Terms of Use

Last updated: 30 July 2026

These Terms of Use govern access to and use of vardaris.com, the official website of the Vardaris International Chess Tournament.

By accessing or using this website, you acknowledge that you have read and understood these Terms of Use. If you do not agree with them, please discontinue use of the website.

1. Website Operator

This website is operated by:

SACH Thessaloniki Chess Club
Organiser of the Vardaris International Chess Tournament
Thessaloniki, Greece
Email: info@vardaris.com

2. Purpose of the Website

The website provides information relating to the Vardaris International Chess Tournament, including:

  • tournament regulations,
  • registration information,
  • schedules and announcements,
  • pairings, results and standings,
  • live games,
  • accommodation and venue information,
  • news, photographs and historical material,
  • contact and organisational information.

The website may also provide links to external tournament-management, payment, accommodation, mapping, live-broadcasting or social-media services.

3. Tournament Regulations

Participation in the tournament is governed by the official Tournament Regulations published for the relevant edition.

The Tournament Regulations may include provisions concerning:

  • eligibility and tournament groups,
  • registration deadlines,
  • entry fees and payment methods,
  • playing schedule and time controls,
  • pairings and tie-break criteria,
  • prizes,
  • fair play and anti-cheating measures,
  • photography and audiovisual coverage,
  • withdrawals, exclusions and appeals.

In the event of a conflict between these Terms of Use and the official Tournament Regulations, the Tournament Regulations will prevail in matters directly concerning participation in the tournament.

4. Registration

Users are responsible for providing complete, accurate and up-to-date information when submitting a tournament registration or contacting the Organising Committee.

Submitting a registration form does not necessarily confirm participation. Registration may remain subject to:

  • verification of the information provided,
  • availability of places,
  • payment of the applicable entry fee,
  • compliance with the Tournament Regulations,
  • confirmation by the Organising Committee.

Registrations submitted on behalf of a minor must be made or approved by their parent or legal guardian.

The Organising Committee may contact participants, parents, guardians, clubs or team representatives where clarification or additional information is required.

5. Entry Fees, Payments and Refunds

Where an entry fee applies, the amount, payment method, deadline and any applicable cancellation or refund conditions will be stated in the Tournament Regulations or on the Registration page.

Participants are responsible for ensuring that payment is completed correctly and within the stated deadline.

Any bank, payment-platform or currency-conversion charges that are not expressly included in the entry fee remain the responsibility of the participant.

The submission of a payment does not override eligibility requirements, capacity limitations or other conditions contained in the Tournament Regulations.

6. Changes, Postponement or Cancellation

The Organising Committee may make reasonable changes to tournament information where necessary, including changes to:

  • the schedule,
  • playing rooms,
  • tournament groups,
  • technical arrangements,
  • pairings and results services,
  • accommodation arrangements,
  • prize details,
  • organisational procedures.

The Organising Committee may also postpone, interrupt or cancel all or part of the tournament where circumstances beyond its reasonable control make this necessary, including safety concerns, official restrictions, technical failures, severe weather, transport disruption or other exceptional circumstances.

Where practical, significant changes will be announced through the website, email or other official communication channels.

Any refund arrangements following postponement or cancellation will be determined according to the Tournament Regulations, the circumstances of the event and applicable law.

7. Accuracy of Information

We make reasonable efforts to ensure that the information published on the website is accurate and current.

However, temporary errors, omissions or delays may occur, particularly in relation to:

  • schedules,
  • participant lists,
  • ratings,
  • pairings,
  • results,
  • live-game transmissions,
  • external databases,
  • accommodation availability.

Official announcements by the Organising Committee or the Chief Arbiter take precedence over outdated, incomplete or automatically generated website information.

Users should verify time-sensitive information before making travel, accommodation or other arrangements.

8. Pairings, Results and Ratings

Pairings, results, rankings and rating information may be supplied through external tournament-management platforms, chess federations or rating databases.

The Organising Committee may correct errors where identified. Provisional results or rankings may be changed following verification, an arbiter’s decision or the resolution of an appeal.

Official tournament decisions are made according to the Tournament Regulations and the applicable chess rules and are not determined solely by information displayed on the website.

9. Intellectual Property

Unless otherwise stated, the website’s original content, including:

  • text,
  • logos and visual identity,
  • page design,
  • graphics,
  • photographs,
  • videos,
  • promotional material,
  • databases and historical presentations,

belongs to the tournament organiser or is used with the permission of the relevant rights holder.

The content may not be copied, reproduced, modified, republished, distributed, sold or used commercially without prior written permission.

Users may share links to publicly available pages and may reproduce brief extracts for non-commercial informational or journalistic purposes, provided that the source is clearly acknowledged and the content is not presented in a misleading manner.

Chess games, results and factual tournament information may also appear through external platforms and may be subject to their own terms and technical conditions.

10. Permitted Use

The website may be used only for lawful, personal and informational purposes.

Users must not:

  • attempt to gain unauthorised access to the website or its systems,
  • interfere with the website’s proper operation or security,
  • introduce malware, harmful code or automated attacks,
  • collect personal data from the website without lawful authority,
  • impersonate another person or submit false information,
  • use the website for fraudulent, abusive or unlawful purposes,
  • reproduce substantial parts of the website for commercial use,
  • use automated tools in a manner that places an unreasonable burden on the website.

We may restrict access where misuse, unlawful activity or a security risk is reasonably suspected.

11. User Communications and Submitted Material

When users send messages, documents, photographs or other material to the Organising Committee, they confirm that:

  • the information is accurate to the best of their knowledge,
  • they are authorised to provide it,
  • its submission does not infringe another person’s rights,
  • it does not contain unlawful, offensive or malicious material.

Submitting material does not automatically grant the organiser the right to use it publicly for unrelated purposes.

Any processing of personal data or use of submitted photographs and audiovisual material will be governed by the Privacy Policy, the relevant notice and, where required, the appropriate permission.

12. Photography and Audiovisual Coverage

Official photography and video recording will take place during the tournament.

The resulting material may be used for reporting on, promoting and preserving the historical record of the Vardaris International Chess Tournament and its organiser, as described in the Privacy Policy and the relevant tournament notices.

Anyone who does not wish to appear in identifiable close-up photographs or video footage should inform the Organising Committee before or during the tournament.

13. External Websites and Services

The website may contain links to or embedded content from third-party services, including:

  • tournament-results platforms,
  • chess federations,
  • live-game services,
  • video and social-media platforms,
  • maps,
  • hotels and accommodation providers,
  • payment-service providers.

These services are operated independently and are governed by their own terms, privacy policies and availability conditions.

A link to an external service does not necessarily constitute an endorsement, guarantee or acceptance of responsibility for its content, security, pricing or operation.

Users should review the applicable terms before using an external service or making a booking or payment.

14. Website Availability

We aim to keep the website available and secure, but continuous or error-free operation cannot be guaranteed.

Access may be temporarily suspended or affected by:

  • maintenance,
  • updates,
  • hosting problems,
  • technical failures,
  • cybersecurity incidents,
  • third-party service interruptions,
  • circumstances beyond our reasonable control.

We may modify, remove or replace website content and functions where reasonably necessary.

15. Limitation of Liability

To the extent permitted by applicable law, the organiser is not responsible for indirect or consequential losses arising solely from:

  • temporary website unavailability,
  • technical or typographical errors,
  • reliance on outdated information,
  • failures of third-party websites or platforms,
  • unauthorised access caused by circumstances outside the organiser’s reasonable control.

Users remain responsible for confirming critical tournament, travel, accommodation and payment information before acting upon it.

Nothing in these Terms of Use excludes or limits any responsibility that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

16. Privacy and Cookies

Personal data collected through the website is processed in accordance with our:

  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy

These documents explain what data is collected, why it is used, how long it is retained and how users may exercise their rights or manage their cookie preferences.

17. Changes to These Terms

These Terms of Use may be updated when:

  • website services or functions change,
  • tournament procedures change,
  • new third-party services are introduced,
  • applicable legal or regulatory requirements change.

The latest version will be published on this page together with the date of the most recent update.

Continued use of the website after an update is subject to the revised Terms of Use.

18. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms of Use are governed by Greek law, without limiting any mandatory rights available under applicable European Union or national legislation.

Any dispute relating to the use of the website will be submitted to the competent courts of Greece, subject to any mandatory jurisdictional provisions that may apply.

19. Contact

For questions regarding these Terms of Use, please contact:

SACH Thessaloniki Chess Club
Organiser of the Vardaris International Chess Tournament
Thessaloniki, Greece
Email: info@vardaris.com

© 2026 Vardaris International Chess Tournament. All rights reserved