Privacy Policy
Last updated: October 3, 2026
Chess Around Town ("the App", "we", "us") helps players in New York City find each other and coordinate in-person chess meetups at parks, clubs, cafes, and other venues. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have.
Information you provide
- Account information: your email address and password (if you sign up with email), or your name and email as shared by Apple or Google if you sign in that way.
- Profile information: display name, username, bio, profile photo, chess ratings and usernames you choose to add (e.g. Chess.com or Lichess handles), preferred time controls, and the neighborhoods ("boroughs") you tell us you play in. All of this is self-reported; we never determine it automatically.
- Content you create: proposals to play (location, date, time, notes), messages you send to other users, and reports you file about other users or content.
Information collected automatically
- Activity data: which proposals you create or join, venues you check into (via QR code or manually), and follows/followers between accounts, all used to power the app's core features (matching players, showing "regular" status at a venue, achievements).
- Push notification token: if you enable notifications, we store a device push token (and basic device info like OS name/version) so we can deliver notifications to you. We do not use this to track you outside the app.
We do not collect your precise device location (GPS). Any location shown in the app (like a borough or a venue's address) is either a fixed venue location or something you typed in yourself.
This website and the Android waitlist
If you join the Android waitlist on chessaroundtown.com, we collect the email address you enter. We use it to let you know when the Android app launches and to contact you about Chess Around Town. We don't sell it, and joining the waitlist doesn't create an account in the app. It is stored with the cloud infrastructure providers described under "Third-party services" below, and you can ask us to remove it at any time by emailing support@chessaroundtown.com.
How we use your information
- To operate the app's core features: proposals, RSVPs, messaging, following, check-ins, ratings, and achievements.
- To show your profile, activity, and content to other users according to the visibility settings you choose (public, followers, following, or private invitation only).
- To send you notifications you've opted into (e.g. someone joined your proposal).
- To keep the community safe: reviewing reports, and enforcing blocks between users.
Who can see your information
Other users can see what your profile visibility settings allow. Proposals you mark "public" are visible to anyone using the app; "followers"/"following" limit visibility accordingly; "private invitation" proposals are visible only to people you specifically invite. You control discoverability and who can message you from the app's Privacy settings.
Third-party services
We use cloud infrastructure providers to host our database, authentication, and file storage, a push notification delivery service to send notifications to your device, and a product analytics service to understand how the App is used (e.g. which features are opened, basic device and app-version info). These providers process data only on our behalf, to operate and improve the App. They don't use it for their own purposes, and we do not use analytics to track you across other companies' apps or websites. If you sign in with Apple or Google, those providers process your sign-in on their own terms, and we only receive the information needed to create your account (typically your name and email).
Data retention and deletion
We keep your information for as long as your account is active. You can permanently delete your account at any time from Settings → Delete Account inside the app. Deleting your account removes your profile, proposals, messages, ratings, follows, check-ins, and achievements. This action is immediate and cannot be undone.
Your choices
- Edit or remove profile information at any time from Settings.
- Control who can see your proposals, check-ins, and profile, and who can message you, from Settings → Privacy.
- Turn notifications on or off from Settings → Notifications or your device's system settings.
- Block or report another user directly from a conversation.
- Delete your account entirely from Settings → Delete Account.
Age requirement
Chess Around Town is intended for adults. You must be at least 18 years old to use the App, and we do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18.
Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We'll update the "Last updated" date above when we do.
Contact us
Questions about this policy or your data? Email us at support@chessaroundtown.com.