Privacy policy

Last updated: June 19, 2026

At Thinking Chess Academy ("we," "our," or "us"), your privacy matters to us. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, protect, and disclose your personal information when you visit our website (thinkingchess.ca), make a purchase, or register for our chess programs, tournaments, and services (collectively, the "Services").

By using our website or submitting your information, you acknowledge and agree to the practices described in this policy.

1. Personal Information We Collect

Depending on how you interact with our Services, we may collect the following categories of personal information:

  • Contact Information: Parent or guardian name, billing address, shipping address, phone number, and email address.

  • Student Information: Student name, age, and chess skill level. This information is collected strictly from parents or legal guardians and is used solely to place students in the correct academic groups and manage class rosters.

  • Registration & Academic Details: Course selections, tournament schedules, attendance records, and educational assessments.

  • Financial & Transaction Information: Payment card details, transaction history, and payment confirmations. Please note that credit/debit card processing is handled securely by our primary certified payment processors (such as Shopify Payments).

  • Communications Data: Questions, feedback, support inquiries, or messages sent through our contact forms, email, or customer support chat.

  • Device & Usage Information: Automatically collected data regarding your interaction with our website, including IP address, browser type, device information, and network connection details through the use of cookies and similar technologies.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information strictly for operational and educational purposes related to the Academy and our online store, including:

  • Providing and Organizing Services: Processing registrations, fulfilling orders, organizing classes, managing student rosters, and arranging local operations or shipping.

  • Communication: Sending updates about schedules, class reminders, academic progress, and responding to your inquiries or customer support requests.

  • Security and Fraud Prevention: Ensuring a secure checkout experience, authenticating accounts, and protecting our website from fraudulent or malicious activity.

  • Improving Our Programs: Analyzing website performance and user experience to improve our educational programs and services.

Your data is never sold, rented, or shared with third parties for their own marketing or commercial purposes.

3. How We Disclose Personal Information

In certain circumstances, we may share your personal information with trusted third-party service providers to enable our operations:

  • Service Providers: With cloud storage infrastructure, IT management platforms, data analytics, customer support chat tools, and payment gateway infrastructure (such as Shopify Payments) necessary to process transactions and securely hold data.

  • Legal Compliance: When required by applicable law, to respond to valid legal processes, or to protect the safety, rights, and security of Thinking Chess Academy, our users, or the public.

4. Photography and Media

From time to time, we may take photographs or videos during our chess classes, camps, or tournaments for educational or promotional use (such as our website or social media). We deeply respect your preferences. If you do not want your child’s image used, please inform us in writing at info@thinkingchess.ca before the start of the course, and we will gladly accommodate your request.

5. Security and Data Retention

We implement appropriate technical and administrative security measures to safeguard your personal data against unauthorized access, loss, or misuse. Access to personal data is strictly limited to authorized staff who require it for academic or administrative purposes.

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the educational, administrative, and legal purposes outlined in this policy, or as required by applicable tax and financial laws in Canada.

6. International Transfers

Please note that our technical infrastructure utilizes global cloud storage and service providers. Consequently, your personal information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in secure data centers located outside of your home province or country (including the United States), subject to standard privacy safeguards.

7. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on where you reside, you have the following rights regarding the personal data we maintain about you:

  • Right to Access / Know: You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.

  • Right to Correct: You may request that we update or correct inaccurate information.

  • Right to Delete: You may request that we permanently delete your personal information from our academic and commercial records, subject to certain legal or financial retention exceptions.

  • Communication Preferences: You can opt-out of receiving optional educational news or updates at any time by using the unsubscribe link in our emails.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us directly at info@thinkingchess.ca.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect operational, structural, or legal changes. The revised version will always be published on this page with an updated "Last updated" date.

9. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints regarding our privacy practices, please contact us at:

Thinking Chess Academy

  • Email: info@thinkingchess.ca
  • Location: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada