Terms of Service

Last updated: February 20, 2026

The Short Version

Welcome to Oracle at Belfry. Be decent, don't break things, and we'll all have a good time. These terms exist so everyone knows where they stand.

Acceptance

By creating an account or using any Oracle at Belfry service, you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, do not use the services.

Your Account

• You're responsible for your account and everything that happens under it.
• One account per person. Don't create multiple accounts to circumvent limits or bans.
• Keep your login credentials secure. If you think someone has access to your account, let us know immediately.

Acceptable Use

We expect everyone to treat each other with basic respect. Specifically:

• Be respectful. Disagreement is fine; harassment, threats, and abuse are not.
• No illegal activity. Don't use our services for anything that violates Canadian law.
• No spam or abuse. Don't flood services, scrape data, or try to break things.
• Respect other people's privacy. Don't share others' personal information without consent.

Chess (Manifold Chess Club)

Our chess platform has some specific rules because competitive integrity matters:

• No engine assistance. Don't use chess engines, bots, or AI to help you during games. Analysis boards are for analysis, not for live play.
• No sandbagging. Don't intentionally lose games to lower your rating.
• Fair play. Don't exploit bugs, disconnect intentionally, or otherwise cheat. Play the game.

Cheating results in account suspension. We take fair play seriously.

Open Source Software

Many of our services run on open source software. Our chess platform is based on Lila, licensed under the AGPL. Other tools have their own respective licenses. Using our services doesn't change or override those software licenses.

Our own code is available on request.

Content You Create

You own what you create (game annotations, studies, forum posts, etc.). By using our services, you grant us the minimal license needed to store, display, and deliver your content as part of the service — nothing more.

Suspension & Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms. We'd rather talk it out first, but some things (harassment, cheating, illegal activity) may result in immediate action.

If your account is suspended and you think it was a mistake, email us. We're reasonable people.

No Warranty

Services are provided "as-is" without warranty. We maintain them in good faith, but we cannot guarantee uninterrupted availability or that every feature will exist indefinitely.

Changes to These Terms

We may update these terms from time to time. If we make significant changes, we'll let you know (via email or on-site notice). Continued use of the services after changes means you accept the updated terms.

Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of British Columbia, Canada. Any disputes will be resolved under BC jurisdiction.

Contact

Questions or concerns? Email admin@oracleatbelfry.com.