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Terms of service

Free-to-play beta · Effective [date]

These terms are an agreement between you and [company legal name] ("Gambit Club", "we") about your use of the Gambit Club website. By creating an account or playing, you agree to them. If you don't agree, don't use Gambit Club.

1. The beta

Gambit Club is in a free-to-play beta. Games are played for virtual coins only. Coins have no cash value. They can't be bought, sold, transferred to another player, or exchanged for money. The only exception is the Rewards program in section 4, when it is open: coins you win from other players can then be redeemed for prizes such as gift cards, on the terms there. We may change, reset or remove coins, ratings and other beta data at any time.

Cash play is not offered during the beta. If we offer it later, it will be available only where lawful, and separate terms will apply.

2. Your account

• You must be at least 18 years old.
• One account per person. Keep your email address up to date; it's how you sign in.
• You're responsible for activity on your account. Tell us at [support email] if you think someone else is using it.
• Usernames must not impersonate anyone or be offensive. We may change or remove a username that breaks these rules.

3. Fair play

Every game must be played by you alone. You may not:

• use a chess engine, another person, or any outside help during a game;
• run more than one account, or play on someone else's;
• lose games on purpose, or arrange results with another player;
• use bots, scripts or anything that automates play, or exploit bugs.

We analyze games to detect these behaviors, including with chess engines and information your browser reports during games (such as move timing and whether the game tab is in focus). If we decide you've broken these rules, we may adjust ratings and coins, reverse results, and suspend or close your account.

4. Rewards

[Have counsel confirm the program structure, eligible states, prize limits and tax handling before turning Rewards on. Until then this section doesn't apply.] When we open the Rewards program, you can redeem reward coins for prizes such as gift cards listed on the Rewards page.

• What counts. Reward coins are coins you win from other players in coin games, minus coins you lose in coin games and coins you have already redeemed. Sign-up coins, top-ups, bonuses and other free coins never count.
• What doesn't. Wins don't count when the other account is new or has played few games, uses a disposable email address, has been used from the same device or network as yours, ends the game by resigning, timing out or abandoning right away, or is under fair-play review. Only a limited number of coins won from any one opponent count each month. The Rewards page shows the current limits.
• One account per person. You may have one account, linked to one email inbox you own. Creating or using other accounts to earn reward coins, playing against yourself, or arranging results with other players is cheating under section 3.
• Who can take part. You must be at least [18] and live in [eligible states]. Prizes are limited to [$500] per person per year, and the program may have a monthly prize budget; when it runs out, requests wait until the next month.
• Review. We review every request before sending a prize. While we do, the coins are held. We may ask you to verify your identity, and we may decline a request, returning the coins, or close an account and cancel its reward coins and pending prizes if we find abuse. Prizes are sent to the email address on your account.
• Prizes. Gift cards are subject to their issuer's terms. We aren't responsible for a prize that is lost or used by someone else after we send it. Prizes can't be exchanged for cash, except where the law requires it. [Taxes: whether prize value is reported, and the threshold, to be confirmed with a tax adviser.]
• Changes. We may change the prizes, coin prices and limits, or pause or end the program. Requests already made are honored or the coins returned.

5. How you treat others

Don't harass, threaten or abuse other players, and don't use Gambit Club for anything unlawful. We may remove content and suspend or close accounts that do.

6. Your games are public

Finished games, including your username, moves, times and results, may be shown to other players and to anyone with a link to the game, and can be downloaded in PGN format. Ratings and leaderboards show your username.

7. Ending your account

You can stop using Gambit Club at any time and ask us to delete your account at [support email]. We may suspend or close accounts that break these terms, and we may end the beta or change the service at any time.

8. No warranty

Gambit Club is a beta, provided "as is" and "as available". We don't promise it will be uninterrupted, error-free or secure, or that games, ratings or coins won't be lost. To the extent the law allows, we disclaim all warranties, express or implied.

9. Limits on our liability

To the extent the law allows, we aren't liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, or for lost data, and our total liability for any claim about Gambit Club is limited to [$50]. Some places don't allow these limits, so they may not apply to you.

10. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms. If a change is significant, we'll tell you on the site or by email before it takes effect. Continuing to use Gambit Club after that means you accept the new terms.

11. Law and disputes

These terms are governed by the laws of [state], without regard to its conflict-of-law rules. [Dispute resolution clause: courts of a named county, or arbitration. Choose with your lawyer.]

12. Contact

[Company legal name, mailing address] · [support email]