligibility & Access Modes
1.1 Guest Mode: Players may participate in live matchmaking and casual play as a Guest. Guest accounts are identified by ephemeral pseudonyms (e.g., guest_a1b2c3d4). Guest players agree to all game integrity, anti-cheat, and sportsmanship rules herein.
1.2 Authenticated Grandmaster Accounts: Users seeking verified rank retention across mobile devices authenticate via phone number One-Time Password (OTP) powered by Firebase Auth. You are solely responsible for maintaining custody of your phone number and SMS verification codes.
1.3 Single Account Principle: Creating secondary accounts for the purpose of rating manipulation (sandbagging or rating inflation) is strictly prohibited under Section 2.1.
2. Game Integrity, Anti-Cheat & Fair Play
ChessHub is built on absolute competitive fairness. We enforce zero-tolerance anti-cheat policies to protect the authenticity of the live Firestore leaderboard:
2.1 Prohibition of External Chess Engines & Bots
Players are strictly prohibited from utilizing external chess engines (including, but not limited to, Stockfish, Komodo, Leela Chess Zero, Houdini), automated bots, opening book solvers, endgame tablebases, or consulting third-party human players or computer programs during any rated online match. All moves must originate purely from the player's own cognitive intellect.
2.2 Disconnection & Inactivity Rules (FIDE Clock Standards)
In online matchmaking, players are responsible for maintaining a stable network connection. If a player intentionally closes the app, experiences a network drop, or permits their turn countdown timer to expire, standard FIDE Clock Expiration Rules apply: the player loses the match on time. If the opposing player has insufficient mating material to deliver checkmate by any series of legal moves, the game is declared a draw under FIDE Article 6.9.
2.3 Rating Manipulation, Sandbagging & Collusion
Any attempt to distort ELO rating calculations (calculated dynamically with K=32) is a direct breach of this Agreement. This includes intentionally aborting or resigning games to lower one's rating ("sandbagging"), colluding in private game rooms with friends or secondary accounts to artificially boost points, or manipulating matchmaking queue states. Violations result in immediate rating resets, leaderboard expulsion, and permanent device-level bans.
3. Protocol for Resignation & Draw Offers
Matches on ChessHub follow precise client-server communication protocols to prevent griefing and unauthorized game cancellations:
Mutual Draw Agreement Protocol
A player may propose a draw through the in-game action menu. When triggered, the system presents a Waiting for opponent dialog to the initiator and delivers an interactive prompt to the receiving player (Opponent has offered a draw. Accept offer?). A draw is executed if and only if the opponent accepts. If declined or ignored, the match continues uninterrupted without rating penalty.
Voluntary Resignation Protocol
Players may voluntarily resign at any point during their turn or the opponent's turn. Resignation is final, irrevocable, and immediately terminates the match. The game room triggers an immediate game-over state, awarding the victory to the opponent and committing the updated ELO scores to Firestore. Resignations cannot be recalled or disputed.
Pass & Play (Single Phone Dual Clock) Shared Responsibility
When utilizing the Over-The-Board Dual Clock feature on a single shared physical device, both players share mutual responsibility for physical clock tap toggling, turn progression, and fair play. ChessHub is not liable for device drops, screen damages, or disputes arising from over-the-board physical play.
4. Intellectual Property & Asset Rights
4.1 3D Character Personas & 3D Trophy Models: All graphical assets, 3D character persona models and illustrations (— Tactical Queen, Blitz Sovereign, Classical Maestro, Cyber Neo, Prodigy Ace, Speed Falcon, and the Grandmaster —), 3D trophy models, audio acoustic sound effects, brand logos, and UI layouts are the exclusive proprietary intellectual property of ChessHub and its creators. You may not reverse-engineer, decompile, extract, reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from these assets without express written consent.
4.2 User Content & Match Records License: Players retain ownership of their chosen display name, username, and local profile image. By playing matches on ChessHub, you grant ChessHub a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free license to record, store, display, and publish match transcripts (SAN moves, FEN notation), ELO ratings, and leaderboard rankings across our public web and mobile platforms.
5. Warranties & Limitation of Liability
ChessHub is provided on an "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. While we strive for 99.9% uptime and low-latency Cloud Firestore synchronization, we do not warrant that matchmaking queues will be uninterrupted, error-free, or immune from local network latency. Under no circumstances shall ChessHub or its operators be liable for indirect, incidental, punitive, or consequential damages resulting from app downtime or gameplay disputes.
6. In-App Access & Modifications to Terms
These Terms are permanently accessible in-app via the Side Menu Drawer → Settings & Legal → Terms of Service modal dialog, as well as on this public web portal. We reserve the right to amend these Terms at any time. Continued use of ChessHub following any posted revisions constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms.
Legal & Support Inquiries
For legal inquiries, copyright notices, or questions regarding fair play enforcement, contact:
Email: support@kabbahub.com
Subject: ChessHub Terms of Service & Fair Play Inquiry