Terms of Use

Using this site

ChessShelf is a free reference site for chess openings, tactics, strategy, and endgames. You're welcome to read, share links to, and reference the content here for personal study. The content is educational and reflects standard chess theory and practice; it is not a guarantee of results in any specific game or tournament, and no opening or plan described here is a substitute for your own judgment at the board.

Content and intellectual property

Chess move sequences, opening names, and standard classification codes referenced throughout this site are established facts, part of the public body of chess knowledge, and not owned by anyone. The explanatory writing — the analysis, comparisons, and plain-language explanations of what those moves and plans accomplish — is original content created for this site and may not be copied or republished elsewhere without permission. Quoting a short excerpt with attribution and a link back is welcome.

The Repertoire Starter Pack

The Repertoire Starter Pack is a digital product ($9.99, one-time payment) delivered by email as a PDF within 24 hours of purchase. It is for personal use; redistributing or reselling the file is not permitted. If the file fails to arrive or is materially defective, contact us within 14 days of purchase for a replacement or a refund. Because it is a digital product delivered immediately upon confirmation, refunds outside of a delivery or quality problem are handled on a case-by-case basis rather than guaranteed automatically.

Support Us contributions

Contributions made through Support Us are voluntary, one-time payments processed by Stripe and are not refundable except where required by law or in the case of a clear processing error.

External links and affiliate content

This site links to external resources and, where disclosed, includes affiliate links to products we've genuinely reviewed. We aren't responsible for the content or practices of external sites you reach through a link here.

Changes to these terms

These terms may be updated occasionally to reflect changes to the site or its offerings. The date at the bottom of this page reflects the last update.

No professional advice

Content on this site reflects general chess theory and practice and is provided for educational purposes. It is not personalized coaching, and using an opening or plan described here does not guarantee any particular result in any game, tournament, or rating outcome.

Limitation of liability

This site is provided as-is, without warranties of any kind. To the extent permitted by law, ChessShelf is not liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from your use of the site or reliance on its content. Chess theory reflects consensus understanding at the time of writing and may be revised as that understanding changes; use of any specific line or plan in a real game remains your own decision.

Severability

If any part of these terms is found unenforceable, the remaining sections stay in effect.

Contact

Questions about these terms, or about the Repertoire Starter Pack or Support Us specifically, can be sent through the Contact page and will get a real, personal reply.