1. Introduction

Welcome to Grandmaster Royale ("we," "our," or "us"). We operate the website at playfreechess.com (the "Service"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website and use our chess game services.

By accessing or using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the Service.

2. Information We Collect

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit the Service, we may automatically collect certain information, including:

• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, device type, and screen resolution.
• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, navigation paths, and game interactions.
• Log Data: IP address, access times, and referring URLs.

Information You Provide

We do not require you to create an account to use our Service. However, if you contact us via our contact form, we may collect your name, email address, and any information you provide in your message.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, operate, and maintain the Service.
• Improve, personalize, and expand the Service.
• Analyze usage patterns and trends to enhance user experience.
• Respond to your inquiries and provide customer support.
• Detect, prevent, and address technical issues and security threats.
• Comply with legal obligations.

4. Cookies and Local Storage

We use browser localStorage and cookies to:

• Remember your theme preference and game settings.
• Maintain your sound mute/unmute preference.
• Store your game configuration for a seamless experience.

These are strictly necessary for the functionality of the Service and do not track you across websites. You can clear localStorage through your browser settings at any time.

5. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services:

• Stockfish Chess Engine: For AI gameplay functionality (stockfish.online). This service receives only the current board state to compute moves and does not receive personal information.
• Google Fonts: For font delivery (fonts.googleapis.com).
• Font Awesome: For icon delivery (cdnjs.cloudflare.com).
• Vercel: Our hosting provider.

6. Data Retention

Since we do not collect personally identifying information through account registration, your game data is stored locally in your browser and is not retained on our servers. You may clear this data at any time by clearing your browser's cache and localStorage.

7. Data Security

We implement reasonable security measures to protect the information we collect. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Children's Privacy

The Service is not directed to individuals under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete such information promptly.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically for any changes.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us.