Merge pull request 'Promote development → master (docs finalize + UI tweaks + Telegram name fallback)' (#108) from development into master

.gitea/workflows/ci.yaml

@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ on:
 # unit/integration jobs inherit it. The deploy job overrides it per contour with
 # vars.TEST_DICT_VERSION (the seed for a fresh volume), see deploy/README.md.
 env:
-  DICT_VERSION: v1.3.0
+  DICT_VERSION: v1.2.1
 
 jobs:
   # changes detects which areas a PR/push touched, so the test jobs can skip when

CLAUDE.md

@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ go run ./backend/cmd/backend    # /healthz, /readyz on :8080
 cd ui && pnpm install && pnpm check && pnpm test:unit && pnpm build  # the UI
 pnpm start                      # UI mock mode: lobby -> game, no backend
 
-docker build --build-arg DICT_VERSION=v1.3.0 -f backend/Dockerfile -t scrabble-backend .  # DICT_VERSION required (no default); gateway embeds the SPA
+docker build -f backend/Dockerfile -t scrabble-backend .   # images; gateway embeds the SPA
 docker build -f gateway/Dockerfile --target gateway -t scrabble-gateway .
 docker build -f gateway/Dockerfile --target landing -t scrabble-landing .  # static landing
 docker compose -f deploy/docker-compose.yml config         # validate the full contour

README.md

@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ observability stack (OTel Collector → Prometheus + Tempo → Grafana) + a fron
 services build from multi-stage distroless `*/Dockerfile`.
 
 ```sh
-docker build --build-arg DICT_VERSION=v1.3.0 -f backend/Dockerfile -t scrabble-backend .  # DICT_VERSION required; pulls that DAWG release artifact
+docker build -f backend/Dockerfile -t scrabble-backend .   # pulls the DAWG release artifact
 docker build -f gateway/Dockerfile -t scrabble-gateway .   # node stage builds + embeds the UI
 docker compose -f deploy/docker-compose.yml config         # validate (needs the TEST_/PROD_ env)
 ```

backend/Dockerfile

@@ -7,14 +7,12 @@
 # (GOPRIVATE), so the build stage needs git and network.
 #
 # Build from the repository root so go.work, go.work.sum, pkg/ and backend/ are all
-# in the Docker context. DICT_VERSION has no default — the caller supplies the
-# scrabble-dictionary release tag (compose/CI pass it; see deploy/README.md
-# "Bumping the dictionary version"):
-#   docker build --build-arg DICT_VERSION=v1.3.0 -f backend/Dockerfile -t scrabble-backend .
+# in the Docker context:
+#   docker build -f backend/Dockerfile -t scrabble-backend .
 
 # --- dictionary artifact -----------------------------------------------------
 FROM alpine:3.20 AS dawg
-ARG DICT_VERSION
+ARG DICT_VERSION=v1.2.1
 RUN apk add --no-cache curl tar
 RUN mkdir -p /dawg \
  && curl -fsSL -o /tmp/dawg.tar.gz \
@@ -44,7 +42,7 @@ FROM gcr.io/distroless/static-debian12:nonroot
 # Re-declare the build arg in this stage so it labels the seed dictionary. One
 # DICT_VERSION drives both the artifact the dawg stage downloads and the version
 # label the binary pins, so the resident version equals the release tag.
-ARG DICT_VERSION
+ARG DICT_VERSION=v1.2.1
 COPY --from=build /out/backend /usr/local/bin/backend
 # Own the seed dictionary as the nonroot runtime user (UID 65532): a named volume
 # mounted at /opt/dawg inherits this ownership on first use, so the admin console

backend/README.md

@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ internal/banview/    # gateway active-ban mirror: the console's Active IP bans p
 ```sh
 docker run -d --name scrabble-pg -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=dev -p 5432:5432 postgres:17-alpine
 # DAWGs: extract the dictionary release artifact (or point at a local scrabble-solver/dawg):
-mkdir -p /tmp/dawg && curl -fsSL https://gitea.iliadenisov.ru/developer/scrabble-dictionary/releases/download/v1.3.0/scrabble-dawg-v1.3.0.tar.gz | tar xz -C /tmp/dawg
+mkdir -p /tmp/dawg && curl -fsSL https://gitea.iliadenisov.ru/developer/scrabble-dictionary/releases/download/v1.2.1/scrabble-dawg-v1.2.1.tar.gz | tar xz -C /tmp/dawg
 BACKEND_POSTGRES_DSN='postgres://postgres:dev@localhost:5432/postgres?search_path=backend&sslmode=disable' \
   BACKEND_DICT_DIR=/tmp/dawg \
   GOPRIVATE='gitea.iliadenisov.ru/*' \

backend/internal/postgres/migrations/00002_default_ad_tips.sql

@@ -1,64 +0,0 @@
--- Replace the default (house) ad campaign's single seed tip with the curated,
--- language-agnostic Scrabble tip set (one bilingual row per tip; the client picks the
--- column for the viewer's language). Data-only — the ad_messages schema is unchanged, so
--- a backend image rollback stays DB-safe. The default campaign is the fixed house id seeded
--- in 00001; ON DELETE CASCADE is irrelevant here (we only touch its messages).
-
--- +goose Up
-DELETE FROM backend.ad_messages WHERE campaign_id = '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad';
-INSERT INTO backend.ad_messages (message_id, campaign_id, "position", body_en, body_ru) VALUES
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 0, 'Keep a balanced rack — a slight edge of consonants over vowels.', 'Держи на руках баланс — с лёгким перевесом согласных над гласными.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 1, 'Your "leave" (the tiles you keep) sets up your next turn — value it.', '«Остаток» (что оставляешь на руках) готовит следующий ход — цени его.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 2, 'Shed duplicate tiles — repeats clog your options.', 'Сбрасывай дубли фишек — повторы забивают возможности.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 3, 'A slightly consonant-heavy rack builds full-rack plays more easily.', 'Лёгкий перевес согласных проще складывается в выкладку всех фишек.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 4, 'Play several tiles per turn to keep your rack cycling.', 'Выкладывай по нескольку фишек за ход, чтобы рука обновлялась.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 5, 'Don''t hoard hard-to-place duplicates or a lone high-value tile.', 'Не копи труднопристраиваемые дубли или одинокую дорогую фишку.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 6, 'Using all your rack tiles in one move scores a large bonus — chase it.', 'Выкладка всех фишек с рук за ход даёт крупный бонус — стремись к ней.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 7, 'Learn common prefixes and suffixes — they extend words to use every tile.', 'Учи частые приставки и суффиксы — они растягивают слово на все фишки.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 8, '"Fish": play few tiles to keep a near-complete rack when you''re ahead.', '«Рыбачь»: сыграй мало фишек, сохранив почти всю руку, когда ведёшь.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 9, 'Don''t hoard high-value tiles — play them in good time, not at the very end.', 'Не копи дорогие фишки — играй их вовремя, а не под самый конец.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 10, 'Don''t hold a high-value tile waiting for a rare partner — usually a loss.', 'Не держи дорогую фишку ради редкого партнёра — обычно это проигрыш.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 11, 'Land your priciest tile on a premium square for a big single score.', 'Сажай самую дорогую фишку на бонусную клетку ради крупных очков.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 12, 'High-value tiles shine in parallel plays through short words.', 'Дорогие фишки сильны в параллельных выкладках через короткие слова.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 13, 'Stuck with an unplayable high-value tile late? Exchange it.', 'Завис с неиграбельной дорогой фишкой под конец? Обменяй её.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 14, 'The blanks are the most valuable tiles in the bag — guard them.', 'Пустышки — самые ценные фишки в мешке; береги их.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 15, 'Save a blank for a full-rack play or a key premium square.', 'Береги пустышку для выкладки всех фишек или важной бонусной клетки.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 16, 'Don''t spend a blank cheaply — hold it for a much bigger gain.', 'Не трать пустышку по мелочи — придержи ради куда большей выгоды.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 17, 'Put high-value tiles on letter-bonus or word-bonus squares.', 'Клади дорогие фишки на бонус буквы или слова.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 18, 'Stack bonuses — a letter bonus under a word bonus multiplies both.', 'Совмещай бонусы — бонус буквы под бонусом слова умножает оба.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 19, 'Parallel plays can earn nearly half your points — look for them.', 'Параллельные выкладки могут давать почти половину очков — ищи их.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 20, 'A hook adds one tile to an existing word to make a new one.', '«Крючок» — одна фишка к готовому слову, образующая новое.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 21, 'Hooks work at the front or the back of a word.', 'Крючки работают спереди и сзади слова.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 22, 'Short words are the keys to tight parallel plays — memorize them.', 'Короткие слова — ключ к плотным параллелям; выучи их.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 23, 'Your opening word crosses the centre — keep it compact, don''t open up.', 'Первое слово идёт через центр — держи компактным, не раскрывайся.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 24, 'It''s not only your score — limit your opponent''s options too.', 'Это не только твои очки — ограничивай и возможности соперника.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 25, 'Denying a big reply often beats squeezing a few more points yourself.', 'Закрыть крупный ответ часто важнее, чем добрать пару своих очков.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 26, 'When ahead, keep the board tight and closed; avoid open lanes.', 'Ведёшь — держи доску плотной и закрытой, не открывай линии.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 27, 'When behind, open the board up to create high-scoring chances.', 'Отстаёшь — раскрывай доску ради шансов на крупный ход.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 28, 'Don''t leave a word-bonus square open right beside your word.', 'Не оставляй клетку бонуса слова открытой рядом со своим словом.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 29, 'Block a hot square even with a weak word to deny a big play.', 'Закрывай опасную клетку даже слабым словом, чтобы срубить крупный ход.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 30, 'Know words that take no hooks — use them to seal off lines.', 'Знай слова, не берущие крючков — ими запирай линии.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 31, 'Track the tiles played to judge what is still left in the bag.', 'Считай сыгранные фишки — так поймёшь, что осталось в мешке.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 32, 'Exchange when your rack is unbalanced or can only score low.', 'Меняй фишки, когда рука несбалансированна или тянет мало.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 33, 'A good exchange beats a bad play — a clean rack is worth a turn.', 'Хороший обмен лучше плохого хода — чистая рука стоит хода.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 34, 'Swap away a surplus of vowels or consonants to rebalance.', 'Сбрасывай в обмен избыток гласных или согласных, чтобы выровняться.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 35, 'Rare high-value tiles are gone once seen — note them as they appear.', 'Редкие дорогие фишки исчезают, едва мелькнув — отмечай их.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 36, 'Once the bag is empty, deduce your opponent''s remaining tiles.', 'Когда мешок пуст, вычисли оставшиеся фишки соперника.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 37, 'Shed high-value tiles before the bag empties — don''t get stuck with them.', 'Сбрось дорогие фишки до опустения мешка — не зависай с ними.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 38, 'Unplayed tiles count against you at the end — try to go out first.', 'Несыгранные фишки минусуют очки в конце — старайся выйти первым.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 39, 'Going out first adds your opponent''s leftover tiles to your score.', 'Кто вышел первым, добирает очки за оставшиеся фишки соперника.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 40, 'Sometimes leaving one tile in the bag buys you an extra turn.', 'Иногда оставить одну фишку в мешке — это лишний ход.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 41, 'In the endgame, block the exact squares your opponent needs.', 'В эндшпиле блокируй именно те клетки, что нужны сопернику.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 42, 'Shuffle your rack to spot new patterns.', 'Перемешивай фишки на руках — так замечаешь новые сочетания.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 43, 'Separate prefix, suffix and middle tiles to anagram faster.', 'Разнеси приставку, суффикс и середину — анаграммы решаются быстрее.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 44, 'Value board position and future turns over raw points this turn.', 'Цени позицию и будущие ходы выше сиюминутных очков.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 45, 'Early game build position; midgame maximize score; endgame defend.', 'В начале — позиция, в середине — очки, в конце — защита.'),
-    (gen_random_uuid(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 46, 'Learn the short-word lists first — they pay off in every game.', 'Сначала учи списки коротких слов — окупаются в каждой партии.');
-
--- +goose Down
--- Restore the original single house tip seeded by the baseline.
-DELETE FROM backend.ad_messages WHERE campaign_id = '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad';
-INSERT INTO backend.ad_messages (message_id, campaign_id, "position", body_en, body_ru)
-VALUES ('00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000a1', '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 0,
-    'Tip: a play using all 7 tiles earns a +50 bonus.',
-    'Совет: ход всеми 7 фишками приносит бонус +50 очков.');

deploy/.env.example

@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ POSTGRES_PASSWORD=change-me            # required
 # the active version lives in the DB. On a live volume a changed value is ignored (the
 # recorded .seed_version marker wins — the seed-drift guard); change a running
 # contour's dictionary through /_gm/dictionary (ARCHITECTURE.md §5).
-DICT_VERSION=v1.3.0
+DICT_VERSION=v1.2.1
 
 # --- Logging ----------------------------------------------------------------
 LOG_LEVEL=info

deploy/README.md

@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ without it Docker's resolver handles `otelcol`, `gateway` and `api.telegram.org`
 | --- | --- | --- | --- |
 | `POSTGRES_DB` | variable | `scrabble` | Database name. |
 | `POSTGRES_USER` | variable | `scrabble` | Database user. |
-| `DICT_VERSION` | variable | `v1.3.0` | `scrabble-dictionary` release tag baked into the backend image as the **seed for a fresh volume** (build-arg). A live contour changes dictionary through the admin console, not this; on a seeded volume a changed value is ignored (the recorded `.seed_version` marker wins — the seed-drift guard, ARCHITECTURE.md §5). Set per contour as `TEST_`/`PROD_DICT_VERSION`. |
+| `DICT_VERSION` | variable | `v1.2.1` | `scrabble-dictionary` release tag baked into the backend image as the **seed for a fresh volume** (build-arg). A live contour changes dictionary through the admin console, not this; on a seeded volume a changed value is ignored (the recorded `.seed_version` marker wins — the seed-drift guard, ARCHITECTURE.md §5). Set per contour as `TEST_`/`PROD_DICT_VERSION`. |
 | `LOG_LEVEL` | variable | `info` | Shared log level for backend / gateway / validator / bot (`debug\|info\|warn\|error`). |
 | `CADDY_SITE_ADDRESS` | variable | `:80` | Caddy site address. Test: `:80` (host caddy terminates TLS). Prod: a domain, so caddy does its own ACME. |
 | `GM_BASICAUTH_USER` | variable | `gm` | Username for the `/_gm` Basic-Auth. |
@@ -117,28 +117,6 @@ collector's / gateway's internal IP is fine (connected route), but its `AWG_CONF
 which resolves `otelcol`, `gateway` and `api.telegram.org`. `GATEWAY_ADMIN_*` is
 intentionally **unset** — caddy owns `/_gm` in the contour.
 
-## Bumping the dictionary version
-
-The dictionary ships as a versioned **release artifact** (`scrabble-dawg-vX.Y.Z.tar.gz`) from
-[`scrabble-dictionary`](https://gitea.iliadenisov.ru/developer/scrabble-dictionary). The tag is
-a build-time input with **no default** in the images, so it is set in exactly two places to
-move the whole stack — change both to a new release:
-
-1. **CI tests** — `.gitea/workflows/ci.yaml` `env.DICT_VERSION` (the unit/integration jobs
-   download that dawg).
-2. **Deploy seed** — the Gitea repo variables `TEST_DICT_VERSION` / `PROD_DICT_VERSION` (the tag
-   the deploy bakes into a **fresh** volume's image; the deploy job feeds it to `compose` as
-   `DICT_VERSION`).
-
-For local builds set `DICT_VERSION` in `deploy/.env` (template: `.env.example`); a bare
-`docker build` needs `--build-arg DICT_VERSION=vX.Y.Z`. The Dockerfiles and `compose` carry no
-default — a missing value fails loudly instead of baking a stale tag.
-
-Bumping the seed is a **no-op on a live volume** (the `.seed_version` marker wins — the
-seed-drift guard). A running contour/prod moves to a new release **through the admin console**
-`/_gm/dictionary` (upload the tarball, preview the per-variant diff, confirm); in-flight games
-keep their pinned version, new games use the new one (ARCHITECTURE.md §5).
-
 ## Production rollout
 
 Prod runs on **two hosts** (main = full stack + ACME on the domain; tg = the bot only,

deploy/docker-compose.yml

@@ -68,11 +68,9 @@ services:
       context: ..
       dockerfile: backend/Dockerfile
       args:
-        # Seed dictionary for a FRESH volume; required (no default) so the release tag is
-        # set in exactly one place per context — the deploy env (Gitea TEST_/PROD_DICT_VERSION)
-        # or .env for local builds. See the volume note below + deploy/README.md "Bumping the
-        # dictionary version".
-        DICT_VERSION: ${DICT_VERSION:?set DICT_VERSION — the scrabble-dictionary release tag, e.g. in deploy/.env}
+        # Seed dictionary for a FRESH volume; the per-contour value comes from the
+        # deploy env (Gitea TEST_/PROD_DICT_VERSION). See the volume note below.
+        DICT_VERSION: ${DICT_VERSION:-v1.2.1}
         # Build version stamped into the binary (git tag; see pkg/version).
         VERSION: ${APP_VERSION:-dev}
     restart: unless-stopped

docs/UI_DESIGN.md

@@ -109,10 +109,7 @@ dismisses as soon as the lobby is ready. The pure layout and timing live in `lib
 ## Tiles & board
 
 - **Tiles**: the letter sits in the **top-left** corner (offset a touch more than the
-  value), the point value bottom-right; blanks show no value. In **Erudit** the blank is the
-  "звёздочка" (star) chip: an unplaced blank shows the star (`✻`, U+273B) centred on the rack
-  tile, and a placed blank carries it in the value corner; the Scrabble variants leave the
-  blank unmarked (`usesStarBlank` in `lib/variants.ts`).
+  value), the point value bottom-right; blanks show no value.
 - **Board zoom** (`Board.svelte`): a two-state zoom (full 15×15 ↔ ~9 cells) by **growing
   the board's width** inside a fixed-size viewport (a real layout change → native scroll
   that works consistently across browsers; no `transform`, which broke scrolling

loadtest/Dockerfile

@@ -12,8 +12,7 @@
 
 # --- dictionary artifact -----------------------------------------------------
 FROM alpine:3.20 AS dawg
-# Required, no default: the build caller supplies the scrabble-dictionary release tag.
-ARG DICT_VERSION
+ARG DICT_VERSION=v1.2.1
 RUN apk add --no-cache curl tar
 RUN mkdir -p /dawg \
  && curl -fsSL -o /tmp/dawg.tar.gz \

loadtest/README.md

@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@ The harness reaches Postgres and the gateway directly, so run it as a one-shot
 container on the contour's docker network (this bypasses the host→gateway hairpin):
 
 ```sh
-# from the repo root (DICT_VERSION has no default — pass the scrabble-dictionary release tag)
-docker build --build-arg DICT_VERSION=v1.3.0 -f loadtest/Dockerfile -t scrabble-loadtest .
+# from the repo root
+docker build -f loadtest/Dockerfile -t scrabble-loadtest .
 
 docker run --rm --cpus=3 --name scrabble-loadtest --network scrabble-internal \
   -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD="$TEST_POSTGRES_PASSWORD" \

ui/src/components/WordTiles.svelte

@@ -1,14 +1,12 @@
 <script lang="ts">
   // A best-move word drawn as a row of game tiles, mirroring the board's placed-tile
   // look (letter top-left, point value bottom-right) at a small fixed size. A blank tile
-  // shows its letter but no value, exactly as on the board; in Erudit it also carries the
-  // blank's star (✻) in the value corner. Letters are upper-cased for display. The tile
-  // values ride on each tile, so this needs only the variant id (for the star) — not the
-  // variant's alphabet table, which the statistics screen has not cached.
-  import type { BestMoveTile, Variant } from '../lib/model';
-  import { usesStarBlank, BLANK_STAR } from '../lib/variants';
+  // shows its letter but no value, exactly as on the board. Letters are upper-cased for
+  // display. The tile values ride on each tile, so this renders without the variant's
+  // alphabet table (which the statistics screen has not cached).
+  import type { BestMoveTile } from '../lib/model';
 
-  let { word, variant }: { word: BestMoveTile[]; variant: Variant } = $props();
+  let { word }: { word: BestMoveTile[] } = $props();
 
   const label = $derived(word.map((t) => t.letter).join('').toUpperCase());
 </script>
@@ -17,11 +15,7 @@
   {#each word as tile, i (i)}
     <span class="tile" class:blank={tile.blank} aria-hidden="true">
       <span class="letter">{tile.letter.toUpperCase()}</span>
-      {#if !tile.blank}
-        <span class="val">{tile.value}</span>
-      {:else if usesStarBlank(variant)}
-        <span class="val blankmark">{BLANK_STAR}</span>
-      {/if}
+      {#if !tile.blank}<span class="val">{tile.value}</span>{/if}
     </span>
   {/each}
 </span>
@@ -56,10 +50,4 @@
     font-size: 7px;
     font-weight: 600;
   }
-  /* A placed Erudit blank ("звёздочка") shows its star where the (absent) point value sits,
-     its ink kept on the value digits' line (mirrors the board tile). */
-  .blankmark {
-    font-size: 8px;
-    bottom: 0;
-  }
 </style>

ui/src/game/Board.svelte

@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
   import type { Premium } from '../lib/premiums';
   import { valueForLetter } from '../lib/alphabet';
   import type { Variant } from '../lib/model';
-  import { usesStarBlank, BLANK_STAR } from '../lib/variants';
   import { bonusLabel, type BoardLabelMode } from '../lib/boardlabels';
   import type { Locale } from '../lib/i18n/catalog';
 
@@ -255,11 +254,7 @@
           >
             {#if letter}
               <span class="letter">{letter}</span>
-              {#if !blank}
-                <span class="val">{valueForLetter(variant, letter)}</span>
-              {:else if usesStarBlank(variant)}
-                <span class="val blankmark">{BLANK_STAR}</span>
-              {/if}
+              {#if !blank}<span class="val">{valueForLetter(variant, letter)}</span>{/if}
             {:else if r === centre.row && c === centre.col}
               <span class="star">★</span>
             {:else if bl?.kind === 'single'}
@@ -415,12 +410,6 @@
     font-size: 2.4cqw;
     font-weight: 600;
   }
-  /* A placed Erudit blank ("звёздочка") shows its star where the (absent) point value sits,
-     its ink centred on the same line as a neighbouring tile's value digit. */
-  .blankmark {
-    font-size: 2.8cqw;
-    bottom: 0;
-  }
   .star {
     position: absolute;
     inset: 0;

ui/src/game/Game.svelte

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
   import { badgeKind } from '../lib/unread';
   import { historyGrid } from '../lib/history';
   import { centre, premiumGrid } from '../lib/premiums';
-  import { variantNameKey, usesStarBlank, BLANK_STAR } from '../lib/variants';
+  import { variantNameKey } from '../lib/variants';
   import { alphabetLetters, hasAlphabet } from '../lib/alphabet';
   import { hintsLeft } from '../lib/hints';
   import { shareOrDownloadGcg } from '../lib/share';
@@ -1293,7 +1293,7 @@
 
 {#if drag}
   <div class="ghost" class:touch={drag.touch} style="left:{drag.x}px; top:{drag.y}px">
-    <span>{drag.blank ? (usesStarBlank(variant) ? BLANK_STAR : '') : drag.letter}</span>
+    <span>{drag.blank ? '' : drag.letter}</span>
   </div>
 {/if}
 

ui/src/game/Rack.svelte

@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
   import { BLANK } from '../lib/placement';
   import { valueForLetter } from '../lib/alphabet';
   import type { Variant } from '../lib/model';
-  import { usesStarBlank, BLANK_STAR } from '../lib/variants';
 
   let {
     slots,
@@ -67,12 +66,8 @@
       animate:hop={shuffling}
       onpointerdown={(e) => ondown(e, slot.index)}
     >
-      {#if slot.letter === BLANK}
-        {#if usesStarBlank(variant)}<span class="star">{BLANK_STAR}</span>{/if}
-      {:else}
-        <span class="letter">{slot.letter}</span>
-        <span class="val">{valueForLetter(variant, slot.letter)}</span>
-      {/if}
+      <span class="letter">{slot.letter === BLANK ? '' : slot.letter}</span>
+      {#if slot.letter !== BLANK}<span class="val">{valueForLetter(variant, slot.letter)}</span>{/if}
     </button>
   {/each}
 </div>
@@ -138,15 +133,4 @@
     font-size: 0.7rem;
     font-weight: 600;
   }
-  /* Erudit's blank ("звёздочка") shows its star horizontally centred on the otherwise empty
-     tile face; the top offset centres its ink against the neighbouring letters' block, nudged
-     up a pixel to sit right by eye (it is slightly larger than them so it reads). */
-  .star {
-    position: absolute;
-    top: calc(0.5% - 1px);
-    left: 0;
-    right: 0;
-    text-align: center;
-    font-size: 1.7rem;
-  }
 </style>

ui/src/lib/app.svelte.ts

@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import { gateway } from './gateway';
 import { GatewayError } from './client';
 import { navigate, router } from './router.svelte';
 import { errorKey, localeFrom, setLocale, t, type Locale } from './i18n/index.svelte';
-import { languageNeedsServerSync } from './language';
 import { applyReduceMotion, applyTelegramTheme, applyTheme, type ThemePref } from './theme';
 import {
   insideTelegram,
@@ -456,13 +455,6 @@ async function adoptSession(s: Session): Promise<void> {
     // account here. preferred_language stays the user's saved choice (written from Settings,
     // and used for out-of-app push routing), but the Telegram bot a user signs in through must
     // not dictate the UI: a ru-bot launch on an English system stays English.
-    //
-    // But the banner and out-of-app push routing ARE resolved from preferred_language, so an
-    // explicit device choice the account has not recorded yet (picked while a guest, or
-    // differing from the Telegram system-language seed) would otherwise leave them in the wrong
-    // language until the next Settings change. Reconcile the account to the saved local choice
-    // here; persistLanguageToServer no-ops for guests and when already equal.
-    if (app.localeLocked) void persistLanguageToServer(app.locale);
   } catch (err) {
     handleError(err);
   }
@@ -483,9 +475,6 @@ export async function applyLinkResult(r: LinkResult): Promise<void> {
     return;
   }
   app.profile = await gateway.profileGet();
-  // A guest who chose a language and then linked in place now has a durable account: push the
-  // saved choice so the banner + push routing follow it (see adoptSession).
-  if (app.localeLocked) void persistLanguageToServer(app.locale);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -767,7 +756,7 @@ export function setLocalePref(locale: Locale): void {
  */
 async function persistLanguageToServer(locale: Locale): Promise<void> {
   const p = app.profile;
-  if (!p || !languageNeedsServerSync(p, locale)) return;
+  if (!p || p.isGuest || p.preferredLanguage === locale) return;
   try {
     app.profile = await gateway.profileUpdate({
       displayName: p.displayName,

ui/src/lib/language.test.ts

@@ -1,27 +0,0 @@
-import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
-
-import { languageNeedsServerSync } from './language';
-import type { Profile } from './model';
-
-// The reconciler only reads isGuest + preferredLanguage; a partial cast keeps the fixture small.
-const profile = (over: Partial<Profile>): Profile => ({ isGuest: false, preferredLanguage: 'en', ...over }) as Profile;
-
-describe('languageNeedsServerSync', () => {
-  it('is false without a profile', () => {
-    expect(languageNeedsServerSync(null, 'ru')).toBe(false);
-    expect(languageNeedsServerSync(undefined, 'ru')).toBe(false);
-  });
-
-  it('is false for a guest — guests keep only the client preference', () => {
-    expect(languageNeedsServerSync(profile({ isGuest: true, preferredLanguage: 'en' }), 'ru')).toBe(false);
-  });
-
-  it('is false when the account already matches the locale', () => {
-    expect(languageNeedsServerSync(profile({ preferredLanguage: 'ru' }), 'ru')).toBe(false);
-  });
-
-  it('is true for a real account whose stored language differs (banner + push follow it)', () => {
-    expect(languageNeedsServerSync(profile({ preferredLanguage: 'en' }), 'ru')).toBe(true);
-    expect(languageNeedsServerSync(profile({ preferredLanguage: 'ru' }), 'en')).toBe(true);
-  });
-});

ui/src/lib/language.ts

@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-// Interface-language reconciliation. Kept out of app.svelte.ts (a runes module that the
-// node-env Vitest layer cannot import) so the decision is unit-testable.
-
-import type { Locale } from './i18n/catalog';
-import type { Profile } from './model';
-
-/**
- * languageNeedsServerSync reports whether the durable account's `preferred_language` should be
- * rewritten to the chosen interface `locale`. It is true only for a real (non-guest) account
- * whose stored language differs from the locale; guests keep only the client-side preference,
- * and an already-matching account is a no-op.
- *
- * The UI language follows the device (the local choice / system guess), but the advertising
- * banner and out-of-app push routing are resolved server-side from `preferred_language`. A saved
- * device choice the account has not yet recorded — picked while a guest, or differing from the
- * Telegram system-language seed — would otherwise leave the banner and pushes in the wrong
- * language until the next Settings change. Both the Settings control and the on-load reconciler
- * gate their write on this.
- */
-export function languageNeedsServerSync(profile: Profile | null | undefined, locale: Locale): boolean {
-  return !!profile && !profile.isGuest && profile.preferredLanguage !== locale;
-}

ui/src/lib/variants.test.ts

@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ import {
   availableVariants,
   supportsMultipleWordsToggle,
   multipleWordsForRequest,
-  usesStarBlank,
-  BLANK_STAR,
 } from './variants';
 
 describe('ALL_VARIANTS', () => {
@@ -55,16 +53,3 @@ describe('multipleWordsForRequest', () => {
     expect(multipleWordsForRequest('scrabble_en', true)).toBe(true);
   });
 });
-
-describe('usesStarBlank', () => {
-  it('marks the blank with a star for Erudit only', () => {
-    expect(usesStarBlank('erudit_ru')).toBe(true);
-    expect(usesStarBlank('scrabble_ru')).toBe(false);
-    expect(usesStarBlank('scrabble_en')).toBe(false);
-  });
-
-  it('BLANK_STAR is the heavy teardrop-spoked asterisk (U+273B)', () => {
-    expect(BLANK_STAR).toBe('✻');
-    expect(BLANK_STAR.codePointAt(0)).toBe(0x273b);
-  });
-});

ui/src/lib/variants.ts

@@ -48,20 +48,6 @@ export const VARIANT_FLAG: Record<Variant, string> = {
 // ru -> Russian + Эрудит.
 export const VARIANT_LANGUAGE: Record<Variant, 'en' | 'ru'> = { scrabble_en: 'en', scrabble_ru: 'ru', erudit_ru: 'ru' };
 
-// BLANK_STAR is the glyph drawn on an Эрудит blank tile: the variant's blank is the
-// "звёздочка" (star) chip, so it carries a star rather than a bare face. U+273B HEAVY
-// TEARDROP-SPOKED ASTERISK.
-export const BLANK_STAR = '✻';
-
-// usesStarBlank reports whether a variant marks its blank tiles with BLANK_STAR. Only
-// Эрудит does: an empty rack blank shows the star centred, and a placed blank carries it
-// in the value corner (the corner is free — a blank has no point value). The Scrabble
-// variants leave the blank unmarked (an empty rack face; a placed blank shown by its
-// designated letter alone).
-export function usesStarBlank(v: Variant): boolean {
-  return v === 'erudit_ru';
-}
-
 // availableVariants gates ALL_VARIANTS by the player's variant preferences (the set
 // they enabled in Settings). An empty or absent set is ungated (returns every variant)
 // — a safety fallback; a real profile always carries at least one preference.

ui/src/screens/Stats.svelte

@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@
             {#each bestMoves as bm (bm.variant)}
               <span class="variant">{t(variantNameKey(bm.variant))}</span>
               <span class="score">{bm.score}</span>
-              <span class="wordcell"><WordTiles word={bm.word} variant={bm.variant} /></span>
+              <span class="wordcell"><WordTiles word={bm.word} /></span>
             {/each}
           </div>
         </div>