1. Program Initiation
1.1 Getting Started:
There are no sign-up fees or long-term contractual obligations. Limited access to the program begins with a trial period. You can modify your subscription at any time using the Manage Plan form.

1.2 Trial Period:
The Group Class Program includes a 10-day trial period. During the trial, participants may attend one in-person class per week and one open play night, regardless of the selected plan. Access to all other features is restricted until full payment is received.

— The trial period may be waived upon request.
— Play Memberships do not include a trial period.
— After the 10-day trial, your selected subscription plan will activate automatically, and regular charges will apply, granting full program access.
— Trial periods will not be extended if services are not used.

2. Subscription Management
2.1 Cancellation:
To cancel your subscription, use our Manage Plan form. Enter the email linked to your Stripe billing account, select "Cancel," and confirm. Cancellations take effect at the end of the current billing cycle.

2.2 Billing Information Updates:
Manage your billing details and payment methods through your Stripe account portal. Subscriptions renew automatically each month. The auto-renewal feature cannot be disabled.

2.3 Pausing Your Subscription:
Subscriptions can be paused for 1 to 3 months. Pauses longer than 3 months will be treated as cancellations. Requests to pauses must be made by the Manage Plan Form.

When requesting a pause, customers must specify whether they wish to pause or cancel.

3. Customer Support
3.1 How to Contact Us:
For support, please fill out the Contact Form available on our website. A link to this form is also included in your program welcome email.

4. Refund Policy
4.1 General Policy:
We do not offer refunds, store credits, or prorated refunds for subscription programs.

— Please use the trial period to determine if the program suits your needs.
— Exceptions may be considered at our sole discretion.

4.2 No Refund Scenarios:
Refunds will not be issued under the following circumstances:

— Technical issues during online classes
— Forgetting to cancel the subscription
— Not attending classes or services
— Charges incurred after a paused period ends (customers should cancel if they no longer intend to participate)

Additional Information:

— Your subscription renews monthly on your original payment date.
— There are no fees for signing up, canceling, pausing, or switching plans.
— Receive $25 off per month for each additional sibling by selecting the sibling add-on during checkout.
— Manage your plan anytime through the Manage Plan form.

Tournament Registration: Initial Registration must be done on our website. The registration deadline for the tournament is 30 minutes before the scheduled start time. Players who register after this cutoff may receive a bye for the first round. Refunds are available 1 hour before the tournaments; no refunds for no-shows.

If a player is familiar with the rules and possess an active US Chess ID, you're eligible to participate. Players of all ages and skill levels are welcome.

Players obtain a chess rating through the United States Chess Federation (USCF) by participating in rated tournaments. The US Chess ID is unique to each player, facilitating tracking of progress, tournament history, and rating adjustments. NM+ (National Master and above) play for free in our non-FIDE tournaments.

FIDE Registration Rules: To participate in FIDE tournaments, fill out the registration form, and get a FIDE ID. Alternatively, contact USCF to request an ID. Official FIDE rating requires playing five games against previously rated FIDE players, scoring at least a half point, and achieving a performance rating of 1400 or higher. FM+ play free! Fill out a contact request form on our website to register.

Refunds and Withdrawals: Refunds are available up to 1 hour before the tournament begins. Late withdrawal requests will not be refunded. To withdraw from a tournament, please send an email at least one hour before the event's start time.

Withdraw without Notice on a Subscription: Missing a tournament without notice results in a warning for the first offense and a subscription suspension for the second. No refunds for missed tournaments.

Commitments and Missed Rounds: Inform us as soon as possible if you cannot play a round. Half-point byes are available if requested before the start of the preceding round. If not requested in time, the bye will be worth zero points. 

Playing Up: You may request to compete in a higher section for an additional fee if you meet the criteria below.

A): Your monthly USCF rating is within 150 points of the section’s cutoff. Example: If the cutoff is 1600, a monthly rating of 1450 qualifies (150 points below 1600), but 1449 does not.
B): Live Rating Fee Waiver: If your live rating is above the cutoff (even on the event day), the playing-up fee is waived or refunded.
C): Provisional Players (<25 games): If your monthly rating is below the 150-point range, but your live rating is above it, we average the two ratings. If this average is still below the cutoff, you cannot play up.
D): FIDE Rating Conversion: Players can play up to the next section if their US Chess Rating is within 150 points of the next section. Players may also use their FIDE rating after converting it into a USCF using the following formula. US Chess rating = (-1073 + 1.5667*FIDE if FIDE ≤ 2000) OR (20 + 1.02 × FIDE if FIDE > 2000)

Section Placement: You are automatically placed in a section based on the monthly rating supplement in effect on the day of the tournament. Unrated Players are placed in the lowest section unless you provide evidence of a convertible rating (e.g., FIDE or recognized online). The Tournament Director (TD) has final discretion.

Prize Claims: Players have up to six months from the tournament date to claim their prize winnings before they expire.

Severe Weather Policy: In case of local school district closures due to weather, all in-person activities will be moved online or rescheduled.

Holiday Closures: We are closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, New Year’s Day, Independence Day, and Memorial Day. Classes may be moved online or canceled on these days.

Refund Policy for Physical Store Goods: To be eligible for a refund, you must present a valid proof of purchase (digital receipt) from our store. Food and drinks items are strictly non-refundable for reasons of health and safety. Refunds will not be provided for products damaged due to misuse or negligence. Refund requests for physical store items must be made within 30 days of the original purchase date. To request a refund, please visit our store in person with the product and your proof of purchase. Our staff will inspect the product and verify the eligibility for a refund. If eligible, refunds will be issued to the original payment method used for the purchase. We reserve the right to deny a refund if the product does not meet our refund criteria. Refunds will not include any shipping or delivery charges unless the return is due to our error. If you believe you received a defective or damaged product, please notify us immediately, and we will address the issue separately.

Book Rental Policy: The standard book rental duration is a 2-month duration, which begins on the day of checkout. Book rentals are free for standard and premier plan members. If books are not returned by the due date. The company will charge the card on file for the retail price of the book. Books must be returned in the same condition as they were rented, with minimal wear and tear.

Behavior Policy: Disruptive behavior includes damaging property, causing physical harm, violating company policies, and repeated violations of US Chess rules. Progressive steps include initial warnings and written warnings via email. Continued disruptive behavior may result in consequences such as a 1-month suspension without a refund. Removal from the program is the final step if disruptive behavior persists.

Seasonal Camps: Full camp refunds are available until Thursday at 11:59 p.m. before the camp week. We reserve the right to dismiss students from camp due to repeated disruptive behavior, and in such cases, refunds will not be issued.

Private Lessons: No refunds for taught lessons. No refunds for canceled packages before all lessons are completed.

Registration: Registration can be completed through the school or directly on our website.

School Program Refunds: Refunds are only available prior to the second day of the program. There are no prorated refunds for students who withdraw from the program. Exceptions to this policy can be made upon request.

Make-up Classes: Students cannot make up missed classes according to the predetermined program schedule.

Weather Cancellation: If a class is canceled due to weather conditions, we will make every effort to schedule a make-up session. However, we cannot guarantee this. We always work closely with our schools to find a suitable alternative date.