diff --git a/ui/e2e/social.spec.ts b/ui/e2e/social.spec.ts
index 331df8b..33cdd70 100644
--- a/ui/e2e/social.spec.ts
+++ b/ui/e2e/social.spec.ts
@@ -165,12 +165,14 @@ test('link account: the Telegram web sign-in control is offered in a browser', a
   await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Link Telegram' })).toBeVisible();
 });
 
-test('chat send and nudge are icon buttons', async ({ page }) => {
+test('chat: the message field shows on your turn, the nudge replaces it otherwise', async ({ page }) => {
   await loginLobby(page);
-  await page.getByRole('button', { name: /Ann/ }).click();
+  await page.getByRole('button', { name: /Ann/ }).click(); // g1: your turn
   await page.locator('.burger').first().click();
   await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Chat' }).click();
-  // Icon-only controls expose their action through the aria-label.
+  // On your turn the message field + Send are shown and the nudge is hidden (Stage 17);
+  // chat and nudge are mutually exclusive by turn. Icon-only controls expose their action
+  // through the aria-label.
   await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Send' })).toBeVisible();
-  await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Nudge' })).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Nudge' })).toHaveCount(0);
 });
diff --git a/ui/src/game/Board.svelte b/ui/src/game/Board.svelte
index 7f6637b..a434519 100644
--- a/ui/src/game/Board.svelte
+++ b/ui/src/game/Board.svelte
@@ -250,6 +250,9 @@
     border-radius: 1px;
     background: var(--cell-bg);
     color: var(--prem-text);
+    /* No mobile tap flash on a cell tap (parity with the web click; the only intentional
+       cell animation is the last-word .flash highlight). */
+    -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent;
     padding: 0;
     overflow: hidden;
     font-size: 0;
diff --git a/ui/src/game/Chat.svelte b/ui/src/game/Chat.svelte
index 7d12318..fb1ddb9 100644
--- a/ui/src/game/Chat.svelte
+++ b/ui/src/game/Chat.svelte
@@ -6,16 +6,20 @@
     messages,
     myId,
     busy,
-    canNudge = true,
+    myTurn = false,
+    nudgeOnCooldown = false,
     onsend,
     onnudge,
   }: {
     messages: ChatMessage[];
     myId: string;
     busy: boolean;
-    // Nudging only makes sense while waiting on the opponent; it is disabled on the
-    // player's own turn (there is no one to hurry along).
-    canNudge?: boolean;
+    // Chat and nudge are mutually exclusive by turn (Stage 17): on the player's own turn the
+    // message field + send are shown (and nudging makes no sense — there is no one to
+    // hurry); on the opponent's turn only the nudge button shows. While the hourly nudge
+    // cooldown is active the nudge is disabled with an "awaiting reply" caption.
+    myTurn?: boolean;
+    nudgeOnCooldown?: boolean;
     onsend: (text: string) => void;
     onnudge: () => void;
   } = $props();
@@ -44,14 +48,18 @@
     {/each}
   </div>
   <div class="input">
-    <input
-      maxlength="60"
-      placeholder={t('chat.placeholder')}
-      bind:value={text}
-      onkeydown={(e) => e.key === 'Enter' && send()}
-    />
-    <button class="iconbtn" onclick={send} disabled={busy} aria-label={t('chat.send')}>⬆️</button>
-    <button class="iconbtn" onclick={onnudge} disabled={busy || !canNudge} aria-label={t('chat.nudgeAction')}>🛎️</button>
+    {#if myTurn}
+      <input
+        maxlength="60"
+        placeholder={t('chat.placeholder')}
+        bind:value={text}
+        onkeydown={(e) => e.key === 'Enter' && send()}
+      />
+      <button class="iconbtn" onclick={send} disabled={busy} aria-label={t('chat.send')}>⬆️</button>
+    {:else}
+      {#if nudgeOnCooldown}<span class="cooldown">{t('chat.awaitingReply')}</span>{/if}
+      <button class="iconbtn" onclick={onnudge} disabled={busy || nudgeOnCooldown} aria-label={t('chat.nudgeAction')}>🛎️</button>
+    {/if}
   </div>
 </div>
 
@@ -99,6 +107,14 @@
   .input {
     display: flex;
     gap: 6px;
+    align-items: center;
+  }
+  /* The cooldown caption sits to the left of the disabled nudge button. */
+  .cooldown {
+    flex: 1;
+    text-align: right;
+    color: var(--text-muted);
+    font-size: 0.85rem;
   }
   .input input {
     flex: 1;
diff --git a/ui/src/game/Game.svelte b/ui/src/game/Game.svelte
index 9fa01c9..7c07d2a 100644
--- a/ui/src/game/Game.svelte
+++ b/ui/src/game/Game.svelte
@@ -760,7 +760,7 @@
 
 {#if panel === 'chat'}
   <Modal title={t('game.chat')} onclose={() => (panel = 'none')}>
-    <Chat {messages} myId={app.session?.userId ?? ''} {busy} canNudge={!isMyTurn && !nudgeOnCooldown} onsend={sendChat} onnudge={nudge} />
+    <Chat {messages} myId={app.session?.userId ?? ''} {busy} myTurn={isMyTurn} {nudgeOnCooldown} onsend={sendChat} onnudge={nudge} />
   </Modal>
 {/if}
 
diff --git a/ui/src/lib/i18n/en.ts b/ui/src/lib/i18n/en.ts
index c3f0b55..3261d38 100644
--- a/ui/src/lib/i18n/en.ts
+++ b/ui/src/lib/i18n/en.ts
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ export const en = {
   'new.title': 'New game',
   'new.subtitle': 'Auto-match with another player',
   'new.english': 'Scrabble',
-  'new.russian': 'Scrabble',
+  'new.russian': 'Скрэббл',
   'new.erudit': 'Erudite',
   'new.find': 'Find a game',
   'new.searching': 'Looking for an opponent…',
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ export const en = {
   'chat.send': 'Send',
   'chat.nudge': 'Waiting for your move!',
   'chat.nudgeAction': 'Nudge',
+  'chat.awaitingReply': "Waiting for the opponent's reply",
   'chat.empty': 'No messages yet.',
   'chat.nudged': '{name} nudged you',
 
diff --git a/ui/src/lib/i18n/ru.ts b/ui/src/lib/i18n/ru.ts
index f7fdeac..10846f5 100644
--- a/ui/src/lib/i18n/ru.ts
+++ b/ui/src/lib/i18n/ru.ts
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ export const ru: Record<MessageKey, string> = {
 
   'new.title': 'Новая игра',
   'new.subtitle': 'Автоподбор соперника',
-  'new.english': 'Скрэббл',
+  'new.english': 'Scrabble',
   'new.russian': 'Скрэббл',
   'new.erudit': 'Эрудит',
   'new.find': 'Найти игру',
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ export const ru: Record<MessageKey, string> = {
   'chat.send': 'Отправить',
   'chat.nudge': 'Жду вашего хода!',
   'chat.nudgeAction': 'Поторопить',
+  'chat.awaitingReply': 'Ждём реакцию соперника',
   'chat.empty': 'Сообщений пока нет.',
   'chat.nudged': '{name} торопит вас',
 
diff --git a/ui/src/lib/variants.ts b/ui/src/lib/variants.ts
index 1f21dfd..a622c2b 100644
--- a/ui/src/lib/variants.ts
+++ b/ui/src/lib/variants.ts
@@ -11,10 +11,11 @@ export interface VariantOption {
   label: MessageKey;
 }
 
-// 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.
+// ALL_VARIANTS lists every variant in display order. The labels are display names keyed by
+// the game's alphabet, not the interface language: the English-alphabet game is always
+// "Scrabble" and the Russian-alphabet Scrabble always "Скрэббл" (both unlocalized, so the
+// two never collide whatever the UI language); Erudit is localized "Erudite"/"Эрудит"
+// (Stage 17).
 export const ALL_VARIANTS: VariantOption[] = [
   { id: 'english', label: 'new.english' },
   { id: 'russian_scrabble', label: 'new.russian' },
diff --git a/ui/src/screens/Profile.svelte b/ui/src/screens/Profile.svelte
index 999e10e..8cc48d2 100644
--- a/ui/src/screens/Profile.svelte
+++ b/ui/src/screens/Profile.svelte
@@ -166,8 +166,6 @@
       <div class="name">{p.displayName}</div>
       {#if p.isGuest}<span class="badge">{t('profile.guest')}</span>{/if}
 
-      <div class="hintbal"><span>{t('profile.hintBalance')}</span><b>{p.hintBalance}</b></div>
-
       {#if p.isGuest}
         <p class="muted">{t('profile.guestLocked')}</p>
       {:else}
@@ -284,15 +282,6 @@
     color: var(--text-muted);
     font-size: 0.8rem;
   }
-  .hintbal {
-    display: flex;
-    justify-content: space-between;
-    color: var(--text-muted);
-  }
-  .hintbal b {
-    color: var(--text);
-    font-weight: 600;
-  }
   .muted {
     color: var(--text-muted);
     font-size: 0.9rem;