VeryChess Freeware License Agreement
Version 1.0

Copyright (c) 2026 Oleh Sych ("TerryTET"). All rights reserved.

VeryChess is a proprietary chess engine. It is distributed free of charge,
but it is NOT open-source software. The source code is not licensed to you.
This document ("License") is a legal agreement between you ("You") and the
copyright holder ("Author") governing your use of the VeryChess software,
including its executable binaries, data files, and accompanying documentation
(collectively, the "Software").

By downloading, copying, installing, or using the Software, You agree to be
bound by the terms of this License. If You do not agree, do not use the
Software.

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1. GRANT OF LICENSE
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Subject to the terms below, the Author grants You a worldwide, royalty-free,
non-exclusive, revocable license to:

  (a) install and use the Software, free of charge, for any lawful purpose,
      including personal, educational, research, and internal commercial use
      (for example, running the engine in a chess GUI, in tournaments, in
      analysis, or for engine-vs-engine testing); and

  (b) redistribute the Software, free of charge, provided You comply with
      Section 3 (Redistribution).

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2. RESTRICTIONS
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You may NOT:

  (a) sell, rent, lease, sublicense, or otherwise charge a fee for the
      Software itself, or include the Software in any product, package, or
      service that is sold, without the Author's prior written permission;

  (b) reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or otherwise attempt to
      derive the source code, algorithms, or internal structure of the
      Software, except to the limited extent that applicable law expressly
      permits despite this restriction;

  (c) modify, adapt, translate, or create derivative works based on the
      Software, or distribute any modified or repackaged version of it;

  (d) remove, alter, or obscure any copyright notice, attribution, version
      identifier, or this License from the Software or its distribution; or

  (e) use the name "VeryChess" or the Author's name to endorse, promote, or
      misrepresent derived or unrelated software.

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3. REDISTRIBUTION
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You may redistribute the Software (for example, by mirroring downloads,
including it in chess GUI packages, or submitting it to engine rating lists
and tournaments) only if ALL of the following conditions are met:

  (a) the Software is distributed unmodified and in its complete, original
      form;

  (b) a complete, unaltered copy of this License is included with every
      copy of the Software; and

  (c) no fee is charged for the Software itself (a reasonable charge for
      physical media or a bundled collection is permitted only with the
      Author's prior written permission).

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4. OWNERSHIP
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The Software is licensed, not sold. The Author retains all right, title, and
interest in and to the Software, including all intellectual property rights.
No rights are granted to You other than those expressly stated in this
License.

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5. NO WARRANTY
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THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY
KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND
NON-INFRINGEMENT. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE
SOFTWARE IS WITH YOU.

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6. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
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TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF DATA, LOSS OF
PROFITS, OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF
LIABILITY, ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE
SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

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7. TERMINATION
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This License is effective until terminated. Your rights under this License
terminate automatically, without notice, if You fail to comply with any of
its terms. Upon termination, You must cease all use of the Software and
destroy all copies in Your possession. Sections 2, 4, 5, 6, and 8 survive
termination.

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8. GENERAL
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This License constitutes the entire agreement between You and the Author
regarding the Software and supersedes any prior agreements. If any provision
of this License is held to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will
remain in full force and effect. The Author's failure to enforce any
provision is not a waiver of its right to do so later. The Author may release
future versions of the Software under different terms.

For permissions beyond the scope of this License — including commercial
bundling, redistribution for a fee, or source licensing — contact the Author.

Contact: terrytet.chess@gmail.com

VeryChess is a trademark of Oleh Sych ("TerryTET").
