Overview
ChessConnect ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your personal data. This policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, and how we protect it — in plain language, for users anywhere in the world.
This Privacy Policy applies to all users of ChessConnect worldwide — chess coaches who register on our platform, and students or parents who browse coach profiles. By using ChessConnect, you agree to the terms of this policy.
ChessConnect is a global platform headquartered in India. We comply with India's Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 as our primary framework. For users in the European Union or European Economic Area, we additionally comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). For users in other jurisdictions, we apply the privacy principles most relevant to applicable local laws to the extent reasonably practicable.
ChessConnect is a directory platform connecting independent coaches and students worldwide. We do not supervise, control, or guarantee the services provided by any listed coach.
Lawful Basis for Processing
For Users in India (DPDP Act 2023)
We process your personal data based on your explicit consent given at the time of registration. By submitting the registration form, you consent to the collection and use of your data as described in this policy. ChessConnect acts as a "Data Fiduciary" under the DPDP Act, 2023, and is responsible for determining the purpose and means of processing your personal data.
For Users in the EU / EEA (GDPR)
Under GDPR, we rely on the following legal bases depending on the type of processing:
- Consent — for coach registration, public profile display, and contact data publication
- Legitimate interests — for platform security, abuse prevention, and analytics (e.g. understanding how visitors use the site via Google Analytics, where our interests do not override your rights)
- Legal obligation — where we are required to process or retain data by applicable law
Withdrawing Consent
You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting us at chessconnect.in@gmail.com. Withdrawing consent will result in your profile being deactivated and your data being scheduled for deletion within 30 days.
Data We Collect
From Coaches (at Registration)
When a coach registers on ChessConnect, we collect the following. Unless noted, this data is displayed publicly on the coach's profile:
- Full name — auto-filled from the FIDE player database via your FIDE ID
- FIDE ID, classical/rapid/blitz rating, chess title, and country — verified from our FIDE database for credibility display
- Google account email address — collected via Google OAuth sign-in for account authentication only; not displayed publicly
- WhatsApp number (with country code) — displayed publicly on your profile to enable direct student contact
- City — for location-based discovery by students
- Coaching mode — Online, Offline, or Both
- Years of experience, levels taught, languages spoken — displayed on your public profile
- Bio — minimum 100 words, displayed publicly
- Fees per session and currency — optional; displayed publicly if provided
- Trial class availability — displayed on your public profile
- Profile photo — optional; uploaded for admin review before being shown publicly
- Achievements and certifications — optional; displayed on your public profile
- Chess.com URL, Lichess URL, YouTube channel URL — optional; displayed as links on your public profile
- Personal website URL — optional; displayed as a link on your public profile
- Google profile URL — optional; collected via Google OAuth and may be displayed on your profile
- Pincode / postal code — optional; used internally for location accuracy, not displayed publicly
From Students and All Visitors (Automatically)
When any visitor browses ChessConnect, we automatically collect:
- Browser type, device type, and operating system — for compatibility and security
- Pages visited, session duration, and navigation patterns — via Google Analytics 4, for improving the platform
- General location (country and city level) — derived from IP address by Google Analytics; no precise location is collected
- IP address — for security and abuse prevention
Student Enquiry Data
When a student taps the WhatsApp or Call button on a coach profile, or simply views a profile, we log an enquiry event. This includes:
- The type of interaction (view, WhatsApp tap, or call tap)
- The coach whose profile was interacted with
- Approximate city of the student — detected via ipapi.co based on IP address
- Timestamp of the interaction
This data is shown to coaches in their dashboard analytics so they can see where their student enquiries are coming from. No student name or identity is collected.
Google Analytics 4
We use Google Analytics 4 across all pages of ChessConnect. Google Analytics collects anonymised usage data including pages visited, session duration, device type, country, and general behaviour patterns. This data is processed by Google LLC and governed by Google's Privacy Policy. We use this data solely to understand how the platform is used and to improve it. We do not use Google Analytics for advertising or remarketing.
Cookies
ChessConnect may use cookies or similar browser technologies to improve site functionality and understand usage patterns. Google Analytics places cookies on your device to distinguish visitors and track sessions. These cookies do not contain personally identifiable information. You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings, though doing so may affect your experience on the platform.
Google Fonts
We load fonts from Google Fonts to display text on ChessConnect. When a page loads, your browser connects to Google's servers. Google may log your IP address as part of this process. This is governed by Google's Privacy Policy.
We do not collect payment information. ChessConnect is currently free for coaches to list. All fee arrangements happen directly between coaches and students — we are not involved in any financial transaction.
How We Use Your Data
We use your data only for the purposes listed below:
- To create and display your public coach profile to students worldwide
- To authenticate your identity securely via Google OAuth
- To verify your FIDE credentials against our FIDE player database
- To contact you via email for profile-related support or important platform updates
- To prevent spam, fake profiles, and abuse on the platform
- To understand platform usage and improve ChessConnect's features
- To provide coaches with analytics on how many students viewed, called, or WhatsApp-messaged their profile
- To comply with legal obligations under applicable law in any jurisdiction where we operate
We do not use your data for advertising, sell it to any third party, or use it to build personal profiles for commercial purposes.
Data Storage & International Transfers
Your data is stored securely using Supabase, a cloud database platform. Supabase infrastructure may be hosted in regions including Asia-Pacific and the United States. By using ChessConnect, you consent to your data being stored and processed in these regions.
Google Analytics data is stored and processed by Google LLC on servers located in the United States and other countries where Google operates. Google LLC participates in applicable data transfer frameworks. For EU/EEA users, Google provides Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) as the cross-border transfer mechanism.
For EU/EEA users specifically: any transfer of your personal data outside the EEA to Supabase is conducted under appropriate safeguards, including Standard Contractual Clauses where applicable.
We retain your data for as long as your profile is active on ChessConnect. If you request deletion, we will remove your data within 30 days. Backup copies may persist for up to 60 additional days before permanent deletion from all systems.
Your Rights
All Users — Global
Regardless of where you are located, you have the right to:
- Access — Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Correction — Ask us to correct any inaccurate data
- Erasure — Request deletion of your profile and all personal data
- Withdraw consent — At any time, which will result in profile deactivation and scheduled data deletion
Users in India (DPDP Act 2023)
- Right to grievance redressal — Raise a complaint with us directly and we will respond within 72 hours
- If your complaint remains unresolved, you may escalate to the Data Protection Board of India once it is constituted and operational
Users in the EU / EEA (GDPR)
In addition to the global rights above, EU/EEA users have:
- Right to data portability — Receive your personal data in a structured, machine-readable format
- Right to object — Object to processing based on legitimate interests
- Right to restrict processing — Ask us to limit how we use your data pending a dispute
- Right to lodge a complaint — With your national data protection supervisory authority (e.g. the ICO in the UK, CNIL in France, or your respective EU authority)
To exercise any of these rights, email us at chessconnect.in@gmail.com. We will respond within 72 hours for general requests and within 30 days for formal data subject access requests as required under GDPR.
International Users
ChessConnect is open to coaches and students from any country. By accessing ChessConnect from outside India, you acknowledge that your data will be transferred to and processed in India and other regions where our infrastructure operates (including the United States via Google and Supabase).
We take reasonable steps to ensure your data is protected consistently regardless of where you are located. If you have specific concerns about cross-border data handling from your jurisdiction, please reach out to us and we will address them directly.
Children's Privacy
ChessConnect does not knowingly collect personal data from children under the age of 13 without verifiable parental or guardian consent. Coach registrations are intended for adults (18+). Students browsing the platform may include minors, but we do not require minors to submit any personal data to view coach profiles.
If you believe a child has submitted personal data without appropriate consent, contact us immediately at chessconnect.in@gmail.com and we will delete the data promptly.
Security
We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including:
- Row Level Security (RLS) on our Supabase database — all data is protected at the database level and profiles are invisible to the public until reviewed and approved
- HTTPS encryption on all data transmissions across the platform
- Google OAuth authentication — we never store or handle passwords ourselves
- Photo review process — profile photos are manually reviewed by our team before being made publicly visible
- Manual profile verification — no coach profile goes live without a review by the ChessConnect team
- Soft delete — deleted profiles are immediately hidden from public view while data is being permanently removed
No method of data transmission over the internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we are committed to continuously improving our practices.
Policy Changes
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, the "Last updated" date at the top of this page will be revised. For significant changes, we will notify registered coaches by email.
As ChessConnect grows globally — adding new regions, features such as payments, student accounts, subscriptions, or additional tools — this policy will be expanded accordingly. We will always notify you of material changes before they take effect. Your continued use of ChessConnect after any update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
Contact Us
For any privacy-related questions, data requests, or grievances:
- Email: chessconnect.in@gmail.com
- Platform: ChessConnect
- Response time: We aim to respond to all privacy requests within 72 hours
For EU/EEA users