Terms of service

1. Definitions and acceptance

1.1. For the purposes of these Terms, “Platform” means the EonChess website, applications and Telegram bot; “User” means any natural person who holds an account; “Stake game” means a game in which each player contributes an identical amount in USDT; “Free game” means a game played without any amount; “Balance” means the amount in USDT associated with the User's account; and “Fee” means the percentage retained by the Platform for organising each Stake game.

1.2. By registering, the User declares that they have read, understood and fully accepted these Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, the Fair Play Policy and the Responsible Gaming policy, which form an integral part of them. Anyone who does not agree with any of their provisions must refrain from using the service.

2. Nature of the service

2.1. EonChess is an online chess platform on which two players compete against each other. The outcome of each game depends exclusively on the skill of the participants; no element of chance or random mechanism is involved.

2.2. The Platform is not a party to the games and has no interest whatsoever in their outcome. Its role is limited to pairing players, ensuring compliance with the rules, controlling the clock, holding the amounts during the game and settling them when it ends.

2.3. The Balance is not a bank deposit, an investment product or a financial instrument, and it does not earn interest or returns of any kind. USDT is a digital asset issued by third parties unrelated to the Platform, whose value and operation are beyond its control.

3. Eligibility

3.1. Only natural persons aged 18 or over, or the age of majority established by the laws of their country if higher, with full legal capacity to be bound by these Terms, may register.

3.2. Stake games are not available in certain countries. Users resident in those countries may only access Free games and practice mode. Each User is responsible for verifying that their participation complies with the laws of their place of residence.

3.3. The use of virtual private networks, proxy servers or any other means to conceal one's actual location or circumvent territorial restrictions is prohibited.

3.4. Each person may hold only one account. The creation of additional accounts, whether in one's own name or in the name of third parties, entitles the Platform to block all accounts involved.

4. Registration and account security

4.1. Registration may be completed with an email address and a password, subject to verification by means of a code, or through Telegram. The User undertakes to provide truthful information and to keep it up to date.

4.2. Usernames may not impersonate another person or contain offensive, discriminatory or misleading expressions. The Platform may require them to be changed.

4.3. The User is responsible for safeguarding their password, access to their email account and their Telegram account, as well as for all activity carried out from their account. Any unauthorised use must be reported to support immediately.

4.4. The Platform may at any time request documentation proving the User's identity, age or source of funds, and may suspend account operations until it is received.

5. Conduct of games

5.1. Games are played at the time controls offered by the Platform from time to time. The clock is controlled exclusively by the server, and its records prevail over any indication displayed on the User's device.

5.2. Once the players have been paired and the initial countdown has elapsed, White has 60 seconds to make the first move. If White fails to do so, the game is annulled. From that first move onwards, the game counts for all purposes and each player's clock runs until they move or run out of time.

5.3. A game ends by checkmate, by time running out, by resignation or by a draw. A draw is declared by stalemate, insufficient material, threefold repetition of position, the fifty-move rule or mutual agreement. When a player runs out of time and their opponent lacks sufficient material to deliver checkmate, the game is declared a draw.

5.4. Resigning at any moment, even before the first move, counts as a loss for the player who resigns.

5.5. Disconnection does not stop the clock. If a player fails to reconnect within the following 60 seconds, they lose the game by abandonment, unless their opponent lacks sufficient material to deliver checkmate, in which case a draw is declared. If both players disconnect, the game is annulled.

5.6. In challenges and private rooms, the time control and the amount are agreed between both players before the game starts. Once accepted by both, the conditions cannot be changed during the game.

6. Amounts and settlement

6.1. When a Stake game begins, an identical amount is reserved from each player's Balance. For the duration of the game, that amount cannot be withdrawn or used for another game.

6.2. When the game ends, settlement is automatic and immediate: the winner receives the sum of both amounts minus a Fee of 5 %; in the event of a draw, each player recovers their amount minus 5 %; and if the game is annulled, both amounts are returned in full without any fee.

6.3. The result recorded by the server is final, without prejudice to the disputes provided for in clause 11 and to any measures adopted under the Fair Play Policy.

7. Deposits

7.1. Deposits may only be made in USDT via the BEP20 (BNB Smart Chain), Solana or TON networks, to the personal address assigned by the Platform to each account. The minimum amount per deposit is 5 USDT. Deposits below the minimum are not automatically credited to the Balance; the User may contact support to have their case reviewed.

7.2. Deposits are credited to the Balance automatically once confirmed on the relevant network. Confirmation times depend exclusively on that network.

7.3. Sending an asset other than USDT, using an unsupported network or sending an amount below the minimum may prevent the deposit from being credited and result in the loss of the funds, for which the Platform accepts no liability.

8. Withdrawals

8.1. Before requesting a withdrawal, the User must have taken part in Stake games for a total value at least equal to their deposits. This requirement is intended to prevent money laundering and the use of the Platform as a means of transferring funds.

8.2. Each withdrawal is confirmed by means of a one-time code sent to the account's email address or, for accounts created with Telegram, to the official bot's chat. Without that code, the withdrawal is not processed.

8.3. The minimum amount and the network fee shown on the withdrawal form apply; they are displayed together with the net amount to be received before the transaction is confirmed.

8.4. Withdrawals are usually processed within a few minutes. Large withdrawals, those requested during the first days after the account is created and those showing signs of risk are subject to manual review, which may take up to 24 hours, or longer if additional information is required.

8.5. The Platform may reject a withdrawal when the account's withdrawals are frozen, when the account is under investigation or when it breaches these Terms. If a withdrawal is rejected, the amount is returned to the Balance.

8.6. Blockchain transactions are irreversible. The User is solely responsible for correctly specifying the destination network and address.

9. Fees

9.1. The Fee per Stake game is 5 %, on the terms described in clause 6. Free games, practice mode and annulled games do not generate any fee.

9.2. The Platform does not charge for depositing or for holding a Balance. Only the network fee shown on the form is deducted from withdrawals.

9.3. Any change to the fees will be announced on the Platform in advance and will not affect games already in progress.

10. Referral programme

10.1. Each account has a personal invitation link. For the 6 months following the registration of an invited user, the person who invited them receives 20 % of the portion of the Fee attributable to the invited user in each Stake game. For these purposes, half of the Fee of each game is deemed attributable to each player.

10.2. That amount is deducted entirely from the Fee retained by the Platform. It does not come from the winner's prize, from the players' amounts or from other users' Balances, and it does not increase what any player pays. By way of example, in a game of 10 USDT per player the Fee amounts to 1.00 USDT and the invited user's referrer receives 0.10 USDT.

10.3. Earnings are credited to the referrer's Balance at the end of each game. Free games and annulled games do not generate earnings. Inviting oneself through another account or arranging results to obtain referral earnings constitutes a serious breach of these Terms and entails the cancellation of such earnings, without prejudice to other measures.

11. Game disputes

11.1. When a Stake game ends, either player may open a dispute from the game itself, describing the facts in as much detail as possible.

11.2. The Platform's team examines each dispute and communicates its decision by notification. If the dispute is upheld, the game is annulled and the amounts are returned in full to both players.

12. User conduct

12.1. The User undertakes to use the Platform in good faith and to treat other players with respect. Using the chat to insult, harass or threaten, to disseminate unlawful or promotional content, or to share third parties' personal data is prohibited.

12.2. Receiving assistance from software, other persons or any external means during a game, arranging results, deliberately losing in order to transfer funds, manipulating ratings or exploiting technical errors of the Platform is prohibited. Such conduct is governed by the Fair Play Policy.

12.3. Interfering with the technical operation of the Platform, accessing its systems without authorisation or automating the use of the service by means of software is prohibited.

13. Suspension, blocking and closure of accounts

13.1. The Platform may, on a precautionary or permanent basis, freeze withdrawals, suspend or block accounts that breach these Terms or show signs of fraud. A blocked account loses access to all features of the service.

13.2. Where cheating or fraud is established, the amounts improperly obtained are returned to the affected opponents and any resulting referral earnings are cancelled.

13.3. The User may close their account at any time from Settings, provided that their Balance is zero and they have no withdrawals in progress. Closure is permanent.

14. Availability of the service

14.1. The Platform strives to operate continuously but does not guarantee that the service will be free from interruptions. A maintenance mode may be activated during which Stake games and withdrawals are suspended; the Balance remains intact and Free games and practice mode remain available.

14.2. If a technical incident attributable to the Platform prevents a Stake game from being concluded normally, the game may be annulled and the amounts returned in full.

15. Intellectual property

15.1. The trademark, design, software and content of the Platform belong to its owner or its licensors. No rights over them are granted to the User beyond personal use of the service in accordance with these Terms.

15.2. The User authorises the Platform to store, display and analyse the games they play, including their moves, for the operation of the service, fair play monitoring and statistical purposes.

16. Limitation of liability

16.1. The service is provided “as is” and “as available”. To the extent permitted by law, the Platform is not liable for damage arising from failures of the User's connection or device, errors in the data provided by the User, interruptions or congestion of blockchain networks and other third-party services, or fluctuations in the value of USDT.

16.2. Nothing in these Terms limits any liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law.

17. Amendments

17.1. The Platform may amend these Terms to adapt them to legal, technical or service changes. Material amendments will be communicated on the Platform with reasonable notice, and continued use of the service after they take effect constitutes acceptance of them.

18. Notices and governing law

18.1. Notices to the User are given through notifications on the Platform, the account's email address or the Telegram bot. Enquiries and complaints may be sent to the support email address shown at the end of this document.

18.2. The parties will endeavour to resolve any dispute amicably. Failing that, it will be subject to the laws and courts that are competent under the applicable regulations.

18.3. If any provision of these Terms is held to be void or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.