1. About RookDuel
RookDuel is a technology-focused, R&D-driven brand that develops products, explores ideas, and pursues initiatives across technology, strategy, and beyond.
RookDuel is currently operated as a brand and is not a separately incorporated legal entity. References to “RookDuel,” “we,” “us,” or “our” in these Terms refer to the operator of the relevant RookDuel service.
2. Eligibility and Age
RookDuel's general websites and publicly available services are intended to remain accessible to teenagers and adults and do not generally impose an 18+ access restriction.
However, under applicable Indian law, persons who have not attained the age of majority may not have full contractual capacity. Accordingly, where a transaction, agreement, purchase, subscription, licence, or other activity requires a legally binding contract, a parent or legal guardian or another person legally competent to contract may need to enter into or authorise that arrangement.
Nothing in these Terms is intended to restrict lawful access to informational, educational, research, open-source, or other publicly available RookDuel content solely because a user is under 18.
3. Acceptable Use
You may use RookDuel services only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms.
You must not:
- Use RookDuel services to violate applicable law or the rights of another person.
- Attempt to obtain unauthorised access to RookDuel systems, infrastructure, accounts, or services.
- Interfere with, disrupt, overload, or circumvent technical or security controls protecting a RookDuel service.
- Introduce malware, malicious code, or harmful content into a RookDuel service.
- Use RookDuel services for fraud, extortion, ransomware, unauthorised surveillance, or other unlawful activity.
- Misrepresent your identity, authority, or affiliation with RookDuel.
- Abuse forms, APIs, infrastructure, or other functionality in a manner that materially interferes with their intended operation.
RookDuel may restrict or suspend access where reasonably necessary to protect users, services, infrastructure, intellectual property, or legal interests.
4. Websites, Products, and Services
RookDuel provides different types of work and services, including websites, software, research, documentation, open-source projects, and chess-related initiatives.
Different services may have different technical and legal requirements.
A product-specific licence, privacy notice, acceptable-use policy, or other terms may supplement these Terms. Where such provisions specifically govern a product or service, they will apply to that product or service in addition to these general Terms.
5. RookDuel Avikal
RookDuel Avikal is a local-first archival and security application developed under active research and development.
Avikal is intended for lawful file protection, archival, backup, legitimate private storage, research, and controlled-release workflows.
Users are responsible for the files, folders, code, and other digital content they process with Avikal and for ensuring that their use of the software is lawful.
Avikal must not be used for unlawful concealment, malware or ransomware activity, extortion, unauthorised access, surveillance abuse, or other unlawful purposes.
Avikal is under active development. RookDuel does not guarantee that the software will always be error-free, uninterrupted, permanently available, or suitable for a particular security, archival, or operational requirement.
Third-party libraries, runtimes, and components included with Avikal remain subject to their respective licences and notices.
6. RookDuel Encode
RookDuel Encode provides functionality for processing user-provided content into chess PGN and related representations.
You are responsible for content that you submit, process, generate, transmit, or distribute through Encode and must have the necessary rights and permissions to use that content.
Encode must not be used for unlawful purposes or to interfere with public services, chess platforms, databases, or other third-party infrastructure.
Generated PGNs should be handled responsibly. Users must not intentionally flood, overload, or misuse public chess databases or platforms with unnecessary generated content.
Because Encode is an online service, users should only submit information that they are authorised and comfortable transmitting for processing.
7. RookDuel Setu
RookDuel Setu is an open-source documentation and learning infrastructure project.
Setu is distributed under its applicable open-source licence. Use, modification, redistribution, and contribution of the project are governed by that licence and any applicable project documentation.
A website or service built using Setu remains the responsibility of its respective operator. Use of Setu does not transfer responsibility for that website or service to RookDuel.
8. RookDuel Chess
RookDuel Chess covers RookDuel's chess teams, tournaments, and related competitive activities.
Participation in chess activities may involve third-party platforms such as Chess.com, Lichess, WorldChess, or other services. Your use of those platforms is governed by their respective terms and policies.
RookDuel does not control third-party platform rules, availability, accounts, ratings, moderation decisions, or other platform-operated functions.
9. Research and Technical Content
RookDuel may publish research papers, technical investigations, experiments, documentation, comparisons, benchmarks, educational material, and related content.
Unless explicitly stated otherwise, such material is provided for informational, educational, or research purposes.
Technical content may change as projects develop, implementations are updated, or new information becomes available.
Nothing published by RookDuel should be interpreted as professional legal, financial, medical, security, or other specialised advice.
Experimental or research software should be evaluated appropriately before being relied upon for important systems, data, or operations.
10. User Content
Where a RookDuel service permits you to submit or process text, files, code, images, research material, or other content:
- You remain responsible for that content.
- You must have the rights and permissions necessary to submit or process it.
- You must not submit unlawful, malicious, infringing, or otherwise prohibited content.
- You retain ownership of your content unless a separate agreement or applicable licence states otherwise.
Submitting content to a RookDuel service does not by itself transfer ownership of that content to RookDuel.
RookDuel may process submitted content only to the extent reasonably necessary to provide, secure, maintain, or improve the relevant service, subject to the applicable service's privacy practices.
11. Intellectual Property
Unless otherwise stated, the RookDuel name, logos, branding, original website content, original graphics, documentation, and other proprietary materials are owned by RookDuel or their respective rights holders.
You may not reproduce, modify, distribute, sell, or commercially exploit proprietary RookDuel materials without permission, except where permitted by law.
Software and materials released under open-source or other public licences are governed by those licences.
Third-party names, trademarks, logos, and other intellectual property remain the property of their respective owners.
12. Open-Source Software
Certain RookDuel projects are released as open-source software.
Where a project is distributed under a specific licence, that licence governs the permitted use, modification, redistribution, and contribution of the relevant software.
Nothing in these Terms overrides the permissions granted by an applicable open-source licence.
13. Third-Party Services and Links
RookDuel may link to or use third-party services, platforms, repositories, infrastructure, and websites.
These may include services used for:
- Hosting and infrastructure
- Software distribution
- Source-code hosting
- Forms and communications
- Analytics
- Publishing
- Chess activities
- Technical services
Third-party services are governed by their own terms and policies. RookDuel does not control their availability, content, security, privacy practices, or decisions.
14. Service Availability and Changes
RookDuel may update, modify, suspend, replace, or discontinue a website, product, feature, project, or service.
No particular feature, release, URL, or service is guaranteed to remain available indefinitely.
Technical specifications, documentation, functionality, and project status may change as development continues.
15. Security and Experimental Technology
Some RookDuel work involves cryptography, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, post-quantum technologies, research, experimentation, or other developing technical areas.
Publication or use of a technology, algorithm, cryptographic primitive, implementation, or research result does not constitute a guarantee that it is secure, error-free, suitable for a particular purpose, or appropriate for every environment.
Users are responsible for evaluating a technology before relying upon it for critical purposes.
16. No Warranty
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, RookDuel services and content are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis.
RookDuel does not warrant that its websites, software, research, documentation, or other content will always be:
- Accurate or complete
- Available without interruption
- Free from defects or errors
- Free from security vulnerabilities
- Suitable for every particular purpose
Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits any right, remedy, warranty, or protection that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.
17. Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, RookDuel will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or similar losses arising from or relating to the use of, inability to use, or reliance upon a RookDuel website, product, service, software, research, or content.
Nothing in these Terms limits liability to the extent such limitation is prohibited by applicable law.
18. Consumer Rights
Nothing in these Terms is intended to exclude or reduce mandatory rights or protections available to consumers under applicable Indian law.
Where RookDuel offers goods or services that fall within applicable consumer-protection or e-commerce requirements, those requirements will apply.
19. Privacy
Your use of RookDuel services is also subject to the RookDuel Privacy Policy, which explains applicable personal-data practices.
A particular product or service may also provide additional privacy information where its data practices differ materially from the general RookDuel ecosystem.
20. Suspension and Termination
RookDuel may suspend, restrict, or terminate access to a service where reasonably necessary because of:
- Violation of these Terms
- Unlawful or harmful activity
- Abuse of a service or its infrastructure
- Security risks
- Legal or regulatory requirements
- Discontinuation of the relevant service
Termination or suspension does not remove obligations or rights that by their nature should continue after termination.
21. Changes to These Terms
RookDuel may update these Terms to reflect changes in its services, products, practices, or applicable legal requirements.
The current version will be published on this page together with its Last updated date.
Where a change is material, RookDuel may provide additional notice where appropriate.
22. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These Terms are governed by the laws applicable in India, subject to any mandatory laws or rights that apply to you regardless of this choice.
Any dispute will be subject to the jurisdiction of courts or other competent authorities having jurisdiction under applicable Indian law.
Nothing in this section prevents a consumer from exercising a mandatory right to bring a claim before a forum or authority that cannot legally be excluded.
23. Severability
If any provision of these Terms is determined to be unlawful, invalid, or unenforceable, that provision will be interpreted or modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable where legally possible, and the remaining provisions will continue to apply.
24. Entire Agreement
These Terms, together with any applicable product-specific terms, licences, and the RookDuel Privacy Policy, constitute the terms governing your use of the relevant RookDuel service, except where a separate written agreement expressly applies.
25. Contact
For questions regarding these Terms:
Email: contact@rookduel.tech
Website: https://rookduel.tech/