Terms of Service

Anyone can play. If you are under 18, you may only use the Service with the permission of a parent or guardian, who accepts these terms on your behalf and is responsible for any payments. Schools and clubs that register students confirm that they have that permission.

You can play as a guest without registering. Guest progress is tied to your browser and may be lost if you clear your data or do not create an account; guest accounts inactive for 30 days may be deleted.

If you register, keep your login details safe and tell us at support@hamduk.com.ng if you think someone else has used your account. You are responsible for activity on your account. Usernames must not impersonate others or be offensive.

To keep games fair for everyone, you must not:

• use a chess engine, tablebase, another person, or any outside help during a rated or tournament game;
• deliberately lose games or manipulate ratings (sandbagging, boosting, or playing on shared accounts);
• use bots, scripts or automation to play or to access the Service;
• abuse the analysis, coach or AI features to get help in games that are still in progress.

We check games using automated signals (such as engine-match rates and move timing) and human review. Automated checks only flag accounts; a moderator decides. If we find a violation we may void results, adjust ratings, remove you from tournaments, restrict features, or close your account. You can appeal by writing to support@hamduk.com.ng.

In chat, messages, club forums, study boards and comments, be respectful. Do not harass, threaten, spam, share others' personal information, post sexual, hateful or illegal content, or promote gambling or scams. Club owners and admins can moderate their clubs; we can remove content and suspend accounts that break these rules.

The core game is free. Paid memberships unlock extra features: Hamduk Plus (₦2,500) and Hamduk Gold (₦7,000), each for 30 days of access. Prices are in Nigerian Naira and include any fees we show at checkout. We may change prices; changes never affect time you have already paid for.

Payments are processed by Paystack. We never see or store your full card details. Each payment gives you 30 days of access and does not renew automatically — you choose whether to pay again when your access ends.

Tournament entry fees and coaching session fees are shown before you pay. Coaches on the marketplace are independent; they set their own rates and we keep a platform fee that is shown on the booking.

• Memberships: if you were charged in error, charged twice, or could not use the paid features because of a fault on our side, contact us within 7 days of payment and we will refund you or extend your access.
• Tournaments: if we or the organiser cancel a paid tournament, your entry fee is refunded in full. If you withdraw before the tournament starts, your entry fee is refunded; after it starts, it is not.
• Coaching: sessions cancelled by the coach, or by you at least 24 hours before the start time, are refunded in full.

Approved refunds go back to your original payment method through Paystack, usually within 5–10 working days depending on your bank. To request one, email support@hamduk.com.ng with your username and payment reference. This does not affect any rights you have under Nigerian consumer protection law.

Engine analysis runs in your browser. AI coaching features (including Coach Verbal Review, position explanations and the assistant) generate text automatically. They can be wrong. Use them as a learning aid, not as a guarantee, and never during a game in progress.

You keep ownership of what you create — posts, studies, annotations and your written reflections. You give us a licence to store, display and process it to run the Service (for example, showing your club post to members). Games played on Hamduk Chess, including their moves, may be shown publicly, used in puzzles and statistics, and analysed to improve fair play and training features.

The Hamduk Chess name, logo, bot characters, artwork and software belong to us. You may not copy or resell them without permission.

We work hard to keep the Service running, but it is provided "as is" and may sometimes be unavailable, for example during maintenance or because of internet problems. We may add, change or remove features. If we remove a paid feature during time you have paid for, we will extend or refund you fairly.

You can stop using the Service at any time and ask us to delete your account at support@hamduk.com.ng. We may suspend or close accounts that break these terms. Sections that by their nature should continue (such as payments owed, content licences and limits on liability) survive closure.

To the extent the law allows, we are not liable for indirect or consequential losses, or for losses caused by other players, coaches, or services outside our control. Our total liability to you for any claim is limited to the amount you paid us in the 12 months before the claim. Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot be limited by law.

These terms are governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We will try to resolve any dispute with you informally first; if we cannot, the courts of Lagos State have jurisdiction.

We may update these terms. If a change is significant, we will tell you in the app or by email before it takes effect. Continuing to use the Service after that means you accept the new terms.

Hamduk Chess Club, Lagos, Nigeria. Email support@hamduk.com.ng or call +234 706 227 3586.