ChessTraining.app isn't just a product. It is operated by my company, Human Side of Code, and it is built on a philosophy that guides everything I do-from coaching sessions to free coding bootcamps for underprivileged youth.
We have been Open Source since the very first commit. Recently, we updated our license to AGPLv3 to protect that openness forever.
Here is why we do it, and why I believe your chess data should belong to you, not a corporation.
1. Accessibility is a Right, Not a Privilege
I grew up below the poverty line in New Zealand and left school at 15 with no qualifications. I didn't have a safety net. What I did have was a library book on coding and a second-hand computer.
Tech changed my life. It took me from a kid with few options to a Head of Development managing teams for billion-pound enterprises.
I believe that talent is universal, but opportunity is not.
That belief drives my work as a Trustee for local youth charities and as the founder of HuSOC, where we run "pay-what-you-can" coding bootcamps. I want to ensure that financial barriers never stop someone from learning a skill that could change their life.
I feel the same way about Chess.
Chess is one of the most beautiful, accessible games in the world. You can play it with a stick in the dirt. It shouldn't be locked behind expensive paywalls. By keeping ChessTraining.app open source, I am ensuring that there will always be a high-quality, free-to-use training tool available to anyone with an internet connection.
2. Trust > Black Boxes
When you use a proprietary training platform, you are feeding it data. You play moves, you make mistakes, and the "algorithm" decides what you see next.
But what is that algorithm optimising for?
Because ChessTraining.app is open source, you don't have to take my word for it. You can read the code yourself. You can see exactly how our Natural Play Learning engine calculates your retention intervals.
If you think the math is wrong, you can tell me. Better yet, you can submit a fix. We are building this with the community, not just for them.
3. The AGPL Switch: A Shield for the Community
While we have always been open, we recently switched our license to the GNU Affero General Public License v3 (AGPLv3).
Why the change?
I am a solo developer. I built this platform on nights and weekends because I love the game. The previous license (MIT) was very permissive-it allowed anyone to do anything with the code.
Technically, a massive company with millions in funding could have taken my code, closed it up, wrapped it in a $100/month subscription, and never given anything back.
The AGPL is a "viral" shield. It says:
"You are free to use this code. You can learn from it. You can fork it. But if you use it to build a public service, you MUST share your improvements back with the community."
This ensures that ChessTraining.app will remain free and open forever. No one can "embrace, extend, and extinguish" our work.
4. The Human Side of Chess
At the end of the day, technology is built by humans, for humans.
Whether I am serving as a Trustee for an open-source genealogy charity or building a chess app, my goal is the same: Real Impact.
I want to build tools that respect your time, protect your wallet, and actually help you improve.