Privacy Policy
TChess is a chess training app for Android and the web, published by Optivio Automation. This page says what we collect, why, and what you can do about it.
The short version
TChess works offline and without an account. Puzzles, bots, lessons, analysis and the opening book run on your device. We do not sell your data and there are no ads.
Without an account
Your progress — rating, streak, history, saved puzzles, lessons — stays on your device. We cannot see it. A few technical identifiers are still sent without an account; they are listed under “Device identifiers” below.
With an account (optional)
Signing in lets your progress follow you to another device. We store:
- your email address, and the name Google provides if you sign in with Google;
- the name and picture you choose in the app;
- your account ID, a random number that identifies your account;
- your rating, XP, streak, timezone and daily totals (not a log of every move);
- your saved puzzles and per-theme progress;
- whether you have TChess Pro.
Purchases
TChess Pro is bought through Google Play in the app, or through our payment partner on tchess.app. Google Play handles your payment: your card details never reach TChess.
In the app, purchases are managed by RevenueCat, which works together with Google Play Billing. RevenueCat receives your purchase history and subscription status (what you bought, when, and whether it is active) and your account ID, which we give it as your customer ID. Before you sign in, RevenueCat uses an anonymous ID instead. We keep a record of your subscription and purchase events so that Pro stays unlocked on all your devices and so we can sort out billing questions.
AI Coach and AI opponents
When you ask the AI Coach (Pro) to explain a move, the moves and the engine’s numbers for that position are sent to OpenAI to write the explanation. Your name and email are not sent.
When you play the ChatGPT or Grok bots, the moves and positions of that game, and any chat message you type to the bot, are sent to OpenAI (ChatGPT) or xAI (Grok) so the bot can reply. We also save the game and your last messages on your account so you can continue it. These companies act as our processors, only to answer you. Please do not type personal information to the bots.
Opening explorer
The opening explorer sends only chess positions, never your name, email or account ID. Our server looks the positions up on Lichess using TChess’s own access, so nothing about you reaches Lichess.
Crash reports and usage counts
If the app crashes, Sentry receives a report with the app version, device model, Android version and the error, so we can fix it. We turn off Sentry’s personal data options: no email, no account ID and no games or positions are attached. Crash reports cannot be switched off in the app.
Separately, anonymous counts (for example “a puzzle was solved”) sent to PostHog tell us which features are used. These use a random ID created on your device, never your account, and contain no games or positions. You can turn the counts off in Settings → Privacy. Until the next app version, PostHog may work out an approximate city and country from your IP address when it receives these counts; the next version turns that off.
Notifications
If you allow them, you get a daily streak reminder and occasional TChess news. To send them we store your device’s push token (and your timezone and app version) and use Google’s Firebase Cloud Messaging to deliver them. You can turn notifications off at any time in Settings.
Device identifiers
Besides the above, the app uses these identifiers, none of which is your name or email:
- a random install ID, so we can count installs, including people who never make an account;
- the push token described above, only if you allow notifications;
- a scrambled (hashed) version of your Android device ID, used only to stop the free trial being claimed again and again on the same device. We never receive the raw ID;
- RevenueCat’s anonymous ID, used until you sign in.
What we never collect
Precise location, contacts, photos, camera, microphone, advertising IDs, or anything from other apps.
How long we keep data
Account data is kept while your account exists and deleted when you delete it. Local data stays on your device until you reset or uninstall. Billing records are the exception: see “Your choices”. Crash reports and usage counts are kept only as long as we need them to fix problems and understand how the app is used.
Who processes data for us
Trusted service providers act only on our behalf: Supabase (account database and hosting), RevenueCat and Google Play (purchases), Firebase Cloud Messaging (notifications), Sentry (crash reports), PostHog (usage counts), and OpenAI and xAI (AI Coach and AI bots). They may be located outside your country, including the United States. Our host, Vercel, also provides Web Analytics for this website: it is cookieless and aggregate, and it does not track you across sites.
Children
TChess is not directed at children under 13. If you believe a child has made an account, email us and we will delete it.
Your choices
- Use TChess without signing in.
- Turn off usage counts or notifications in Settings.
- Uninstall to remove everything on your device.
- Delete your account and the data stored with it: in the app under Settings → Delete account (arriving in the next app version), on the delete account page, or by emailing support@tchess.app from the address you signed in with. Billing records are the one thing we keep: the entries about purchases and subscriptions stay for accounting, but your account ID is removed from them, so they no longer point to you.
Changes
If this policy changes, the date above changes with it.