diff --git a/ui/src/game/Board.svelte b/ui/src/game/Board.svelte
index 1a6df98..7f6637b 100644
--- a/ui/src/game/Board.svelte
+++ b/ui/src/game/Board.svelte
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 <script lang="ts">
+  import { untrack } from 'svelte';
   import type { BoardCell } from '../lib/board';
   import type { Premium } from '../lib/premiums';
   import { valueForLetter } from '../lib/alphabet';
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@
     lines,
     locale,
     focus,
+    dropTarget,
     oncell,
     ontogglezoom,
     onrecall,
@@ -37,6 +39,8 @@
     lines: boolean;
     locale: Locale;
     focus: { row: number; col: number } | null;
+    /** The cell a dragged tile is currently aimed at, highlighted as a drop target. */
+    dropTarget: { row: number; col: number } | null;
     oncell: (row: number, col: number) => void;
     ontogglezoom: (row: number, col: number) => void;
     /** Recall the pending tile at (row, col) — fired on a double-tap of a pending cell. */
@@ -52,27 +56,106 @@
   let viewport = $state<HTMLElement>();
 
   // Genuine layout zoom (the board grows; cqw labels stay constant), so native scroll
-  // works in every browser. Keep the focus cell centred on every frame of the zoom-in
-  // (the board widens over ~0.25s) so it magnifies *into* that cell, rather than growing
-  // from the top-left corner and then jumping to centre once the transition ends.
+  // works in every browser. The pan is interpolated toward a PRE-CLAMPED final scroll as
+  // the board's real width grows (zoom-in) or shrinks (zoom-out), so it magnifies evenly
+  // from A to B in one motion instead of chasing a per-frame target that the scroll bounds
+  // clamp — which made the board lurch one way and then snap back near the edges/centre.
+  // It runs only on a zoom toggle (`zoomed`); changing `focus` while already zoomed does
+  // not recentre, so placing a 2nd+ tile or hovering a dragged tile never jumps the board.
   $effect(() => {
+    const on = zoomed;
     const vp = viewport;
-    if (!vp || !zoomed || !focus) return;
-    const f = focus;
-    const start = performance.now();
-    let raf = requestAnimationFrame(function tick(now) {
-      const cell = vp.scrollWidth / 15; // grows frame by frame as the board widens
-      vp.scrollLeft = (f.col + 0.5) * cell - vp.clientWidth / 2;
-      vp.scrollTop = (f.row + 0.5) * cell - vp.clientHeight / 2;
-      if (now - start < 300) raf = requestAnimationFrame(tick);
+    if (!vp) return;
+    const f = untrack(() => focus);
+    const clientW = vp.clientWidth;
+    const clientH = vp.clientHeight;
+    if (clientW === 0) return;
+    const fitW = clientW; // board width at scale 1 (fills the viewport)
+    const fullW = clientW * Z; // board width at full zoom
+    const startSL = vp.scrollLeft;
+    const startST = vp.scrollTop;
+    let finalSL = 0;
+    let finalST = 0;
+    if (on && f) {
+      const cell = fullW / 15;
+      finalSL = Math.max(0, Math.min((f.col + 0.5) * cell - clientW / 2, fullW - clientW));
+      finalST = Math.max(0, Math.min((f.row + 0.5) * cell - clientH / 2, fullW - clientH));
+    }
+    const fromW = on ? fitW : fullW; // board width when this transition begins
+    const toW = on ? fullW : fitW;
+    let raf = requestAnimationFrame(function tick() {
+      const curW = vp.scrollWidth || fromW;
+      let prog = (curW - fromW) / (toW - fromW);
+      prog = prog < 0 ? 0 : prog > 1 ? 1 : prog;
+      vp.scrollLeft = startSL + (finalSL - startSL) * prog;
+      vp.scrollTop = startST + (finalST - startST) * prog;
+      if (prog < 1) raf = requestAnimationFrame(tick);
     });
     return () => cancelAnimationFrame(raf);
   });
 
+  // Pinch zoom (Stage 17): a two-finger spread zooms in toward the pinch midpoint, a pinch
+  // close zooms out. preventDefault fires only for two touches, so the one-finger native
+  // scroll of the zoomed board is left untouched. It maps to the same two-state zoom as
+  // double-tap, toggling toward the midpoint cell.
+  $effect(() => {
+    const vp = viewport;
+    if (!vp) return;
+    let startDist = 0;
+    let acted = false;
+    const span = (t: TouchList) => Math.hypot(t[0].clientX - t[1].clientX, t[0].clientY - t[1].clientY);
+    const midCell = (t: TouchList) => {
+      const x = (t[0].clientX + t[1].clientX) / 2;
+      const y = (t[0].clientY + t[1].clientY) / 2;
+      const el = (document.elementFromPoint(x, y) as HTMLElement | null)?.closest('[data-cell]') as HTMLElement | null;
+      if (!el?.dataset.row || !el.dataset.col) return null;
+      return { row: Number(el.dataset.row), col: Number(el.dataset.col) };
+    };
+    const onStart = (e: TouchEvent) => {
+      if (e.touches.length === 2) {
+        startDist = span(e.touches);
+        acted = false;
+      }
+    };
+    const onMove = (e: TouchEvent) => {
+      if (e.touches.length !== 2 || startDist === 0) return;
+      e.preventDefault(); // claim the two-finger gesture; one finger still scrolls natively
+      if (acted) return;
+      const ratio = span(e.touches) / startDist;
+      if (ratio > 1.25 && !zoomed) {
+        const c = midCell(e.touches);
+        if (c) {
+          acted = true;
+          ontogglezoom(c.row, c.col);
+        }
+      } else if (ratio < 0.8 && zoomed) {
+        const c = midCell(e.touches) ?? centre;
+        acted = true;
+        ontogglezoom(c.row, c.col);
+      }
+    };
+    const onEnd = (e: TouchEvent) => {
+      if (e.touches.length < 2) {
+        startDist = 0;
+        acted = false;
+      }
+    };
+    vp.addEventListener('touchstart', onStart, { passive: true });
+    vp.addEventListener('touchmove', onMove, { passive: false });
+    vp.addEventListener('touchend', onEnd);
+    vp.addEventListener('touchcancel', onEnd);
+    return () => {
+      vp.removeEventListener('touchstart', onStart);
+      vp.removeEventListener('touchmove', onMove);
+      vp.removeEventListener('touchend', onEnd);
+      vp.removeEventListener('touchcancel', onEnd);
+    };
+  });
+
   // Double-tap a pending tile recalls it; double-tap any other cell toggles zoom toward
   // it. A single tap places a selected rack tile (handled by oncell). Drag also auto-zooms
   // toward a cell the held tile hovers over (handled in Game), so the one-finger native
-  // scroll of the zoomed board is never hijacked by a pinch gesture.
+  // scroll of the zoomed board is never hijacked.
   let lastTap = 0;
   let lastCell = '';
   function onTap(row: number, col: number) {
@@ -111,6 +194,7 @@
             class:hl={!!cell && highlight.has(key(r, c)) && !flash}
             class:flash={!!cell && flash && highlight.has(key(r, c))}
             class:dark={premium[r][c] === '' && !cell && !p && (r + c) % 2 === 1}
+            class:droptarget={dropTarget?.row === r && dropTarget?.col === c}
             data-cell
             data-row={r}
             data-col={c}
@@ -213,6 +297,12 @@
       inset 0 -2px 0 var(--tile-edge),
       2px 0 3px -1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4);
   }
+  .cell.droptarget {
+    /* The cell a carried tile is aimed at: an accent ring plus a light accent wash, so the
+       target reads clearly while dragging without obscuring the bonus label underneath. */
+    box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 2px var(--accent);
+    background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--accent) 18%, var(--cell-bg));
+  }
   .cell.hl {
     background: var(--tile-recent);
     /* The bottom edge goes darker than the highlighted fill (not lighter, as the plain
diff --git a/ui/src/game/Game.svelte b/ui/src/game/Game.svelte
index 2e21877..9fa01c9 100644
--- a/ui/src/game/Game.svelte
+++ b/ui/src/game/Game.svelte
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
   import type { ChatMessage, Direction, EvalResult, MoveRecord, StateView } from '../lib/model';
   import { replay } from '../lib/board';
   import { centre, premiumGrid } from '../lib/premiums';
+  import { variantNameKey } from '../lib/variants';
   import { alphabetLetters, hasAlphabet } from '../lib/alphabet';
   import { canCheckWord, sanitizeCheckWord } from '../lib/checkword';
   import { shareOrDownloadGcg } from '../lib/share';
@@ -180,12 +181,33 @@
   let swallowClick = false;
   let hoverKey = '';
   let hoverTimer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null = null;
+  // The empty board cell the dragged tile is currently aimed at, highlighted as a drop
+  // target while carrying a tile over the board (Stage 17). Null over an occupied cell.
+  let dropTarget = $state<{ row: number; col: number } | null>(null);
 
+  let dragPointerId = -1;
   function beginDrag(src: DragSrc, e: PointerEvent) {
     downInfo = { src, x0: e.clientX, y0: e.clientY };
     dragMoved = false;
+    dragPointerId = e.pointerId;
     window.addEventListener('pointermove', onWinMove);
     window.addEventListener('pointerup', onWinUp);
+    window.addEventListener('pointerdown', onExtraPointer);
+  }
+  // A second finger touching down turns the gesture into a pinch (Board handles it), so any
+  // drag started by the first finger — e.g. a pinch that began on a pending tile — is aborted.
+  // The starting pointer's own event also bubbles here, so ignore it by id.
+  function onExtraPointer(e: PointerEvent) {
+    if (downInfo && e.pointerId !== dragPointerId) cancelDrag();
+  }
+  function cancelDrag() {
+    window.removeEventListener('pointermove', onWinMove);
+    window.removeEventListener('pointerup', onWinUp);
+    window.removeEventListener('pointerdown', onExtraPointer);
+    clearHover();
+    downInfo = null;
+    dragMoved = false;
+    drag = null;
   }
   function onRackDown(e: PointerEvent, index: number) {
     if (!isMyTurn || busy) return;
@@ -208,6 +230,7 @@
     if (hoverTimer) clearTimeout(hoverTimer);
     hoverTimer = null;
     hoverKey = '';
+    dropTarget = null;
   }
   function onWinMove(e: PointerEvent) {
     if (!downInfo) return;
@@ -223,25 +246,31 @@
     if (!drag) return;
     drag = { ...drag, x: e.clientX, y: e.clientY };
     const c = cellUnder(e.clientX, e.clientY);
+    // Highlight the aimed-at cell as a drop target, but only when it is free (no committed
+    // or pending tile there).
+    dropTarget = c && !board[c.row]?.[c.col] && !pendingMap.has(`${c.row},${c.col}`) ? c : null;
     const ck = c ? `${c.row},${c.col}` : '';
     if (ck !== hoverKey) {
       hoverKey = ck;
       if (hoverTimer) clearTimeout(hoverTimer);
-      hoverTimer = c
-        ? setTimeout(() => {
-            // Still holding the tile over this cell: magnify into it.
-            if (drag && isCoarse()) {
-              focus = c;
-              zoomed = true;
-              telegramHaptic('light');
-            }
-          }, 1000)
-        : null;
+      hoverTimer =
+        c && !zoomed
+          ? setTimeout(() => {
+              // Still holding the tile over this cell: magnify into it. Only the first
+              // (zoom-in) hold centres; once zoomed we never move the board on hover.
+              if (drag && isCoarse() && !zoomed) {
+                focus = c;
+                zoomed = true;
+                telegramHaptic('light');
+              }
+            }, 1000)
+          : null;
     }
   }
   function onWinUp(e: PointerEvent) {
     window.removeEventListener('pointermove', onWinMove);
     window.removeEventListener('pointerup', onWinUp);
+    window.removeEventListener('pointerdown', onExtraPointer);
     clearHover();
     const di = downInfo;
     downInfo = null;
@@ -268,6 +297,7 @@
   onDestroy(() => {
     window.removeEventListener('pointermove', onWinMove);
     window.removeEventListener('pointerup', onWinUp);
+    window.removeEventListener('pointerdown', onExtraPointer);
     clearHover();
     telegramClosingConfirmation(false);
   });
@@ -547,7 +577,7 @@
   ]);
 </script>
 
-<Screen title={t('app.title')} back="/" growNav column scroll={false}>
+<Screen title={t(variantNameKey(variant))} back="/" growNav column scroll={false}>
   {#snippet menu()}
     <Menu items={menuItems} />
   {/snippet}
@@ -600,6 +630,7 @@
           lines={app.boardLines}
           locale={app.locale}
           {focus}
+          {dropTarget}
           oncell={onCell}
           ontogglezoom={(r, c) => { focus = { row: r, col: c }; if (!gameOver) zoomed = !zoomed; }}
           onrecall={onRecall}
@@ -624,10 +655,10 @@
          a finished game shows the final rack greyed out and the controls disabled. -->
     <div class="rack-row" class:inert={gameOver}>
       <div class="rack-wrap">
-        <Rack slots={rackSlots} {variant} {selected} {shuffling} ondown={onRackDown} />
+        <Rack slots={rackSlots} {variant} {selected} shuffling={shuffling && !app.reduceMotion} ondown={onRackDown} />
       </div>
       {#if !gameOver && placement.pending.length > 0}
-        <button class="make" onclick={commit} disabled={busy} aria-label={t('game.makeMove')}>✅</button>
+        <button class="make" onclick={commit} disabled={busy || (preview !== null && !preview.legal)} aria-label={t('game.makeMove')}>✅</button>
       {/if}
     </div>
   {:else}
@@ -883,18 +914,19 @@
     flex: 1;
     min-width: 0;
   }
+  /* A borderless icon button (like the tab bar), not a filled accent button — and disabled
+     while the pending word is known to be illegal (Stage 17). */
   .make {
     min-width: 56px;
-    background: var(--accent);
-    color: var(--accent-text);
+    background: none;
+    color: var(--text);
     border: none;
-    border-radius: var(--radius-sm);
     display: grid;
     place-items: center;
-    font-size: 1.6rem;
+    font-size: 1.8rem;
   }
   .make:disabled {
-    opacity: 0.55;
+    opacity: 0.4;
   }
   .pop {
     padding: 9px 14px;
diff --git a/ui/src/game/Rack.svelte b/ui/src/game/Rack.svelte
index 369e320..0a50e1b 100644
--- a/ui/src/game/Rack.svelte
+++ b/ui/src/game/Rack.svelte
@@ -26,8 +26,9 @@
 
   // hop flies a tile to its shuffled position along a low parabola (apogee ≈ half a tile
   // height). The duration scales with the horizontal distance — i.e. the arc length — so
-  // the longest swap (slot 1 ↔ 7) takes ~0.5s and shorter swaps land sooner. It runs only
-  // while a shuffle is in progress; ordinary reflow (placing/recalling a tile) is instant.
+  // the longest swap (slot 1 ↔ 7) takes ~0.3s and shorter swaps land sooner. It runs only
+  // while a shuffle is in progress (and motion is not reduced); ordinary reflow
+  // (placing/recalling a tile) is instant.
   function hop(node: HTMLElement, { from, to }: { from: DOMRect; to: DOMRect }, active: boolean) {
     const dx = from.left - to.left;
     const dy = from.top - to.top;
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@
     const span = node.parentElement?.getBoundingClientRect().width || dist;
     const lift = (to.height || from.height) * 0.5;
     return {
-      duration: Math.max(160, Math.min(500, (dist / span) * 560)),
+      duration: Math.max(120, Math.min(300, (dist / span) * 340)),
       css: (t: number, u: number) =>
         `transform: translate(${dx * u}px, ${dy * u - Math.sin(Math.PI * t) * lift}px);`,
     };
diff --git a/ui/src/lib/i18n/en.ts b/ui/src/lib/i18n/en.ts
index 63e67c5..c3f0b55 100644
--- a/ui/src/lib/i18n/en.ts
+++ b/ui/src/lib/i18n/en.ts
@@ -40,9 +40,9 @@ export const en = {
 
   'new.title': 'New game',
   'new.subtitle': 'Auto-match with another player',
-  'new.english': 'English',
-  'new.russian': 'Russian',
-  'new.erudit': 'Эрудит',
+  'new.english': 'Scrabble',
+  'new.russian': 'Scrabble',
+  'new.erudit': 'Erudite',
   'new.find': 'Find a game',
   'new.searching': 'Looking for an opponent…',
 
diff --git a/ui/src/lib/i18n/ru.ts b/ui/src/lib/i18n/ru.ts
index 319c606..f7fdeac 100644
--- a/ui/src/lib/i18n/ru.ts
+++ b/ui/src/lib/i18n/ru.ts
@@ -41,8 +41,8 @@ export const ru: Record<MessageKey, string> = {
 
   'new.title': 'Новая игра',
   'new.subtitle': 'Автоподбор соперника',
-  'new.english': 'Английский',
-  'new.russian': 'Русский',
+  'new.english': 'Скрэббл',
+  'new.russian': 'Скрэббл',
   'new.erudit': 'Эрудит',
   'new.find': 'Найти игру',
   'new.searching': 'Ищем соперника…',
diff --git a/ui/src/lib/variants.ts b/ui/src/lib/variants.ts
index 31ad921..1f21dfd 100644
--- a/ui/src/lib/variants.ts
+++ b/ui/src/lib/variants.ts
@@ -11,13 +11,22 @@ export interface VariantOption {
   label: MessageKey;
 }
 
-// ALL_VARIANTS lists every variant in display order.
+// ALL_VARIANTS lists every variant in display order. The labels are display names, not
+// language names: both Scrabble variants render as "Scrabble"/"Скрэббл" and Erudit as
+// "Erudite"/"Эрудит" (Stage 17) — the offered list is language-gated, so within one
+// language the names stay distinct.
 export const ALL_VARIANTS: VariantOption[] = [
   { id: 'english', label: 'new.english' },
   { id: 'russian_scrabble', label: 'new.russian' },
   { id: 'erudit', label: 'new.erudit' },
 ];
 
+// variantNameKey returns the i18n key for a variant's display name (used by the in-game
+// title and the lobby cards).
+export function variantNameKey(v: Variant): MessageKey {
+  return ALL_VARIANTS.find((o) => o.id === v)?.label ?? 'new.english';
+}
+
 // VARIANT_LANGUAGE maps each variant to its game language. en -> English;
 // ru -> Russian + Эрудит.
 export const VARIANT_LANGUAGE: Record<Variant, 'en' | 'ru'> = { english: 'en', russian_scrabble: 'ru', erudit: 'ru' };