1. Scope and responsibility
This policy describes information handled by AIChessGM LLC (“AIChessGM,” “we,” or “us”) through the AIChessGM macOS application, aichessgm.com, and direct customer support.
Lemon Squeezy separately handles hosted checkout, payments, tax, receipts, customer details, and provider-issued license records as merchant of record. Its handling is governed by the Lemon Squeezy Privacy Policy.
AIChessGM is designed as a local-first chess application. Your chess databases and files are not uploaded to AIChessGM merely because you open or edit them.
2. Information stored by the app
Chess files and preferences
Games, databases, opening trees, comments, layouts, generated media, and other documents are stored in locations you choose or in the app’s local storage. App settings and optional conversation history may be saved in local macOS preferences or application-support files.
License and trial record
AIChessGM stores the license key, provider activation-instance identifier, a random installation UUID, first-trial time, last successful validation state and time, last validation-attempt time, durable-offline-access status, and last-seen time in macOS Keychain-backed secure storage. We do not create a hardware fingerprint and do not use your chess data to identify an installation.
Optional provider credentials
User-entered credentials for optional AI, speech, and compatible local or remote model providers are currently saved in AIChessGM’s local macOS preferences. Environment variables can override some credentials. These credentials are not sent to AIChessGM’s website, but they are used to authenticate requests to the provider you select.
You can remove provider credentials in AIChessGM settings. Because local preferences are not the same as macOS Keychain, protect your Mac account and do not share diagnostic files that may contain private settings.
3. When the app uses the network
The base chess database, local engine, and repertoire features can operate on local files. The app makes network requests in these situations:
- Licensing: activation sends the provider-issued license key and random installation identifier to Lemon Squeezy. Later validation sends the license key and provider activation-instance identifier. Deactivation sends the same license record needed to release that Mac.
- Optional cloud features: when you use a configured AI, vision, speech, voice, remote-engine, or similar provider, AIChessGM sends the prompt and the content needed for that request. Depending on the feature, that may include chess positions, game text, documents, images, audio, or generated instructions.
- Internet Research: when you enable and use it, AIChessGM sends your search query to a search service and retrieves pages from trusted sites selected by the app or added by you.
- Updates and downloads: the app may request AIChessGM’s public update metadata, and actions you choose can open the website or download a release.
Third-party providers process those requests under their own terms and privacy policies. Review a provider’s policy before enabling it. Optional provider accounts, API charges, and cloud-compute charges are separate from the AIChessGM license.
4. Website information
| Activity | Information | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Visit or download | Requested file, audience category, timestamp, local reporting day, time zone, and SHA-256 hashes of the IP address and browser user-agent. The hosting provider may also keep ordinary server logs. | Deliver downloads, filter bots, protect the service, and count approximate release usage. |
| Optional newsletter | Email address, signup source, subscription status, and timestamps. | Send release notes, product updates, and launch news you requested. |
| Support email | Your email, message and attachments, order or license reference, issue category, outcome, and follow-up information. | Answer questions, recover activations, handle refunds, diagnose problems, and keep a minimal service record. |
Our website code does not use advertising trackers or behavioral-advertising cookies. Payment pages and linked third-party websites may use their own essential or analytics technologies under their policies.
5. Purchases and license provider records
When commercial sales are open, checkout is hosted by Lemon Squeezy. Lemon Squeezy receives and maintains payment, tax, order, receipt, customer, license, activation, refund, and disablement information needed for its service. AIChessGM does not receive or retain complete payment-card numbers.
AIChessGM may access the order, customer, and license information Lemon Squeezy makes available to the store operator so we can provide the purchased license, support, replacement-Mac recovery, refunds, fraud prevention, and required business records.
6. How we use and share information
We use information to provide and secure the app and website, validate licenses, deliver support, process requested refunds, send an optional newsletter, understand download activity, comply with law, and protect our legal rights.
We do not sell personal information and do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. We share information only with service providers needed for the purposes above, with professional advisers, when required by law, to protect rights or safety, or as part of a business transfer subject to appropriate protections.
7. Retention and security
- Local app data remains on your Mac until you delete it, reset the relevant setting, or remove it through the app or macOS.
- Newsletter information is kept until you unsubscribe or request deletion, except for a minimal suppression record when needed to honor an opt-out.
- Support, transaction, and licensing records are retained only as reasonably needed for support, fraud prevention, accounting, legal obligations, and dispute resolution.
- Website analytics records are kept only as long as reasonably needed for security and aggregate release reporting.
We use reasonable administrative and technical safeguards, but no storage or transmission method is perfectly secure. Keep license keys and third-party API credentials private.
8. Your choices and rights
- You can use core local chess workflows without configuring an AI provider.
- You can disable optional Internet Research and other cloud features in Settings.
- You can unsubscribe from the newsletter or request access, correction, or deletion of information AIChessGM controls by emailing us.
- Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights to access, correct, delete, restrict, object to, or receive a copy of personal information.
Some transaction or security records may need to be retained when law permits or requires it. Requests involving Lemon Squeezy-controlled checkout data may also need to be directed to Lemon Squeezy.
9. Children
AIChessGM is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from a child under 13 through the website. A parent or guardian who believes a child provided personal information can contact us for review and deletion.
10. Changes and contact
We may update this policy when the app, website, providers, or legal requirements change. We will post the revised date here and provide additional notice when required.
For privacy questions, newsletter opt-out, or a rights request, email support@aichessgm.com.