Merge pull request 'Promote development → master: Erudit blank star + dictionary v1.3.0 pin' (#111) from development into master

Drop the literal version default from the build files (backend Dockerfile both
stages, loadtest Dockerfile, the compose build-arg) so the release tag is not
duplicated as a stale-prone default a newcomer can't tell from the real source.

DICT_VERSION is now required: compose uses ${DICT_VERSION:?…} and the Dockerfiles
have no ARG default, so a missing value fails loudly instead of baking a stale tag.
The tag lives only in its genuine sources — ci.yaml env (CI tests), the Gitea
TEST_/PROD_DICT_VERSION variables (deploy seed) and deploy/.env.example (local).
Adds a "Bumping the dictionary version" section to deploy/README and fixes the bare
docker-build examples (CLAUDE.md, README.md, loadtest/README) to pass --build-arg.

.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: v1.2.1
+  DICT_VERSION: v1.3.0
 
 jobs:
   # changes detects which areas a PR/push touched, so the test jobs can skip when
@@ -260,11 +260,16 @@ jobs:
           GM_BASICAUTH_HASH: ${{ secrets.TEST_GM_BASICAUTH_HASH }}
           GRAFANA_ADMIN_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.TEST_GRAFANA_ADMIN_PASSWORD }}
           TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.TEST_TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN }}
+          TELEGRAM_PROMO_BOT_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.TEST_TELEGRAM_PROMO_BOT_TOKEN }}
           GM_BASICAUTH_USER: ${{ vars.TEST_GM_BASICAUTH_USER }}
           GRAFANA_ROOT_URL: ${{ vars.TEST_GRAFANA_ROOT_URL }}
           CADDY_SITE_ADDRESS: ${{ vars.TEST_CADDY_SITE_ADDRESS }}
           TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL: ${{ vars.TEST_TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL }}
           TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_ID: ${{ vars.TEST_TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_ID }}
+          TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID: ${{ vars.TEST_TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID }}
+          TELEGRAM_BOT_USERNAME: ${{ vars.TEST_TELEGRAM_BOT_USERNAME }}
+          # The promo button reuses the UI's Mini App link variable.
+          TELEGRAM_BOT_LINK: ${{ vars.TEST_VITE_TELEGRAM_LINK }}
           # The test contour always uses Telegram's test environment — pinned here,
           # not an operator variable. The prod workflow leaves it false.
           TELEGRAM_TEST_ENV: "true"
@@ -296,8 +301,11 @@ jobs:
           # App version for the About screen: the git tag if present, else the short SHA
           # (the test checkout is shallow/untagged, so this is the SHA here — fine).
           export APP_VERSION="$(git -C "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE" describe --tags --always 2>/dev/null || echo dev)"
-          docker compose --ansi never build --progress plain
-          docker compose --ansi never up -d --remove-orphans
+          # The telegram-local profile brings the bot + its VPN sidecar; prod runs the
+          # bot on its own host instead (deploy/docker-compose.bot.yml), and the prod
+          # main host omits both. Without the profile they would not start here.
+          docker compose --ansi never --profile telegram-local build --progress plain
+          docker compose --ansi never --profile telegram-local up -d --remove-orphans
           # The config-only services bind-mount the reseeded config dir. A plain `up -d`
           # leaves them on the previous bind mount (the dir was rm'd + recreated), so a
           # changed Caddyfile or Grafana dashboard is ignored — force-recreate them to

.gitea/workflows/prod-deploy.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,266 @@
+# Manual production rollout. Runs ONLY from master, ONLY on workflow_dispatch with
+# confirm=deploy (development->master is merged + green first; this is the separate,
+# deliberate prod step). Visible sequential jobs from most to least significant:
+#   build -> deploy-main -> deploy-bot -> verify
+# The per-service rolling (postgres->backend->gateway->landing->validator->caddy),
+# health-gating and auto-rollback live in deploy/prod-deploy.sh on the main host and
+# show in the deploy-main log. Manual post-deploy rollback is prod-rollback.yaml.
+# See deploy/README.md (prod runbook).
+name: prod-deploy
+run-name: "prod deploy ${{ github.sha }}"
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      confirm:
+        description: 'Type "deploy" to confirm a production rollout from master.'
+        required: true
+        default: ""
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+env:
+  NO_COLOR: "1"
+  DOCKER_CLI_HINTS: "false"
+  REGISTRY: docker.iliadenisov.ru/developer
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+    if: ${{ github.ref == 'refs/heads/master' && inputs.confirm == 'deploy' }}
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        shell: bash
+    outputs:
+      tag: ${{ steps.ver.outputs.tag }}
+    env:
+      PROD_REGISTRY_USER: ${{ vars.PROD_REGISTRY_USER }}
+      PROD_REGISTRY_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.PROD_REGISTRY_PASSWORD }}
+      VITE_TELEGRAM_BOT_ID: ${{ vars.PROD_VITE_TELEGRAM_BOT_ID }}
+      VITE_TELEGRAM_LINK: ${{ vars.PROD_VITE_TELEGRAM_LINK }}
+      VITE_TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_NAME: ${{ vars.PROD_VITE_TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_NAME }}
+      VITE_GATEWAY_URL: ${{ vars.PROD_VITE_GATEWAY_URL }}
+      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.PROD_POSTGRES_PASSWORD }}
+      GM_BASICAUTH_HASH: ${{ secrets.PROD_GM_BASICAUTH_HASH }}
+      TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL: ${{ vars.PROD_TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL }}
+      DICT_VERSION: ${{ vars.PROD_DICT_VERSION }}
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+      - name: Compute version tag
+        id: ver
+        run: echo "tag=$(git describe --tags --always)" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+      - name: Registry login
+        run: echo "$PROD_REGISTRY_PASSWORD" | docker login "${REGISTRY%%/*}" -u "$PROD_REGISTRY_USER" --password-stdin
+      - name: Build and push images
+        working-directory: deploy
+        run: |
+          export TAG="${{ steps.ver.outputs.tag }}" APP_VERSION="${{ steps.ver.outputs.tag }}" SCRABBLE_CONFIG_DIR=.
+          # The four main-stack images via compose (reuses the build args, incl. VERSION);
+          # the bot separately, since it is profiled out of the prod compose.
+          docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.prod.yml build
+          docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.prod.yml push backend gateway landing validator
+          docker build -f ../platform/telegram/Dockerfile --target bot --build-arg VERSION="$TAG" -t "$REGISTRY/scrabble-telegram-bot:$TAG" ..
+          docker push "$REGISTRY/scrabble-telegram-bot:$TAG"
+
+  deploy-main:
+    needs: build
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        shell: bash
+    env:
+      TAG: ${{ needs.build.outputs.tag }}
+      PROD_REGISTRY_USER: ${{ vars.PROD_REGISTRY_USER }}
+      PROD_REGISTRY_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.PROD_REGISTRY_PASSWORD }}
+      PROD_SSH_KEY: ${{ secrets.PROD_SSH_KEY }}
+      PROD_SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS: ${{ secrets.PROD_SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS }}
+      MAIN_HOST: ${{ vars.PROD_MAIN_HOST }}
+      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.PROD_POSTGRES_PASSWORD }}
+      GM_BASICAUTH_HASH: ${{ secrets.PROD_GM_BASICAUTH_HASH }}
+      GRAFANA_ADMIN_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.PROD_GRAFANA_ADMIN_PASSWORD }}
+      TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.PROD_TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN }}
+      PROD_BOTLINK_CA: ${{ secrets.PROD_BOTLINK_CA }}
+      PROD_BOTLINK_GATEWAY_CERT: ${{ secrets.PROD_BOTLINK_GATEWAY_CERT }}
+      PROD_BOTLINK_GATEWAY_KEY: ${{ secrets.PROD_BOTLINK_GATEWAY_KEY }}
+      GM_BASICAUTH_USER: ${{ vars.PROD_GM_BASICAUTH_USER }}
+      GRAFANA_ROOT_URL: ${{ vars.PROD_GRAFANA_ROOT_URL }}
+      CADDY_SITE_ADDRESS: ${{ vars.PROD_CADDY_SITE_ADDRESS }}
+      LOG_LEVEL: ${{ vars.PROD_LOG_LEVEL }}
+      DICT_VERSION: ${{ vars.PROD_DICT_VERSION }}
+      POSTGRES_DB: ${{ vars.PROD_POSTGRES_DB }}
+      POSTGRES_USER: ${{ vars.PROD_POSTGRES_USER }}
+      TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL: ${{ vars.PROD_TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL }}
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+      - name: Set up SSH
+        run: |
+          mkdir -p ~/.ssh && chmod 700 ~/.ssh
+          printf '%s\n' "$PROD_SSH_KEY" > ~/.ssh/id_deploy && chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_deploy
+          printf '%s\n' "$PROD_SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS" > ~/.ssh/known_hosts
+      - name: Determine previous tag and migration
+        run: |
+          ssh_main() { ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_deploy -o BatchMode=yes "deploy@$MAIN_HOST" "$@"; }
+          PREV_TAG="$(ssh_main 'cat /opt/scrabble/DEPLOYED_TAG 2>/dev/null || echo none')"
+          MIGRATION=0
+          if [ "$PREV_TAG" != none ]; then
+            if ! git cat-file -e "$PREV_TAG^{commit}" 2>/dev/null; then
+              MIGRATION=1
+            elif git diff --name-only "$PREV_TAG..$TAG" -- backend/internal/postgres/migrations/ | grep -q .; then
+              MIGRATION=1
+            fi
+          fi
+          { echo "PREV_TAG=$PREV_TAG"; echo "MIGRATION=$MIGRATION"; } >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          echo "prev=$PREV_TAG migration=$MIGRATION"
+      - name: Render main env + certs
+        run: |
+          umask 077
+          mkdir -p stage/certs-main
+          cat > stage/env.sh <<EOF
+          export REGISTRY='$REGISTRY'
+          export SCRABBLE_CONFIG_DIR='/opt/scrabble'
+          export POSTGRES_DB='${POSTGRES_DB:-scrabble}'
+          export POSTGRES_USER='${POSTGRES_USER:-scrabble}'
+          export POSTGRES_PASSWORD='$POSTGRES_PASSWORD'
+          export GM_BASICAUTH_USER='${GM_BASICAUTH_USER:-gm}'
+          export GM_BASICAUTH_HASH='$GM_BASICAUTH_HASH'
+          export GRAFANA_ADMIN_PASSWORD='$GRAFANA_ADMIN_PASSWORD'
+          export GRAFANA_ROOT_URL='$GRAFANA_ROOT_URL'
+          export CADDY_SITE_ADDRESS='$CADDY_SITE_ADDRESS'
+          export LOG_LEVEL='${LOG_LEVEL:-info}'
+          export DICT_VERSION='$DICT_VERSION'
+          export APP_VERSION='$TAG'
+          export TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN='$TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN'
+          export TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL='$TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL'
+          export GATEWAY_ABUSE_BAN_ENABLED='true'
+          EOF
+          printf '%s\n' "$PROD_BOTLINK_CA"           > stage/certs-main/ca.crt
+          printf '%s\n' "$PROD_BOTLINK_GATEWAY_CERT" > stage/certs-main/gateway.crt
+          printf '%s\n' "$PROD_BOTLINK_GATEWAY_KEY"  > stage/certs-main/gateway.key
+          chmod 644 stage/certs-main/*
+      - name: Deploy the main host
+        run: |
+          ssh_main() { ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_deploy -o BatchMode=yes "deploy@$MAIN_HOST" "$@"; }
+          ssh_main 'mkdir -p /opt/scrabble/compose'
+          tar -C deploy -czf - docker-compose.yml docker-compose.prod.yml prod-deploy.sh \
+            | ssh_main 'tar -C /opt/scrabble/compose -xzf -'
+          tar -C deploy -czf - caddy otelcol prometheus tempo grafana \
+            | ssh_main 'tar -C /opt/scrabble -xzf -'
+          tar -C stage -czf - certs-main \
+            | ssh_main 'rm -rf /opt/scrabble/certs && mkdir -p /opt/scrabble/certs && tar -C /opt/scrabble/certs --strip-components=1 -xzf -'
+          scp -i ~/.ssh/id_deploy -o BatchMode=yes stage/env.sh "deploy@$MAIN_HOST:/opt/scrabble/env.sh"
+          echo "$PROD_REGISTRY_PASSWORD" | ssh_main "docker login ${REGISTRY%%/*} -u $PROD_REGISTRY_USER --password-stdin"
+          ssh_main "TAG='$TAG' PREV_TAG='$PREV_TAG' MIGRATION='$MIGRATION' bash /opt/scrabble/compose/prod-deploy.sh"
+
+  deploy-bot:
+    needs: [build, deploy-main]
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        shell: bash
+    env:
+      TAG: ${{ needs.build.outputs.tag }}
+      PROD_REGISTRY_USER: ${{ vars.PROD_REGISTRY_USER }}
+      PROD_REGISTRY_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.PROD_REGISTRY_PASSWORD }}
+      PROD_SSH_KEY: ${{ secrets.PROD_SSH_KEY }}
+      PROD_SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS: ${{ secrets.PROD_SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS }}
+      TG_HOST: ${{ vars.PROD_TG_HOST }}
+      MAIN_HOST: ${{ vars.PROD_MAIN_HOST }}
+      TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.PROD_TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN }}
+      TELEGRAM_PROMO_BOT_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.PROD_TELEGRAM_PROMO_BOT_TOKEN }}
+      PROD_BOTLINK_CA: ${{ secrets.PROD_BOTLINK_CA }}
+      PROD_BOTLINK_BOT_CERT: ${{ secrets.PROD_BOTLINK_BOT_CERT }}
+      PROD_BOTLINK_BOT_KEY: ${{ secrets.PROD_BOTLINK_BOT_KEY }}
+      LOG_LEVEL: ${{ vars.PROD_LOG_LEVEL }}
+      TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL: ${{ vars.PROD_TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL }}
+      TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_ID: ${{ vars.PROD_TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_ID }}
+      TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID: ${{ vars.PROD_TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID }}
+      TELEGRAM_BOT_USERNAME: ${{ vars.PROD_TELEGRAM_BOT_USERNAME }}
+      TELEGRAM_BOT_LINK: ${{ vars.PROD_VITE_TELEGRAM_LINK }}
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Set up SSH
+        run: |
+          mkdir -p ~/.ssh && chmod 700 ~/.ssh
+          printf '%s\n' "$PROD_SSH_KEY" > ~/.ssh/id_deploy && chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_deploy
+          printf '%s\n' "$PROD_SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS" > ~/.ssh/known_hosts
+      - name: Render bot env + certs
+        run: |
+          umask 077
+          mkdir -p stage/certs-bot
+          cat > stage/env.bot.sh <<EOF
+          export SCRABBLE_CONFIG_DIR='/opt/scrabble'
+          export BOT_IMAGE='$REGISTRY/scrabble-telegram-bot:$TAG'
+          export BOTLINK_GATEWAY_ADDR='$MAIN_HOST:9443'
+          export TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN='$TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN'
+          export TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL='$TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL'
+          export TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_ID='$TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_ID'
+          export TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID='$TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID'
+          export TELEGRAM_PROMO_BOT_TOKEN='$TELEGRAM_PROMO_BOT_TOKEN'
+          export TELEGRAM_BOT_USERNAME='$TELEGRAM_BOT_USERNAME'
+          export TELEGRAM_BOT_LINK='$TELEGRAM_BOT_LINK'
+          export LOG_LEVEL='${LOG_LEVEL:-info}'
+          EOF
+          printf '%s\n' "$PROD_BOTLINK_CA"       > stage/certs-bot/ca.crt
+          printf '%s\n' "$PROD_BOTLINK_BOT_CERT" > stage/certs-bot/bot.crt
+          printf '%s\n' "$PROD_BOTLINK_BOT_KEY"  > stage/certs-bot/bot.key
+          chmod 644 stage/certs-bot/*
+      - name: Deploy the bot host
+        run: |
+          ssh_tg() { ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_deploy -o BatchMode=yes "deploy@$TG_HOST" "$@"; }
+          ssh_tg 'mkdir -p /opt/scrabble/compose'
+          tar -C deploy -czf - docker-compose.bot.yml | ssh_tg 'tar -C /opt/scrabble/compose -xzf -'
+          tar -C stage -czf - certs-bot \
+            | ssh_tg 'rm -rf /opt/scrabble/certs && mkdir -p /opt/scrabble/certs && tar -C /opt/scrabble/certs --strip-components=1 -xzf -'
+          scp -i ~/.ssh/id_deploy -o BatchMode=yes stage/env.bot.sh "deploy@$TG_HOST:/opt/scrabble/env.bot.sh"
+          echo "$PROD_REGISTRY_PASSWORD" | ssh_tg "docker login ${REGISTRY%%/*} -u $PROD_REGISTRY_USER --password-stdin"
+          ssh_tg 'set -a; . /opt/scrabble/env.bot.sh; set +a; cd /opt/scrabble/compose;
+            docker compose -f docker-compose.bot.yml pull;
+            docker compose -f docker-compose.bot.yml up -d'
+          ssh_tg 'for i in $(seq 1 20); do
+              s=$(docker inspect -f "{{.State.Status}}" scrabble-telegram-bot 2>/dev/null || echo missing)
+              r=$(docker inspect -f "{{.State.Restarting}}" scrabble-telegram-bot 2>/dev/null || echo true)
+              if [ "$s" = running ] && [ "$r" = false ]; then
+                c1=$(docker inspect -f "{{.RestartCount}}" scrabble-telegram-bot); sleep 5
+                c2=$(docker inspect -f "{{.RestartCount}}" scrabble-telegram-bot)
+                [ "$c1" = "$c2" ] && { echo "bot healthy"; exit 0; }
+              fi
+              sleep 3
+            done
+            echo "bot not healthy:"; docker logs --tail 80 scrabble-telegram-bot; exit 1'
+
+  verify:
+    needs: [deploy-main, deploy-bot]
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        shell: bash
+    env:
+      PROD_SSH_KEY: ${{ secrets.PROD_SSH_KEY }}
+      PROD_SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS: ${{ secrets.PROD_SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS }}
+      MAIN_HOST: ${{ vars.PROD_MAIN_HOST }}
+      CADDY_SITE_ADDRESS: ${{ vars.PROD_CADDY_SITE_ADDRESS }}
+    steps:
+      - name: Set up SSH
+        run: |
+          mkdir -p ~/.ssh && chmod 700 ~/.ssh
+          printf '%s\n' "$PROD_SSH_KEY" > ~/.ssh/id_deploy && chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_deploy
+          printf '%s\n' "$PROD_SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS" > ~/.ssh/known_hosts
+      - name: Verify the public site
+        run: |
+          domain="${CADDY_SITE_ADDRESS%% *}"
+          ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_deploy -o BatchMode=yes "deploy@$MAIN_HOST" "for i in \$(seq 1 20); do
+              if curl -fsS -k --resolve $domain:443:127.0.0.1 https://$domain/ -o /dev/null &&
+                 curl -fsS -k --resolve $domain:443:127.0.0.1 https://$domain/app/ -o /dev/null &&
+                 docker run --rm --network scrabble-internal alpine:3.20 wget -q -T 5 -O /dev/null http://backend:8080/readyz; then
+                echo 'public site + /app/ + backend healthy'; exit 0
+              fi
+              sleep 5
+            done
+            echo 'public verify failed; recent caddy + gateway + backend logs:'
+            docker logs --tail 40 scrabble-caddy; docker logs --tail 40 scrabble-gateway; docker logs --tail 40 scrabble-backend
+            exit 1"

.gitea/workflows/prod-rollback.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,223 @@
+# Manual production rollback. Runs ONLY from master, ONLY on workflow_dispatch with
+# confirm=rollback. Re-deploys an already-published image tag (no build): leave
+# target_version blank to roll back to the previously deployed version (read from the
+# main host), or set it to a specific release tag from the Releases page. The
+# re-deploy is the same rolling, health-gated path as prod-deploy (TAG=target,
+# MIGRATION=0 — rollback is image-only and never migrates the DB; image rollback is
+# DB-safe under the expand-contract rule). See deploy/README.md (prod runbook).
+name: prod-rollback
+run-name: "prod rollback ${{ inputs.target_version || 'previous' }}"
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      confirm:
+        description: 'Type "rollback" to confirm a production rollback.'
+        required: true
+        default: ""
+      target_version:
+        description: "Release tag to roll back to (blank = the previous deployed version)."
+        required: false
+        default: ""
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+env:
+  NO_COLOR: "1"
+  DOCKER_CLI_HINTS: "false"
+  REGISTRY: docker.iliadenisov.ru/developer
+
+jobs:
+  rollback-main:
+    if: ${{ github.ref == 'refs/heads/master' && inputs.confirm == 'rollback' }}
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        shell: bash
+    outputs:
+      target: ${{ steps.resolve.outputs.target }}
+    env:
+      PROD_REGISTRY_USER: ${{ vars.PROD_REGISTRY_USER }}
+      PROD_REGISTRY_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.PROD_REGISTRY_PASSWORD }}
+      PROD_SSH_KEY: ${{ secrets.PROD_SSH_KEY }}
+      PROD_SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS: ${{ secrets.PROD_SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS }}
+      MAIN_HOST: ${{ vars.PROD_MAIN_HOST }}
+      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.PROD_POSTGRES_PASSWORD }}
+      GM_BASICAUTH_HASH: ${{ secrets.PROD_GM_BASICAUTH_HASH }}
+      GRAFANA_ADMIN_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.PROD_GRAFANA_ADMIN_PASSWORD }}
+      TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.PROD_TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN }}
+      PROD_BOTLINK_CA: ${{ secrets.PROD_BOTLINK_CA }}
+      PROD_BOTLINK_GATEWAY_CERT: ${{ secrets.PROD_BOTLINK_GATEWAY_CERT }}
+      PROD_BOTLINK_GATEWAY_KEY: ${{ secrets.PROD_BOTLINK_GATEWAY_KEY }}
+      GM_BASICAUTH_USER: ${{ vars.PROD_GM_BASICAUTH_USER }}
+      GRAFANA_ROOT_URL: ${{ vars.PROD_GRAFANA_ROOT_URL }}
+      CADDY_SITE_ADDRESS: ${{ vars.PROD_CADDY_SITE_ADDRESS }}
+      LOG_LEVEL: ${{ vars.PROD_LOG_LEVEL }}
+      DICT_VERSION: ${{ vars.PROD_DICT_VERSION }}
+      POSTGRES_DB: ${{ vars.PROD_POSTGRES_DB }}
+      POSTGRES_USER: ${{ vars.PROD_POSTGRES_USER }}
+      TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL: ${{ vars.PROD_TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL }}
+      INPUT_TARGET: ${{ inputs.target_version }}
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Set up SSH
+        run: |
+          mkdir -p ~/.ssh && chmod 700 ~/.ssh
+          printf '%s\n' "$PROD_SSH_KEY" > ~/.ssh/id_deploy && chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_deploy
+          printf '%s\n' "$PROD_SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS" > ~/.ssh/known_hosts
+      - name: Resolve rollback target
+        id: resolve
+        run: |
+          ssh_main() { ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_deploy -o BatchMode=yes "deploy@$MAIN_HOST" "$@"; }
+          CURRENT="$(ssh_main 'cat /opt/scrabble/DEPLOYED_TAG 2>/dev/null || echo none')"
+          if [ -n "$INPUT_TARGET" ]; then
+            TARGET="$INPUT_TARGET"
+          else
+            TARGET="$(ssh_main 'cat /opt/scrabble/PREVIOUS_TAG 2>/dev/null || echo none')"
+          fi
+          if [ -z "$TARGET" ] || [ "$TARGET" = none ]; then
+            echo "no rollback target (no PREVIOUS_TAG on the host and no target_version input)"; exit 1
+          fi
+          if [ "$TARGET" = "$CURRENT" ]; then
+            echo "target $TARGET is already the deployed version; nothing to do"; exit 1
+          fi
+          echo "rolling back: current=$CURRENT -> target=$TARGET"
+          echo "target=$TARGET" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          { echo "TARGET=$TARGET"; echo "CURRENT=$CURRENT"; } >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+      - name: Render main env + certs
+        run: |
+          umask 077
+          mkdir -p stage/certs-main
+          cat > stage/env.sh <<EOF
+          export REGISTRY='$REGISTRY'
+          export SCRABBLE_CONFIG_DIR='/opt/scrabble'
+          export POSTGRES_DB='${POSTGRES_DB:-scrabble}'
+          export POSTGRES_USER='${POSTGRES_USER:-scrabble}'
+          export POSTGRES_PASSWORD='$POSTGRES_PASSWORD'
+          export GM_BASICAUTH_USER='${GM_BASICAUTH_USER:-gm}'
+          export GM_BASICAUTH_HASH='$GM_BASICAUTH_HASH'
+          export GRAFANA_ADMIN_PASSWORD='$GRAFANA_ADMIN_PASSWORD'
+          export GRAFANA_ROOT_URL='$GRAFANA_ROOT_URL'
+          export CADDY_SITE_ADDRESS='$CADDY_SITE_ADDRESS'
+          export LOG_LEVEL='${LOG_LEVEL:-info}'
+          export DICT_VERSION='$DICT_VERSION'
+          export APP_VERSION='$TARGET'
+          export TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN='$TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN'
+          export TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL='$TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL'
+          export GATEWAY_ABUSE_BAN_ENABLED='true'
+          EOF
+          printf '%s\n' "$PROD_BOTLINK_CA"           > stage/certs-main/ca.crt
+          printf '%s\n' "$PROD_BOTLINK_GATEWAY_CERT" > stage/certs-main/gateway.crt
+          printf '%s\n' "$PROD_BOTLINK_GATEWAY_KEY"  > stage/certs-main/gateway.key
+          chmod 644 stage/certs-main/*
+      - name: Roll the main host back
+        run: |
+          ssh_main() { ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_deploy -o BatchMode=yes "deploy@$MAIN_HOST" "$@"; }
+          ssh_main 'mkdir -p /opt/scrabble/compose'
+          tar -C deploy -czf - docker-compose.yml docker-compose.prod.yml prod-deploy.sh \
+            | ssh_main 'tar -C /opt/scrabble/compose -xzf -'
+          tar -C deploy -czf - caddy otelcol prometheus tempo grafana \
+            | ssh_main 'tar -C /opt/scrabble -xzf -'
+          tar -C stage -czf - certs-main \
+            | ssh_main 'rm -rf /opt/scrabble/certs && mkdir -p /opt/scrabble/certs && tar -C /opt/scrabble/certs --strip-components=1 -xzf -'
+          scp -i ~/.ssh/id_deploy -o BatchMode=yes stage/env.sh "deploy@$MAIN_HOST:/opt/scrabble/env.sh"
+          echo "$PROD_REGISTRY_PASSWORD" | ssh_main "docker login ${REGISTRY%%/*} -u $PROD_REGISTRY_USER --password-stdin"
+          # Image-only rollback: no migration window (TAG=target, MIGRATION=0). A failed
+          # rollback's auto-revert returns to the current version (PREV_TAG=$CURRENT).
+          ssh_main "TAG='$TARGET' PREV_TAG='$CURRENT' MIGRATION=0 bash /opt/scrabble/compose/prod-deploy.sh"
+
+  rollback-bot:
+    needs: rollback-main
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        shell: bash
+    env:
+      TARGET: ${{ needs.rollback-main.outputs.target }}
+      PROD_REGISTRY_USER: ${{ vars.PROD_REGISTRY_USER }}
+      PROD_REGISTRY_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.PROD_REGISTRY_PASSWORD }}
+      PROD_SSH_KEY: ${{ secrets.PROD_SSH_KEY }}
+      PROD_SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS: ${{ secrets.PROD_SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS }}
+      TG_HOST: ${{ vars.PROD_TG_HOST }}
+      MAIN_HOST: ${{ vars.PROD_MAIN_HOST }}
+      TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.PROD_TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN }}
+      TELEGRAM_PROMO_BOT_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.PROD_TELEGRAM_PROMO_BOT_TOKEN }}
+      PROD_BOTLINK_CA: ${{ secrets.PROD_BOTLINK_CA }}
+      PROD_BOTLINK_BOT_CERT: ${{ secrets.PROD_BOTLINK_BOT_CERT }}
+      PROD_BOTLINK_BOT_KEY: ${{ secrets.PROD_BOTLINK_BOT_KEY }}
+      LOG_LEVEL: ${{ vars.PROD_LOG_LEVEL }}
+      TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL: ${{ vars.PROD_TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL }}
+      TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_ID: ${{ vars.PROD_TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_ID }}
+      TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID: ${{ vars.PROD_TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID }}
+      TELEGRAM_BOT_USERNAME: ${{ vars.PROD_TELEGRAM_BOT_USERNAME }}
+      TELEGRAM_BOT_LINK: ${{ vars.PROD_VITE_TELEGRAM_LINK }}
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Set up SSH
+        run: |
+          mkdir -p ~/.ssh && chmod 700 ~/.ssh
+          printf '%s\n' "$PROD_SSH_KEY" > ~/.ssh/id_deploy && chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_deploy
+          printf '%s\n' "$PROD_SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS" > ~/.ssh/known_hosts
+      - name: Render bot env + certs
+        run: |
+          umask 077
+          mkdir -p stage/certs-bot
+          cat > stage/env.bot.sh <<EOF
+          export SCRABBLE_CONFIG_DIR='/opt/scrabble'
+          export BOT_IMAGE='$REGISTRY/scrabble-telegram-bot:$TARGET'
+          export BOTLINK_GATEWAY_ADDR='$MAIN_HOST:9443'
+          export TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN='$TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN'
+          export TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL='$TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL'
+          export TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_ID='$TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_ID'
+          export TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID='$TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID'
+          export TELEGRAM_PROMO_BOT_TOKEN='$TELEGRAM_PROMO_BOT_TOKEN'
+          export TELEGRAM_BOT_USERNAME='$TELEGRAM_BOT_USERNAME'
+          export TELEGRAM_BOT_LINK='$TELEGRAM_BOT_LINK'
+          export LOG_LEVEL='${LOG_LEVEL:-info}'
+          EOF
+          printf '%s\n' "$PROD_BOTLINK_CA"       > stage/certs-bot/ca.crt
+          printf '%s\n' "$PROD_BOTLINK_BOT_CERT" > stage/certs-bot/bot.crt
+          printf '%s\n' "$PROD_BOTLINK_BOT_KEY"  > stage/certs-bot/bot.key
+          chmod 644 stage/certs-bot/*
+      - name: Roll the bot host back
+        run: |
+          ssh_tg() { ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_deploy -o BatchMode=yes "deploy@$TG_HOST" "$@"; }
+          ssh_tg 'mkdir -p /opt/scrabble/compose'
+          tar -C deploy -czf - docker-compose.bot.yml | ssh_tg 'tar -C /opt/scrabble/compose -xzf -'
+          tar -C stage -czf - certs-bot \
+            | ssh_tg 'rm -rf /opt/scrabble/certs && mkdir -p /opt/scrabble/certs && tar -C /opt/scrabble/certs --strip-components=1 -xzf -'
+          scp -i ~/.ssh/id_deploy -o BatchMode=yes stage/env.bot.sh "deploy@$TG_HOST:/opt/scrabble/env.bot.sh"
+          echo "$PROD_REGISTRY_PASSWORD" | ssh_tg "docker login ${REGISTRY%%/*} -u $PROD_REGISTRY_USER --password-stdin"
+          ssh_tg 'set -a; . /opt/scrabble/env.bot.sh; set +a; cd /opt/scrabble/compose;
+            docker compose -f docker-compose.bot.yml pull;
+            docker compose -f docker-compose.bot.yml up -d'
+
+  verify:
+    needs: [rollback-main, rollback-bot]
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        shell: bash
+    env:
+      PROD_SSH_KEY: ${{ secrets.PROD_SSH_KEY }}
+      PROD_SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS: ${{ secrets.PROD_SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS }}
+      MAIN_HOST: ${{ vars.PROD_MAIN_HOST }}
+      CADDY_SITE_ADDRESS: ${{ vars.PROD_CADDY_SITE_ADDRESS }}
+    steps:
+      - name: Set up SSH
+        run: |
+          mkdir -p ~/.ssh && chmod 700 ~/.ssh
+          printf '%s\n' "$PROD_SSH_KEY" > ~/.ssh/id_deploy && chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_deploy
+          printf '%s\n' "$PROD_SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS" > ~/.ssh/known_hosts
+      - name: Verify the public site
+        run: |
+          domain="${CADDY_SITE_ADDRESS%% *}"
+          ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_deploy -o BatchMode=yes "deploy@$MAIN_HOST" "for i in \$(seq 1 20); do
+              if curl -fsS -k --resolve $domain:443:127.0.0.1 https://$domain/ -o /dev/null &&
+                 docker run --rm --network scrabble-internal alpine:3.20 wget -q -T 5 -O /dev/null http://backend:8080/readyz; then
+                echo 'rolled-back site healthy'; exit 0
+              fi
+              sleep 5
+            done
+            echo 'verify failed'; docker logs --tail 40 scrabble-caddy; docker logs --tail 40 scrabble-backend; exit 1"

CLAUDE.md

@@ -1,96 +1,97 @@
 # scrabble-game — project guide
 
-Multiplatform Scrabble game. Read this first every session. The owner drives the
-project **one stage per session** (tariff constraint), so the repository — not
-conversation memory — is the source of continuity. Keep it that way.
+Multiplatform Scrabble game, **in production** at `https://erudit-game.ru`. Read this
+first every session. The repository — not conversation memory — is the source of
+continuity; keep it that way.
 
 ## Sources of truth (read before changing behaviour)
 
-- [`PLAN.md`](PLAN.md) — staged plan + **stage tracker** + per-stage *open
-  details to interview*.
-- [`PRERELEASE.md`](PRERELEASE.md) — pre-release hardening tracker (phases R1–R7
-  before Stage 18); same per-phase *interview + bake-back* discipline as `PLAN.md`.
-- [`docs/ARCHITECTURE.md`](docs/ARCHITECTURE.md) — architecture, transport,
-  security, the decision record. Always describes current state.
-- [`docs/FUNCTIONAL.md`](docs/FUNCTIONAL.md) (+ [`_ru`](docs/FUNCTIONAL_ru.md)
-  mirror) — per-domain user stories. English authoritative.
-- [`docs/TESTING.md`](docs/TESTING.md) — test layers + the per-stage CI gate.
+- [`docs/ARCHITECTURE.md`](docs/ARCHITECTURE.md) — architecture, transport, security,
+  the decision record. Always describes the current state.
+- [`docs/FUNCTIONAL.md`](docs/FUNCTIONAL.md) (+ [`_ru`](docs/FUNCTIONAL_ru.md) mirror)
+  — per-domain user stories. English authoritative.
+- [`docs/TESTING.md`](docs/TESTING.md) — test layers + the CI gate.
 - [`docs/UI_DESIGN.md`](docs/UI_DESIGN.md) — the `ui` visual/interaction design system.
+- [`deploy/README.md`](deploy/README.md) — the deploy contour + the production
+  rollout / rollback runbook.
 
-## Mandatory per-stage workflow
+## How we work
 
-**Start of a stage**
-1. Read `PLAN.md` (the stage's scope + *open details*) and the relevant `docs/`.
-2. Analyse what the stage actually requires against the current code.
-3. **Interview the owner** on every open detail and any fork not already fixed
-   in the plan — do not silently pick borderline decisions. Offer options with
-   brief pros/cons.
-4. Only then implement, strictly within the stage's scope.
-
-**End of a stage**
-1. Bake every new agreement back into `PLAN.md`, `docs/ARCHITECTURE.md`,
-   `docs/FUNCTIONAL.md` (+ `_ru`), the affected service `README`, and Go Doc
-   comments — in the **same** PR. Correct earlier stages' docs/code if a new
-   decision changes them.
-2. Update the stage tracker; add a line under *Refinements logged during
-   implementation* for any plan deviation.
-3. Get CI green, then mark the stage done.
-
-(The `stage-implementation` skill encodes this same loop and can be invoked.)
+- Inspect the relevant code path and the docs above before changing behaviour.
+- **Interview the owner on every fork** — do not silently pick borderline decisions;
+  offer options with brief pros/cons.
+- Smallest correct diff. Prefer compact code; reuse before adding; do not add deps,
+  seams or knobs until they are needed.
+- **Update or add tests for every functional change**, at the layers
+  `docs/TESTING.md` calls out.
+- **Bake docs in the same PR**: update `docs/ARCHITECTURE.md`, `docs/FUNCTIONAL.md`
+  (+`_ru`), the affected service `README` and Go Doc comments alongside the change.
+- Document added packages, types, funcs, consts and vars with Go Doc comments.
 
 ## Conventions
 
 - All code, comments, identifiers, commits, docs, filenames in **English**.
-- Chat with the owner follows the user-level `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md` (Russian,
-  the agreed persona and translation rules).
-- Mirror every point edit of `docs/FUNCTIONAL.md` into `docs/FUNCTIONAL_ru.md`
-  in the same patch (translate only the touched paragraphs).
-- Prefer compact code; do not add deps, seams or knobs until a stage needs them.
-  Reuse before adding. Document added packages/types/funcs with Go Doc comments.
-- Update or add tests for every functional change.
+- Chat with the owner follows the user-level `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md` (Russian, the
+  agreed persona and translation rules).
+- Mirror every point edit of `docs/FUNCTIONAL.md` into `docs/FUNCTIONAL_ru.md` in the
+  same patch (translate only the touched paragraphs).
 
-## Branching & CI
+## Branching, CI & production
 
-- **Two long-lived branches** (Stage 16 onward): **`development`** is the
-  integration branch; **`master`** is the production trunk. Cut `feature/*`
-  branches **from `development`** and PR them back into it. (Stages 0–15 used
-  `master` as the trunk with `feature/* → master`; the genesis Stage 0 commit is
-  on `master` by necessity.)
-- A commit to a `feature/*` branch triggers **nothing**. The single workflow
-  `.gitea/workflows/ci.yaml` runs the full suite (`unit` + `integration` + `ui`)
-  on a PR into `development` or `master`, and the gated **`deploy`** job auto-rolls
-  the **test contour** on a PR into — or a push to — `development`
-  (`docker compose up -d --build` on the runner host + a `GET /` probe). A PR into
-  `master` is test-only.
-- Merge `development → master` only when CI is green; the **prod** deploy is then a
-  **manual** workflow (Stage 18), never automatic. Secrets/variables are prefixed
-  `TEST_` / `PROD_` per contour (Gitea 1.26 has no deployment environments).
-- After any push, watch the run to green before declaring a stage done — use the
-  ready-made watcher, never an inline poll loop:
-  `python3 ~/.claude/bin/gitea-ci-watch.py` (background). It reads `$GITEA_URL`
-  / `$GITEA_TOKEN`; `gitea.iliadenisov.ru` is allow-listed in
-  `.claude/settings.json`. Remote: `origin git@gitea.iliadenisov.ru:developer/scrabble-game.git`.
+- **Two long-lived branches**: **`development`** is the integration branch; **`master`**
+  is the production trunk. Cut `feature/*` from `development` and PR back into it;
+  promote `development → master` via PR when ready to release. Both branches require
+  one approval + the `CI / gate` check.
+- A commit to a `feature/*` branch triggers nothing. The single workflow
+  `.gitea/workflows/ci.yaml` runs the full suite (`unit` + `integration` + `ui`) on a
+  PR into `development` or `master`, and the gated **`deploy`** job auto-rolls the
+  **test contour** on a PR into — or a push to — `development`
+  (`docker compose up -d --build` on the runner host + landing/SPA/backend probes). A
+  PR into `master` is test-only.
+- **Production is live on two hosts** (main + the Telegram bot host) and deploys
+  **only manually** (`workflow_dispatch`), never automatically:
+  - **`.gitea/workflows/prod-deploy.yaml`** (`confirm=deploy`, from `master`) builds +
+    pushes the images to the registry, then SSH-deploys both hosts — rolling per
+    service in dependency order, health-gated, **auto-rollback to the previous tag**;
+    a schema migration adds a maintenance window + a consistent `pg_dump`. Four visible
+    jobs: build → deploy-main → deploy-bot → verify.
+  - **`.gitea/workflows/prod-rollback.yaml`** (`confirm=rollback`) re-deploys a prior
+    release (blank `target_version` = the previous deployed version) — image-only,
+    rolling, health-gated.
+  - **Releases are git tags `vX.Y.Z` on `master`**; the deploy stamps `git describe
+    --tags` into the image tag, every binary (`pkg/version` via `-ldflags` → the
+    `service.version` telemetry attribute) and the SPA About screen. Tag the release
+    before deploying.
+  - Hosts are provisioned idempotently by **`deploy/ansible/`**. Per-contour
+    secrets/variables use the `TEST_` / `PROD_` prefix (Gitea 1.26 has no deployment
+    environments). Migrations must be **expand-contract** (backward-compatible) so
+    image rollback stays DB-safe. Full runbook + variable list in `deploy/README.md`.
+- After any push, merge or deploy, **watch the run to green** before declaring done —
+  use the ready-made watcher (run it in the background), never an inline poll loop:
+  `python3 ~/.claude/bin/gitea-ci-watch.py`. It reads `$GITEA_URL` / `$GITEA_TOKEN`;
+  `gitea.iliadenisov.ru` is allow-listed in `.claude/settings.json`. Remote:
+  `origin git@gitea.iliadenisov.ru:developer/scrabble-game.git`.
 
 ## Stack
 
-Go 1.26.3, `go.work` monorepo, module paths `scrabble/<name>`. Dependencies are
-added **when first used** (incremental): backend uses `gin` + `zap` +
-`pgx`/`go-jet`/`goose`/OTel (added in Stage 1). Client↔gateway is Connect-RPC +
-FlatBuffers (h2c); gateway↔backend is REST/JSON + `X-User-ID` plus a gRPC
-server-stream for live events. UI is pure HTML5/CSS on plain Svelte + Vite,
-packaged to native with Capacitor. Likely no Redis.
+Go 1.26.3, `go.work` monorepo, module paths `scrabble/<name>`. Backend uses `gin` +
+`zap` + `pgx`/`go-jet`/`goose`/OTel. Client↔gateway is Connect-RPC + FlatBuffers
+(h2c); gateway↔backend is REST/JSON + `X-User-ID` plus a gRPC server-stream for live
+events. UI is pure HTML5/CSS on plain Svelte + Vite, packaged to native with
+Capacitor. No Redis.
 
 ## Reused engine: `../scrabble-solver` (module `scrabble-solver`, Go 1.26.3)
 
-Embedded **in-process as a library** — there is no per-game container. Public
-API to reuse (do not reimplement):
+Embedded **in-process as a library** (`replace scrabble-solver => ../scrabble-solver`
+in `go.work`; CI checks out the sibling from
+`https://gitea.iliadenisov.ru/.../scrabble-solver.git`). There is no per-game
+container. Public API to reuse (do not reimplement):
 
-- `scrabble.NewSolver(rs, finder)` → `GenerateMoves(b, r, mode)` (ranked,
-  highest score first), `ValidatePlay(b, dir, tiles)`, `ScorePlay(...)`;
-  `scrabble.Apply(b, m)`; types `Move/Word/Placement/Direction/Mode`
+- `scrabble.NewSolver(rs, finder)` → `GenerateMoves(b, r, mode)` (ranked, highest
+  score first), `ValidatePlay(b, dir, tiles)`, `ScorePlay(...)`; `scrabble.Apply(b, m)`;
+  types `Move/Word/Placement/Direction/Mode`
   (`scrabble-solver/scrabble/{solver,move,apply}.go`).
-- `rules.English() / RussianScrabble() / Erudit()`
-  (`scrabble-solver/rules/rules.go`).
+- `rules.English() / RussianScrabble() / Erudit()` (`scrabble-solver/rules/rules.go`).
 - `board.New / Parse / Clone / Transpose`; `rack.New / Add / Remove / Clone`;
   `selfplay.NewBag / Draw / Len` (bag pattern).
 - Load committed dictionaries with `dawg.Load(path)` from
@@ -99,20 +100,17 @@ API to reuse (do not reimplement):
 
 Constraints:
 - Words/tiles are **alphabet-index bytes**, meaningful only with the matching
-  `rules.Ruleset` (`Alphabet.Decode`); blank flag carried separately. **Decode
+  `rules.Ruleset` (`Alphabet.Decode`); the blank flag is carried separately. **Decode
   to real characters before persisting history** (history must be
   dictionary-independent — see `docs/ARCHITECTURE.md` §9.1).
 - The solver's `internal/*` is NOT importable from this sibling module.
 - **GCG is test-only** in the solver (no public writer) — we ship our own.
-- Wiring: add `replace scrabble-solver => ../scrabble-solver` to `go.work` in
-  **Stage 2** (when `internal/engine` first imports it), and make CI check out
-  the solver sibling (`https://gitea.iliadenisov.ru/.../scrabble-solver.git`).
-  It uses published `github.com/iliadenisov/{alphabet,dafsa}` (no local replace).
+- The solver uses published `github.com/iliadenisov/{alphabet,dafsa}` (no local replace).
 
 ## Repository layout
 
 ```
-go.work                      # use the existing modules; grows per stage
+go.work                      # the go.work monorepo
 backend/                     # module scrabble/backend
   cmd/backend/               # main: telemetry -> db+migrate -> cache -> server
   cmd/jetgen/                # dev tool: regenerate go-jet code (throwaway container)
@@ -123,12 +121,14 @@ backend/                     # module scrabble/backend
   internal/session/          # opaque tokens, sessions store, cache, service
   internal/server/           # gin engine, /api/v1 groups, X-User-ID, probes
   internal/inttest/          # //go:build integration Postgres-backed tests
-docs/  .gitea/workflows/  PLAN.md  CLAUDE.md  README.md
-gateway/  ui/  pkg/              # added by their stages
-platform/telegram/               # Telegram side-service, two binaries (Stage 9; split in phase TX): cmd/validator (HMAC, no VPN) + cmd/bot (Bot API; dials gateway over reverse mTLS bot-link)
-loadtest/                        # module scrabble/loadtest: the pre-release stress harness (R2)
-backend/Dockerfile gateway/Dockerfile platform/telegram/Dockerfile loadtest/Dockerfile  # multi-stage distroless (Stage 16; loadtest R2); gateway/Dockerfile has the `landing` target (R3), platform/telegram/Dockerfile has `validator`+`bot` targets (TX)
-deploy/                          # docker-compose (per-service limits, R7) + caddy + landing + otelcol (OTLP + docker_stats per-container metrics) + prometheus/tempo/grafana + postgres_exporter
+gateway/                     # module scrabble/gateway: Connect-RPC edge, embeds the SPA
+ui/                          # Svelte + Vite SPA + landing (Node project, not in go.work)
+pkg/                         # shared: telemetry, version, wire/FlatBuffers, proto, mtls
+platform/telegram/           # Telegram side-service: cmd/validator (HMAC, no VPN) + cmd/bot (Bot API; dials gateway over reverse mTLS bot-link)
+loadtest/                    # module scrabble/loadtest: the load/stress harness
+docs/  .gitea/workflows/  CLAUDE.md  README.md
+backend/Dockerfile gateway/Dockerfile platform/telegram/Dockerfile loadtest/Dockerfile  # multi-stage distroless; gateway/Dockerfile has the `landing` target, platform/telegram/Dockerfile has `validator`+`bot` targets
+deploy/                      # docker-compose (+ prod overlay + bot host) + ansible provisioning + caddy + landing + otelcol (OTLP + docker_stats) + prometheus/tempo/grafana + node_exporter + postgres_exporter; prod-deploy.sh
 ```
 
 ## Build & test
@@ -138,20 +138,19 @@ go build ./backend/...          # per module ('./...' from the root won't span t
 go vet ./backend/...
 gofmt -l .                      # must print nothing
 go test -count=1 ./backend/...
-go build ./platform/telegram/... && go test ./platform/telegram/...  # Telegram validator + bot (Stage 9; split in TX)
+go build ./platform/telegram/... && go test ./platform/telegram/...  # Telegram validator + bot
 go run ./backend/cmd/backend    # /healthz, /readyz on :8080
 
-cd ui && pnpm install && pnpm check && pnpm test:unit && pnpm build  # the UI (Stage 7+)
+cd ui && pnpm install && pnpm check && pnpm test:unit && pnpm build  # the UI
 pnpm start                      # UI mock mode: lobby -> game, no backend
 
-docker build -f backend/Dockerfile -t scrabble-backend .   # images (Stage 16); gateway embeds the SPA
+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 gateway/Dockerfile --target gateway -t scrabble-gateway .
-docker build -f gateway/Dockerfile --target landing -t scrabble-landing .  # static landing (R3)
+docker build -f gateway/Dockerfile --target landing -t scrabble-landing .  # static landing
 docker compose -f deploy/docker-compose.yml config         # validate the full contour
 ```
 
-The `ui` module is a Node project (pnpm), **not** in `go.work`; it is the `ui` job
-of the single `.gitea/workflows/ci.yaml` (Stage 16 folded the former go-unit /
-integration / ui-test workflows into it). Committed edge codegen under `ui/src/gen/`
+The `ui` module is a Node project (pnpm), **not** in `go.work`; it is the `ui` job of
+the single `.gitea/workflows/ci.yaml`. Committed edge codegen under `ui/src/gen/`
 (regenerate with `pnpm codegen`); pnpm build-script approval lives in
 `ui/pnpm-workspace.yaml` (`allowBuilds: esbuild: true`).

PRERELEASE.md

@@ -1,581 +0,0 @@
-# Pre-release plan — hardening before Stage 18
-
-Living tracker for the pre-release hardening pass that runs **before Stage 18** (the
-prod cutover). Same discipline as [`PLAN.md`](PLAN.md): one phase per session,
-**interview the owner on the open details** at the start of each phase, bake every
-decision back into `PLAN.md` / `docs/` / the affected `README`s / Go Doc comments in
-the **same** PR, get CI green, then mark the phase done. Phases run as
-`feature/* → development` PRs (the Stage 16 branch model); the owner approves+merges.
-
-**Why now:** the system is feature-complete through Stage 17 and the test contour is
-green, but there is **no prod data yet** — schema, wire labels and the dictionary
-layout can still change for free. These phases spend that one-time freedom and harden
-the edge before prod. Each phase maps back to the owner's raw pre-release TODO list
-(numbers in the tracker).
-
-## Phase tracker
-
-| # | Phase | Raw TODOs | Status |
-|---|-------|-----------|--------|
-| R1 | Schema & naming reset | 1 + 10 | **done** |
-| R2 | Stress harness + contour observability + early run | 9a | **done** |
-| R3 | Edge hardening | 2 + 8 + 3 | **done** |
-| R4 | Push enrichment + kill the last poll | 4 + 5 | **done** |
-| R5 | Bundle slimming | 6 | **done** |
-| R6 | Refactor + docs reconciliation + de-staging | 7 | **done** |
-| R7 | Final stress run + tuning | 9b | **done** |
-| UI | Tab-bar navigation redesign (drop the hamburger) | owner ad-hoc | **done** |
-| MW | "Multiple words per turn" rule for Russian games (engine v1.1.0) | owner ad-hoc | **done** |
-| MW2 | Single-word rule connectivity fix: the word must run along its own line through an existing tile (perpendicular-only contact no longer connects); single-tile direction picks the best legal word (engine v1.1.1) | owner ad-hoc | **done** |
-| MW3 | Graceful replay degradation: a game whose journalled move became illegal under MW2 is closed as a draw (`end_reason='aborted'`) on open instead of erroring, with an impersonal organizer note in the history + GCG (migration `00002`) | owner ad-hoc | **done** |
-| OW | Open auto-match: enter the game at once and wait inside it (robot after 90–180 s) | owner ad-hoc | **done** |
-| DA | Dictionary admin: online release-archive upload → word-diff preview → install/activate; versioned dict volume; active version persisted in DB; resident label = release tag | owner ad-hoc | **done** |
-| AB | Manual account block (admin suspension): permanent/temporary with an editable en+ru reason picklist; a block forfeits the player's active games + cancels their open ones; a backend gate refuses a blocked account with **403 `account_blocked`**; the UI shows a terminal blocked screen and stops all push/poll; manual unblock; temporary blocks self-expire (migration `00003`) | owner ad-hoc | **done** |
-| AI | Honest AI opponent in quick game: an explicit 🤖 AI / 👤 random selector (AI default); the robot is seated and moves at once; 7-day inactivity loss (the per-turn timeout reused); chat/nudge disabled, no statistics; the opponent is shown as 🤖 everywhere | owner ad-hoc | **done** |
-| AD | Advertising banner ("ad network"): server-driven weighted campaigns (percent weight + validity window; the perpetual default fills the remainder up to 100%), bilingual messages shown by bot (`service_language`); eligibility = free account + empty hint wallet + no `no_banner` role (guests included); the resolved feed rides `profile.get` with a `notify` `banner` re-poll on eligibility change; `/_gm/banners` admin + global display timings; client smooth-weighted-round-robin rotation + fade-out/gap/fade-in UX. A single `app.load` bootstrap aggregator was considered and **deferred** (see ARCHITECTURE §10). | owner ad-hoc | **done** (PR1 backend+admin, PR2 UI rotation) |
-| GL | Simultaneous quick-game cap (10): grey "New Game" + a lobby notice at the cap; backend gate on quick enqueue + invitation creation (409 `game_limit_reached`), accepting invitations exempt; `at_game_limit` rides `games.list` | owner ad-hoc | **done** |
-| CR | In-game chat read receipts: per-message `unread_seats` bitmask (migration `00008`); a per-viewer unread **dot** in the lobby + game header (a nudge counts and clears when its recipient moves); reading = opening the move history (the 💬 fade-blinks twice) or the chat, acked (`chat.read`) only when unread; `chat_read_duration` + `chat_unread_messages` metrics + tracing + the **Scrabble — Messages** Grafana dashboard (follow-up PR); a message to a disguised robot opponent is born read; admin unread-only filter / read column / per-seat read card | owner ad-hoc | **done** |
-| BX | Asymmetric per-user block + in-game controls: a block now silently suppresses everything **from** the blocked user (chat, nudge, friend requests, invitations are kept but never delivered/surfaced, born-read) while they notice nothing, **without** deleting the friendship (unblock restores it); auto-match excludes a block-related pair (either direction); in-game opponent card gains a ✖️ **block** control (mirroring 🤝, red "Block?" confirm, mutual-hide, struck name + hidden chat composer when blocked); optimistic apply + `user_blocked`/`user_unblocked` event confirm + rollback; admin user card gains **blocks / blocked-by / friends** cross-linked lists. Blocking a disguised-robot opponent is recorded per-game in a separate **`robot_blocks`** table (migration `00011`), keyed on game+seat with the seen name — never the shared robot account — so the matchmaker keeps giving robots; it shows in the blocked list and re-marks the in-game card | owner ad-hoc | **done** |
-| FM | First-move tile draw (official rules): each seated player draws a tile, the one closest to "A" leads (a blank beats every letter), ties re-drawing until a single leader; **honest per-draw `crypto/rand` entropy**, not the bag seed, so the **record** (`game_setup_draws`, migration `00013`) — not a seed — is the only account of the outcome, kept for future **tournaments** (designed as a discrete per-tile "player N draws" step). Friend/AI draws at create; **auto-match draws at *open*** against a synthetic `uuid.Nil` opponent whose draw rows are back-filled on join, so the opener's seat is fixed up front and the existing open-game pre-move is preserved (no reseating, no play-gating). Admin `/_gm/games/:id` gains the recorded draw list + a simple **step-by-step board replay** (`ReplayTimeline`). | owner ad-hoc | **done** |
-| SB | Single Telegram bot + per-user variant preferences: the two per-language bots collapse into **one** (drop `accounts.service_language`, `supported_languages`, the `*_EN`/`*_RU` env vars and game-language push routing — the single bot renders in the recipient's `preferred_language`); New Game variant gating moves to a profile **`variant_preferences`** set (default Erudit only, Erudit-first, server-enforced on the caller's auto-match/vs-AI/invitation-create paths, an invited friend may accept any variant); env vars collapse to unsuffixed `TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN`/`TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_ID`/`VITE_TELEGRAM_LINK`/`VITE_TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_NAME` and `GATEWAY_DEFAULT_SUPPORTED_LANGUAGES` is removed; wire drops `service_language`/`supported_languages` (Session, ValidateInitDataResponse) + the push `language` routing field and adds `variant_preferences` to Profile/UpdateProfile. | owner ad-hoc | **done** |
-| DV | Dictionary version hygiene: CI + image/compose seed track the current release (`v1.2.1`); a **seed-drift guard** records the flat dir's seed in an authoritative `.seed_version` marker so a bumped build seed on a live volume is ignored (it can't relabel live bytes — which would mis-serve the dictionary + void games pinned to the prior label); `DICT_VERSION` is the fresh-volume seed only, a live contour migrates through the admin console | owner ad-hoc | **done** |
-| TX | Telegram egress off the main host: split the connector into a home **validator** (Mini App / Login-Widget HMAC, no VPN, no Bot API — so game login no longer depends on Telegram being reachable) and a remote **bot** (Bot API long-poll + `sendMessage`) that holds **no inbound port** and dials the gateway over a reverse **mTLS bot-link** (`pkg/proto/botlink/v1`); the gateway funnels out-of-app push (fire-and-forget, at-most-once) and the backend admin broadcasts (a relay that awaits the bot's ack) down the link. The bot is Telegram-rate-limited; **one bot now**, with seams (a bot registry + `owns_updates` + command ids) for N later; **no webhook** (rejected: one URL per token, adds inbound + a static address). The **unified test contour** runs the split (the bot keeps its VPN sidecar and dials the gateway by its internal name; certs from `deploy/gen-certs.sh`). The **prod** wiring — the bot on a separate host (no VPN), the gateway bot-link port published, `PROD_` certs with scheduled rotation, an SSH deploy of both hosts together — is the **deferred final stage** (Stage 18). | owner ad-hoc | **done** (code + test contour; prod wiring → Stage 18) |
-| AG | Anti-abuse IP ban + honeypot/honeytoken (prod-only): a fail2ban-style in-memory `ratelimit.Banlist` keyed by client IP, fed by sustained rate-limiter rejections (the IP-keyed public/email/admin classes — the user class stays the soft-flag's concern), a **honeypot** decoy path (the contour caddy tags `/.env`, `/.git`, `/wp-*`, … with `X-Scrabble-Honeypot` and routes them to the gateway), and a **honeytoken** (`GATEWAY_HONEYTOKEN`, a planted bearer). The `abuseGuard` edge middleware refuses a banned IP with **429** before any work — closing the R3 gap that the static SPA/landing was outside the token bucket. Off by default — it keys by the real client IP the shared-NAT test contour does not expose (detection still logs there); enabled in prod via `GATEWAY_ABUSE_BAN_ENABLED`. Operators see + lift bans on the console **Throttled** page; the gateway syncs its active set to the backend (`/api/v1/internal/bans/sync`, `internal/banview`) every 30 s and applies operator unbans. | owner ad-hoc | **done** (code + test contour; ban enabled in prod → Stage 18) |
-| → | Stage 18 — prod contour deploy | — | see [`PLAN.md`](PLAN.md) |
-
-## Key findings (these reshaped the raw list — read before starting a phase)
-
-- **R1 (TODO 1 + 10) is one cheap moment, now.** Squashing the 12 goose migrations is
-  safe precisely because there is no prod data and the contour DB is wiped. Folding the
-  new variant labels (`scrabble_ru`/`scrabble_en`/`erudit_ru`) into that single baseline
-  makes the rename need **no data migration and no back-compat mapping**. Today's labels
-  (`english`/`russian_scrabble`/`erudit`) are persisted in `games.variant`,
-  `game_invitations.variant`, in `pkg/fbs` and the UI — ~100 files, but a mechanical sweep
-  on a clean DB.
-- **R4 (TODO 4 + 5): the app is already push-first.** Game state refreshes on
-  `your_turn`/`opponent_moved`, the lobby on `notify`, chat on `chat_message`. The **only**
-  genuine periodic server poll is `lobby.poll` (matchmaking, 2.5 s,
-  `ui/src/screens/NewGame.svelte`). What remains is killing that one poll **and** enriching
-  push events to carry payloads so the UI stops re-fetching after each signal.
-- **R3 (TODO 2): identity forgery is already mitigated.** Identity is always derived from
-  the session (`Authorization: Bearer` → `X-User-ID`); the client cannot inject identity,
-  the backend re-validates resource ownership, Telegram initData is HMAC-checked. The real
-  gaps are a missing **request-body size limit** (cheap DoS) and **invisible rate-limit
-  rejections** (no log/metric/admin view — that is TODO 8). Static landing serving is **not**
-  covered by the gateway token bucket (it only guards `Execute`).
-- **R6 (TODO 7) scale:** ~431 `Stage N` references across ~104 files (incl. the file name
-  `backend/internal/inttest/stage6_test.go`). Code is the source of truth; `docs/` describe
-  current state; `PLAN.md` keeps the decision history.
-
-## Locked decisions (owner interview)
-
-- **Stress test (TODO 9):** **early + final** runs. Driver = **edge protocol** (Connect/FB
-  through the gateway, moves generated by the solver) **plus a separate gateway-hammer**
-  saturation test. Pacing = **realistic (under limits) + saturation (ramp to the knee)**.
-  Resource metrics = **add cAdvisor + postgres_exporter to the contour** (today only
-  Go-runtime metrics exist). The harness stays in the repo for repeats.
-- **Push (TODO 4 + 5):** **both** — kill `lobby.poll` (use the existing `match_found`, keep
-  poll as the ws-down fallback) **and** enrich push events with payloads.
-- **Refactor (TODO 7):** **hygiene + structural changes by a reviewed list** —
-  behaviour-preserving, test-gated, contentious items surfaced to the owner before applying.
-- **Landing (TODO 3):** **separate static container** behind the project caddy
-  (`/` → landing, `/app/` + `/telegram/` → gateway); drop `landing.html` from the gateway
-  `go:embed`.
-- **Rate-abuse (TODO 8):** metric + Grafana + admin view **plus a conservative auto-flag** —
-  a *soft, reversible* "suspected high-rate" marker for operator review, tunable threshold,
-  **no auto-ban**.
-- **Anti-abuse IP ban (AG, owner ad-hoc):** a honeypot was considered and rejected as a *DDoS*
-  defence — it detects/deceives but does not shed volumetric load, cannot cover the real
-  endpoints, and a tarpit backfires under flood; volumetric L3/L4 is an upstream/CDN concern,
-  out of scope. The effective layer is a **temporary IP ban** (fail2ban-style) that the honeypot
-  and honeytoken merely *feed*. This does **not** reverse the TODO-8 "no auto-ban": that decision
-  governs the **account** soft-flag (still never a gate); the IP ban is a separate, IP-keyed,
-  **prod-only** layer with an **operator unban** in the console. Decisions: banlist lives in the
-  existing `ratelimit` package (smallest surface); the decoy path list is a **single source of
-  truth in the caddy** (it tags requests with a header — the gateway keeps no second list);
-  bans are in-memory + single-instance (like `ratewatch`), auto-expiring, **plus** an admin
-  console view + manual unban over a bidirectional 30 s sync (operator control = owner's choice).
-  An active-bans Grafana **gauge** was trimmed (the console view + the `gateway_abuse_banned_total`
-  counter cover it) to keep the diff focused.
-- **Open auto-match (owner ad-hoc):** a quick game **enters a real game at once and waits inside
-  it** (status `open`, the opponent seat empty); a second human searching the same variant+rule
-  joins it, or a robot fills it after a **90 s + random 0–90 s** wait, pushing the in-app
-  **opponent_joined** event. While open, the starter may move on their turn but resign, chat and
-  nudge are disabled, and the lobby + opponent card read "searching for opponent". Matchmaking is
-  now **DB-backed open games** — the in-memory pool, `lobby.poll` and `lobby.cancel` are gone. The
-  schema is edited in the baseline (no prod data); `game_players.account_id` is nullable for the
-  empty seat.
-- **Telegram egress off-host (TX, owner ad-hoc):** the driver is **removing VPN/Telegram
-  traffic from the main host** (OPSEC / one fewer analysis vector), not only notification
-  resilience. Login is local HMAC, so it stays up regardless of the bot — confirmed in the
-  code and made structural by the split. **Unified topology in code** (validator + bot, the
-  bot dialing the gateway) in **both** contours, differing only in deployment; the test bot
-  keeps its VPN sidecar. Transport = a **reverse gRPC bidi stream, mTLS, bot-dials-gateway**
-  (no inbound/static IP on the bot), reusing the push-stream pattern; **webhook rejected**
-  (one URL per token, adds inbound + a static address). Delivery **at-most-once** (a dropped
-  nudge beats a duplicate). **One bot now**, seams (registry + `owns_updates` + command ids)
-  for N later. **Cert rotation** by a scheduled CI job from a long-lived CA. **Prod deploy by
-  SSH** (pull excluded), the bot rolled **together** with the main app (the bot-link protocol
-  kept back-compatible by one version as the non-atomic-two-host-deploy safety net). The bot
-  is monitored **from the gateway** (connection + ack metrics). The bot-host token-at-rest is
-  **accepted**.
-
-## Phases
-
-Each phase: read this tracker + the relevant `docs/`, **interview the owner on the open
-details below**, implement within scope, then update the tracker + docs/code and get CI
-green before marking it done.
-
-### R1 — Schema & naming reset *(TODO 1 + 10)* — first
-Squash `backend/internal/postgres/migrations/00001..00012` into one `00001_baseline.sql`
-(method: `pg_dump --schema-only` from a fully-migrated DB → wrap as the goose baseline →
-prove a fresh migrate yields a schema identical to the 12-migration chain via the
-integration suite → delete the old files; keep goose). Bake the new variant labels into the
-baseline. Propagate `scrabble_ru`/`scrabble_en`/`erudit_ru` through the backend
-(`engine.Variant`/`ParseVariant`, `registry.dictFiles`, the CHECK values), the wire
-(`pkg/fbs` `variant:string`, regenerate FB) and the UI (`lib/model.ts` union, `variants.ts`,
-fixtures, premium/alphabet keys, tests); i18n display keys stay display-only. Tidy
-`../scrabble-dictionary` to a single source→dawg build point and align the dawg artifact
-names to the new labels (crosses into `../scrabble-solver`'s committed fixtures — keep them
-byte-identical). After merge, **wipe the contour DB** (drop the volume) so it re-provisions
-on the next deploy.
-- Critical files: `backend/internal/postgres/migrations/`,
-  `backend/internal/engine/{engine,registry}.go`, `pkg/fbs/scrabble.fbs`,
-  `ui/src/lib/{model,variants}.ts`, `../scrabble-dictionary/{Makefile,cmd/builddict,…}`.
-- Open details to interview: the exact dawg filename scheme; whether the dict-repo tidy is
-  one PR or split; how to script the contour DB wipe in the deploy.
-
-### R2 — Stress harness + contour observability + early run *(TODO 9, part 1)*
-Build the reusable load harness as a new `loadtest` module in `go.work` (reuses `pkg/fbs`,
-`connect-go`, and `scrabble-solver` for legal-move generation): a seeder that inserts
-**1000 guest + 10000 durable** accounts with pre-created sessions (token hashes) directly in
-the DB and hands the plaintext tokens to the client; a driver that runs N virtual users,
-each in 3–5 concurrent 2–4-player games, exercising submit-play / pass / exchange / nudge /
-chat / check-word / draft-move / profile-save through the **edge protocol**, in
-**realistic** (under rate limits) and **saturation** (ramp) modes; plus a separate
-**gateway-hammer** that deliberately exceeds limits to verify the limiter holds and measure
-its cost. Add **cAdvisor + postgres_exporter** to `deploy/docker-compose.yml` and a Grafana
-resource dashboard. Run the **early pass** against the freshly-wiped contour; produce a
-**trip report** (logic/concurrency bugs + a resource baseline) that feeds R3 and R6.
-- Critical files: new `loadtest/`, `deploy/docker-compose.yml`, `deploy/observability/*`,
-  `docs/TESTING.md`.
-- Open details: the scale ramp steps; the move-selection policy (a mid-ranked solver move
-  for realistic game progress); run duration; the pass/fail bar.
-
-### R3 — Edge hardening *(TODO 2 + 8 + 3)*
-Add a **request-body size cap** at the gateway h2c mux / `Execute` (e.g. ~1 MB). Add
-**rate-limit observability**: a `gateway_rate_limited_total{class}` counter + a structured
-log per rejection; an **aggregate** Grafana panel (request rate + rejection rate — spikes
-visible without per-user label cardinality, honouring the Stage 12/17 discipline); an
-**admin-console view** of recently throttled users/IPs (in-memory ring buffer, single-
-instance, reset-on-restart, like the `active_users` gauge). Add the **conservative
-auto-flag**: when a user is *sustained*-throttled past a tunable threshold, set a soft,
-reversible `account.flagged_high_rate_at` marker (baked into the R1 baseline) surfaced in the
-admin user list/detail — **no auto-ban**; the operator clears it. Split the **landing** into
-its own static container (`deploy/` + a Caddyfile route `/` → landing) and drop
-`landing.html` from the gateway `go:embed`.
-- Critical files: `gateway/internal/connectsrv/server.go`, `gateway/internal/ratelimit/`,
-  `gateway/internal/connectsrv/metrics.go`, `backend/internal/adminconsole/`,
-  `deploy/caddy/Caddyfile`, `deploy/docker-compose.yml`, `gateway/internal/webui/`.
-- Open details: the auto-flag threshold/window + whether the marker is persisted vs
-  in-memory; the landing image base (caddy vs nginx).
-
-### R4 — Push enrichment + kill the last poll *(TODO 4 + 5)*
-Replace `lobby.poll` with the existing `match_found` push (keep the poll as a ws-down
-fallback). Enrich `your_turn`/`opponent_moved`/`notify` to carry the state payload so the UI
-renders from the event without a follow-up `game.state` (removes the lobby↔game nav latency
-the owner noticed). Wire-contract change: `pkg/fbs` event payloads → backend `notify` emit →
-UI stream consumers (`ui/src/lib/app.svelte.ts`), with the per-game cache as the landing
-spot; regenerate FB.
-- Critical files: `pkg/fbs/scrabble.fbs`, `backend/internal/notify/events.go`,
-  `ui/src/lib/{app.svelte,transport}.ts`, `ui/src/screens/NewGame.svelte`.
-- Open details: which events carry full vs delta payloads; the fallback-poll cadence when the
-  stream is down.
-
-### R5 — Bundle slimming *(TODO 6)* — done
-Analysed the bundle against the 100 KB-gzip budget; **no code slimming was warranted**, and the
-budget metric was retargeted to measure the app correctly. The build already minifies +
-tree-shakes; the dominant cost is the Connect/FlatBuffers transport runtime + generated bindings
-+ the Svelte runtime (≈⅔ of `main`'s source is third-party/generated) — irreducible within scope.
-**Lazy-loading was rejected**: `bundle-size.mjs` sums every emitted chunk, so code-splitting yields
-no total-size win and adds request latency (+N gateway fetches on first navigation to a split
-screen). i18n lazy-load was skipped (the catalogs are a sliver of a Svelte-runtime-dominated shared
-chunk, and `en` must stay bundled as the `MessageKey` type source + fallback). Instead,
-`bundle-size.mjs` now measures **per HTML entry**, with three independent gates on the natural chunk
-boundaries — **app entry ≤ 100 KB, the Svelte+i18n shared chunk ≤ 30 KB, the landing's own chunk
-≤ 5 KB** — since the app's real payload is its entry chunk plus the shared chunk (≈97 KB), while the
-landing (≈24 KB) is reported separately and kept minimal. Same CLI + exit-code contract, so the CI
-step is unchanged.
-- Critical files: `ui/scripts/bundle-size.mjs`; no app code changed.
-
-### R6 — Refactor + docs reconciliation + de-staging *(TODO 7)* — done
-Behaviour-preserving only. Three separable, separately-committed passes: (a) mechanical
-**de-staging** — remove `Stage N`/`TODO-N` references from code, comments and service
-READMEs (rename `stage6_test.go`); (b) **docs↔code reconciliation** — reconcile
-`docs/ARCHITECTURE.md` / `docs/FUNCTIONAL.md`(+`_ru`) against the code-as-truth, fixing drift
-and Go Doc comments; (c) **structural changes by a reviewed list** — surface a list of
-proposed optimizations / test-suite consolidations to the owner, apply only the approved,
-behaviour-preserving, test-gated ones. The full suite + the final stress run (R7) are the
-regression gate. Incorporates the early-run (R2) bug fixes not already shipped.
-- Open details: the structural-changes list itself (owner-approved before applying); the test
-  consolidation targets.
-
-### R7 — Final stress run + tuning *(TODO 9, part 2)* — done
-Re-run the R2 harness against the final, refactored system on a clean contour; analyse
-resource consumption across **all** components (gateway, backend, Postgres, the
-metrics/observability stack, docker log volume) and agree the tuning (pool sizes, rate
-limits, cache TTLs, container limits, GOMAXPROCS, log levels). Apply the agreed tuning; record
-the methodology + results in the repo.
-
-→ **Stage 18** (prod contour) then proceeds per [`PLAN.md`](PLAN.md).
-
-## Sequencing rationale
-
-`R1` first (cheapest now; everything builds on the final schema/naming and the stress test
-must run against it). `R2` builds the harness and runs the **early** pass to surface bugs and
-a resource baseline that feed `R3` and `R6`. `R3`/`R4`/`R5` harden and improve the system.
-`R6` (de-stage + reconcile + structural) runs near the end so it sweeps settled code once and
-benefits from all accumulated bug knowledge. `R7` validates the final system and tunes it.
-Then Stage 18.
-
-## Regression-safety discipline (cross-cutting)
-
-- Every phase is a `feature/* → development` PR; CI (`unit` + `integration` + `ui` behind the
-  `CI / gate` check) must be green before the owner merges; watch the post-merge contour
-  deploy with `gitea-ci-watch.py`.
-- `R6` structural changes are behaviour-preserving, test-gated, and split from the mechanical
-  sweeps; contentious items are owner-approved first.
-- The two stress runs (`R2` early, `R7` final) are the system-level regression gate.
-
-## Verification (per phase)
-
-- `go build ./<module>/...`, `go vet`, `gofmt -l .` clean, `go test -count=1 ./<module>/...`;
-  UI: `pnpm check && pnpm test:unit && pnpm build`; the integration suite
-  (`-tags integration`) for DB/schema changes; `docker compose config` for deploy changes;
-  green CI on the PR + a healthy contour deploy.
-- `R1`: prove the squashed baseline yields a schema identical to the 12-migration chain
-  (integration suite on a fresh DB) **before** deleting the old files.
-- `R2`/`R7`: the harness runs end-to-end against the contour; the trip report lists concrete
-  defects + a resource profile from the Grafana cAdvisor/postgres_exporter panels.
-
-## Refinements logged during implementation
-
-- **R1** (interview + implementation):
-  - **Variant labels** `english`/`russian_scrabble`/`erudit` → **`scrabble_en`/`scrabble_ru`/`erudit_ru`**
-    across the backend (`engine.Variant.String`/`ParseVariant`; the `games`/`game_invitations` `variant`
-    CHECK in the baseline; GCG `#lexicon` and the `variant` metric attribute both flow from `String`),
-    the wire (`pkg/fbs` `variant` is a `string` field — values change with **no FlatBuffers regen**) and
-    the UI (`model.ts` union, `variants.ts` records, `codec`/`premiums`/mocks/tests, the admin
-    `dictionary.gohtml`). **Kept:** the Go enum identifiers (`VariantEnglish`…, internal) and the i18n
-    display keys (`new.english`/`new.russian`/`new.erudit`, display-only). `complaints.variant` stays
-    free-text (no CHECK, as before).
-  - **dawg filenames kept descriptive** (`en_sowpods`/`ru_scrabble`/`ru_erudit`) — only the registry's
-    `Variant` key carries the rename, so `registry.go`, the published `scrabble-solver` fixtures and the
-    dictionary release artifact are untouched (decouples the three repos).
-  - **Migrations squashed** 12 → one hand-written `00001_baseline.sql`. Verified by a
-    `pg_dump --schema-only` diff (the chain vs the baseline are **identical** but for the two intended
-    variant-CHECK values) plus the green integration suite. **No data migration** (no production data).
-  - **Done (cross-repo + contour):** the **`scrabble-dictionary` tidy** merged (PR #2) and was re-cut as
-    the **byte-identical `v1.0.1`** release for clean provenance (the backend stays on `v1.0.0` — same
-    bytes, no rewire; the backend pulls a version-pinned release artifact, not master). Post-merge the
-    contour `backend` schema was wiped (`DROP SCHEMA backend CASCADE` + restart, not a volume drop) and
-    re-migrated to the baseline — verified the new variant CHECK (`scrabble_en/scrabble_ru/erudit_ru`),
-    `games`=0 and a clean boot.
-
-- **R2** (interview + implementation):
-  - **Locked decisions:** game assembly via **invitations** (real path, no robots; not direct game-row
-    inserts); **moderate** ramp **50 → 200 → 500** at 10 min/step; **diagnostic** pass bar (no SLO gate);
-    run as a **one-shot container on `scrabble-internal`** in this PR.
-  - **Harness** = new `scrabble/loadtest` module (`use ./loadtest` + a `replace scrabble/gateway` for the
-    dot-free edge-proto import). It seeds 1000 guest + 10000 durable accounts + sessions **directly in
-    Postgres** (token hash mirrors `backend/internal/session`), drives players over the **edge protocol**,
-    generates **mid-ranked legal moves locally** with the embedded `scrabble-solver` by replaying
-    `game.history` (the edge carries no board — mirrors `engine.ReplayBoard` via the public API), and a
-    **gateway-hammer**. Compact CLI (`run` / `cleanup`), distroless Dockerfile (DAWGs baked), Go unit tests.
-  - **Adding the module broke the other images' builds** — backend/gateway/telegram Dockerfiles reduce the
-    workspace but still referenced `./loadtest` (not in their context); each now also
-    `-dropuse=./loadtest` (backend/telegram additionally `-dropreplace` the gateway replace). Caught by the
-    first deploy run; verified by building all four images.
-  - **Harness payload fixes found by the smoke pass:** the draft DTO's `rack_order` is a string (was sent
-    as `[]` → `bad_request`); the display-name validator forbids digits/colons, so the cleanup marker
-    became a letters-only `Zzloadtest` so `profile.update` resends the seeded name. `chat_not_your_turn` /
-    `nudge_own_turn` are **by-design** turn gates, correctly exercised.
-  - **Observability:** added **cAdvisor + postgres_exporter** + the **Scrabble — Resources** dashboard +
-    two Prometheus jobs. **Finding:** cAdvisor yields only the root cgroup on the contour host (separate
-    XFS `/var/lib/docker` breaks its layer-ID resolution — the existing galaxy deploy has the same limit),
-    so per-container CPU/RSS for the early pass was captured via `docker stats`. **R7:** adopt the otelcol
-    `docker_stats` receiver (already the contrib image) for per-container metrics in Grafana.
-  - **Early run (2026-06-09):** ramped clean to 500 players, no crash/deadlock, cleanup removed all 11000
-    accounts. 1.2 M edge calls, 48 870 plays, 2 798 games finished; the per-user limiter held under the
-    hammer (99.97 % rejected, p99 2 ms). **Top finding:** ~14 % `transport_error` on `game.state` at 500
-    players, under CPU saturation (backend/gateway/Postgres each ~1 core) and amplified by the harness's
-    single shared `http2.Transport`; the harness itself peaked at 86 % of a core on the same host, so the
-    figures are pessimistic. Full trip report in [`../loadtest/REPORT-R2.md`](../loadtest/REPORT-R2.md);
-    it feeds R3 (h2c `MaxConcurrentStreams`/timeouts, body-size cap), R6 and R7 (per-player transports,
-    separate hardware, pool/limit sizing).
-  - **CI:** `./loadtest/...` added to the path filter + vet/build/test; `go.work.sum` carries the new deps.
-
-- **R3** (interview + implementation):
-  - **Locked decisions:** the flag column lands by **editing the R1 baseline** (+ a contour schema
-    wipe after merge — no migration chain accrues before prod); auto-flag defaults **1000 rejected /
-    10 min** (`BACKEND_HIGHRATE_FLAG_THRESHOLD`/`_WINDOW`, rolling window, set-once, operator clears,
-    no auto-ban); landing image = **caddy:2-alpine**; throttle data flows **gateway → backend** (a
-    30 s per-key summary POST to the new `/api/v1/internal/ratelimit/report`, the existing trusted
-    direction) with the episode window + flag rule in the backend (`internal/ratewatch`); rejection
-    logging = **Warn summary per key per window + Debug per rejection** — a deliberate deviation from
-    the phase's "structured log per rejection" (the R2 hammer would have logged ~522k lines in
-    minutes); all three R2-report tails included (explicit h2c sizing, the session-resolve failure
-    cause at Warn, reviving the admin limiter).
-  - **Body cap:** `GATEWAY_MAX_BODY_BYTES` (default 1 MiB) as both the Connect per-message read limit
-    and an `http.MaxBytesReader` wrap of the public mux; an oversized Execute is `resource_exhausted`.
-  - **Dead config found:** `AdminPerMinute`/`AdminBurst` were never wired — the gateway `/_gm` mount is
-    now 429-guarded per IP ahead of its Basic-Auth. The caddy-fronted contour path stays unlimited
-    (stock caddy has no limiter) — an accepted gap, recorded in `docs/ARCHITECTURE.md` §12.
-  - **Landing split:** a `landing` target in `gateway/Dockerfile` (the UI build stage is shared;
-    identical compose build args keep it one cached build); the gateway drops `landing.html` from the
-    embed and 308-redirects `/` → `/app/`; the contour caddy routes `/app/`, `/telegram/` and the
-    Connect path to the gateway and the catch-all to the landing container; the CI deploy probe now
-    checks both `/` (landing) and `/app/` (gateway).
-  - **Observability:** `gateway_rate_limited_total{class}` (user/public/email/admin, aggregate-only)
-    + a rate-vs-rejections panel on the Edge/UX dashboard; the admin console gains the **Throttled**
-    page (the in-memory episode window, reset-on-restart like `active_users`, plus the flagged-account
-    queue) and the flag badge / clear action on the user list / card.
-  - The jet regen also restored the previously missing `game_drafts`/`game_hidden` generated models
-    (their tables were added after the last jetgen run; no behaviour change).
-
-- **R4** (interview + implementation):
-  - **Locked decisions:** **delta-first**, not full snapshots — an event carries only the new move and
-    the UI applies it to its per-game cache, keyed on `move_count` (idempotent + gap-safe: a gap or the
-    actor's own move falls back to a `game.state` + `game.history` refetch). `match_found` /
-    `game_started` carry the recipient's **initial `StateView`** (instant lobby→game); the fallback
-    refetch stays the existing two calls (no merged endpoint); the matchmaking poll runs **only while
-    the stream is down** (2.5 s); **all** UI-state-changing events carry their payload (incl. lobby `notify`).
-  - **Enriched events** (`pkg/fbs` trailing fields — backward-compatible, no FB regen of *values*, only
-    the schema): `opponent_moved` (+`move`/`game`/`bag_len`), `your_turn` (+`move_count`), `match_found`
-    (+`state`), `game_over` (+`game`), `notify` (+`account`/`invitation`/`state`). The pre-R4
-    `opponent_moved` scalars (`seat`/`action`/`score`/`total`) stay for wire back-compat, now redundant
-    with `move`/`game` — slated for the R6 de-stage.
-  - **Encoding placement:** the `notify` package keeps ownership of the FlatBuffers encoding (a new
-    `encode.go` mirrors the gateway transcode but reads wire-agnostic `notify.*` input structs +
-    `engine.MoveRecord`); the game/lobby/social services map their domain types to those structs, so the
-    wire schema stays out of the domain. **Flagged for R6:** this partly duplicates the gateway encoders
-    (different source types) — a candidate consolidation.
-  - **Actor self-fetch killed too** (beyond literal "push"): the `submit_play`/`pass`/`exchange`/`resign`
-    **response** (`MoveResult`) now returns the actor's refilled rack + bag size, so the mover renders the
-    next turn from the response — `Game.svelte`'s `commit`/`pass`/`exchange`/`resign` drop their `await load()`.
-  - **`match_found` enrichment** needs a per-seat initial state: `lobby.GameCreator` gained `InitialState`,
-    and `game.Service.InitialState` builds the `notify.PlayerState` (rack re-encoded to wire indices, the
-    variant alphabet embedded for a first-seen variant).
-  - **UI:** a pure `lib/gamedelta.ts` reducer (`applyMoveDelta` / `applyGameOver` / `seedInitialState`,
-    unit-tested) advances the cache; `app.svelte` seeds it on `match_found` / `game_started`; `Game.svelte`
-    applies the delta (falling back to `load()` while composing, on a gap, or on its own move's new rack);
-    `NewGame.svelte` polls only when `app.streamAlive` is false and guards its teardown so a push-delivered
-    match is not cancelled.
-  - **notify (friends/invitations) scope:** the backend carries the full account / invitation payload on the
-    wire (per "all events → push"); the UI seeds the game cache from `game_started` but keeps its lightweight
-    **authoritative** badge refresh (`refreshNotifications`, on the rare `notify` event + on foreground) rather
-    than adding client-side friend/invitation caches — the per-move hot path is fully de-fetched, which was the
-    goal. Deeper lobby-cache consumption is an easy follow-up.
-  - **No schema change** (no migration); the contour needs no DB wipe. Tests: `notify` FB round-trips +
-    `emitMove` delta + the `gamedelta` reducer; the e2e mock now emits the enriched delta.
-
-- **R5** (interview + implementation):
-  - **No code slimming — by analysis.** A gzip measure + sourcemap attribution of the real `dist` showed
-    the app bundle is already minified + tree-shaken and dominated by the Connect/FlatBuffers transport
-    runtime + generated FB/PB bindings (≈⅔ of `main`'s source) and the Svelte runtime — all
-    third-party/generated, irreducible within R5's scope. App-authored code carries no hand-trimmable fat.
-  - **Lazy-load rejected** (screens *and* i18n): `bundle-size.mjs` sums every emitted chunk, so
-    code-splitting moves bytes between chunks for **zero total-size win** while adding request latency (+N
-    gateway fetches on first navigation to a split screen). i18n lazy-load additionally buys ≤3 KB (en-only
-    users) at the cost of an async `t()`, and `en` must stay bundled (it is the `MessageKey` type source +
-    fallback). **Chunk-collapsing rejected** too — keeping the near-static Svelte runtime in its own
-    cacheable chunk is the recommended practice (an app deploy then re-busts only `main`, not the runtime),
-    and HTTP/2 makes the extra preload request negligible.
-  - **Metric retargeted to the app.** The two-entry build (`index.html` app + `landing.html`) makes Rollup
-    hoist the code shared by both (Svelte runtime + i18n + `aboutContent`) into one preloaded chunk, so the
-    app actually loads its entry chunk **+ the shared chunk** (≈74 + ≈23 = **≈97 KB**), never `landing.js`
-    (≈1.6 KB). The old script summed all three chunks (98.8 KB), over-counting the app by `landing.js`.
-    `bundle-size.mjs` now parses each built HTML for the JS it eagerly loads and gates three parts
-    independently — **app entry ≤ 100 KB, shared (Svelte+i18n) ≤ 30 KB, landing-own ≤ 5 KB** — reporting the
-    app total (≈97) and landing total (≈24.5). Same CLI + exit-code contract, so the CI step is unchanged.
-  - **No app/source/build change** (`App.svelte`, `lib/i18n/`, `vite.config.ts` untouched); no schema
-    change, no contour wipe. The stale "~82 KB" figure was corrected in `bundle-size.mjs` and `ui/README.md`.
-
-- **R6** (interview + implementation):
-  - **Locked decisions:** apply **both** wire/code structural changes (**B** + **A**) and **only C1+C2** of
-    the test consolidation (not C3/C5); strip the `*(Stage N)*` tags from **all current-state docs**
-    (ARCHITECTURE / FUNCTIONAL+`_ru` / TESTING / UI_DESIGN), keeping PLAN.md / PRERELEASE.md / CLAUDE.md as
-    history; **split `stage6_test.go`** by domain. The `h2cMaxConcurrentStreams` sizing stays an **R7**
-    concern (tuning, not behaviour-preserving); the R2 early run forced no code fix, so nothing was carried in.
-  - **(a) De-staging:** removed the `Stage N` / `TODO-N` / `(RN)` references across code, comments, service
-    READMEs and the current-state docs, rewording narratives to present tense (no technical content lost).
-    Renamed the only stage-named identifiers (`registerStage8`→`registerSocialOps`,
-    `registerStage11`→`registerLinkOps`) and split `stage6_test.go` (`TestEmailLoginFlow`→`email_test.go`;
-    `TestGuestAutoMatchLeavesNoStats`+`provisionGuest`→`account_test.go`). De-staged the `.fbs`/`.proto`
-    comments and regenerated: only the `.proto`-derived Go docstrings (`*_grpc.pb.go`, `push.pb.go`) changed —
-    flatc strips schema comments, so the FB Go/TS bindings were untouched.
-  - **(b) Reconciliation:** the docs were accurate (each R-phase baked its own); the one drift was a stale
-    "guest-reaping deferred (TODO-3)" note in `ARCHITECTURE.md` §3 — guest reaping is implemented, so the
-    note was replaced with the current behaviour (FUNCTIONAL/TESTING already described it).
-  - **(c) B — dead `opponent_moved` scalars:** removed `seat/action/score/total` from `OpponentMovedEvent`
-    (`pkg/fbs/scrabble.fbs` + the `notify` emit + the round-trip test); regenerated FB Go + TS. No reader
-    used them (the UI codec/mock take `move`/`game`/`bag_len`; the gateway forwards the payload verbatim).
-    A pre-release wire-slot renumber — free with no prod data, no DB change.
-  - **(c) A — shared FB builders:** new `scrabble/pkg/wire` holds the single definition of the nested wire
-    tables (GameView / MoveRecord / StateView / AccountRef / Invitation) shared by the backend `notify`
-    encoder and the gateway `transcode`; both map their own source types to neutral `wire.*` structs and
-    delegate. **Honest tradeoff:** the verbose `Start/Add/End` + reverse-prepend boilerplate is now written
-    once, but the field *set* is still mapped per side, and the new package makes the change net **+~145 LOC**
-    — a single-source / anti-drift win for the fiddly mechanics rather than a line-count cut. Behaviour-
-    preserving: the two sides' field sets were verified identical and the round-trip tests pass unchanged.
-  - **(c) C1+C2 — inttest fixtures:** moved the cross-file service/game fixtures (`newGameService` was used by
-    10 files) into `backend/internal/inttest/helpers.go`; single-file helpers stay local. Pure relocation.
-  - **No schema change → no contour DB wipe.** Regression gate: the full unit + integration + UI suites plus
-    the R7 stress run.
-
-- **R7** (interview + implementation):
-  - **Locked decisions:** run the harness **same-host** (one-shot container on `scrabble-internal`, capped
-    `--cpus=3` so the contour keeps spare cores); **apply container limits + `GOMAXPROCS` now** (not just a
-    prod recommendation); **replace cAdvisor with the otelcol `docker_stats` receiver** (it resolved only the
-    root cgroup on this host); keep rate-limit / h2c knobs **compiled-in** (change values only if the data
-    demands — it did not).
-  - **Harness refinements (pre-run):** each virtual player builds its **own `edge.Client`** (its own h2c
-    connection for its Subscribe stream + Execute calls) instead of all players sharing one `http2.Transport` —
-    the R2 `transport_error` artifact; and `playTurn` now reports a **finished** game so the player drops it
-    from rotation. Effect, measured: `game.state` `transport_error` 14 % (R2) → **2.49 %**; `game_finished` on
-    chat ≈ 3 900 → **35**.
-  - **Observability:** added the `docker_stats` receiver to `otelcol` (`api_version: "1.44"` — the daemon's
-    minimum is 1.40; the receiver defaults to 1.25 and crash-looped until pinned), mounted the docker socket
-    read-only with `group_add` (the contrib image runs as UID 10001), dropped the cAdvisor service + its
-    Prometheus job, and retargeted the **Scrabble — Resources** dashboard to the docker_stats metric names
-    (`container_cpu_utilization`/100 == cores). Cross-checked against `docker stats` within sampling error.
-  - **Profile (final run, 500 players, limits in force):** the **gateway is the binding constraint** — with
-    one connection per player it bursts into its 2-core cap (the residual 2.49 % `transport_error`); backend
-    ~0.85 core and postgres ~1.4 cores had headroom; **tempo reached its 1 GiB cap**; the backend pool sat at
-    its `MaxOpenConns=25` cap (28 backends); docker logs were unbounded (~14 MiB / 30 min on the backend at
-    info). Full write-up in [`../loadtest/REPORT-R7.md`](../loadtest/REPORT-R7.md).
-  - **Round-2 tuning (owner-agreed, all in `deploy/docker-compose.yml`, no code change):** gateway **2 → 3
-    cores + `GOMAXPROCS=3`**; tempo memory **1 → 2 GiB**; backend `MAX_OPEN_CONNS` **25 → 40**; a json-file
-    **log-rotation** default (10m × 3) applied contour-wide via a YAML anchor (level stays info).
-    backend/postgres kept at 2 cores / 512 MiB (headroom is cheap on the shared host).
-  - **Validation:** the same gradual ramp on the tuned contour cut `game.state` `transport_error` to **0.72 %**
-    (gateway ~2 cores, now under the 3-core cap, no throttle; tempo ~1.27 GiB, under 2 GiB). A separate
-    **burst** run (a single 100 → 500 jump) pegged the gateway at 3 cores (≈296 % sustained, 9.27 % error),
-    confirming it is **connection-CPU-bound** — a true arrival spike is a **horizontal-scaling** lever, not
-    more cores per node (recorded in the prod-sizing recommendation).
-  - **No schema change → no contour DB wipe.** Bake-back: `loadtest/REPORT-R7.md` (new), `loadtest/README.md`,
-    `docs/TESTING.md`, the telemetry/observability section of `docs/ARCHITECTURE.md`, the repo-layout line in `CLAUDE.md`.
-
-- **UI — Tab-bar navigation redesign** (owner ad-hoc, not on the raw TODO list): drop the hamburger
-  `Menu.svelte` everywhere (it fought the Telegram-fullscreen layout, where it had to be re-centred).
-  - **Locked decisions (interview):** the in-Settings sub-nav is a **bottom TabBar with the active tab
-    highlighted** (icon-only); **Export GCG** moves to the left slot of the move-history header (free in a
-    finished game, where 🏁 *leave* does not apply); the lobby **⚙️ badge counts incoming friend requests
-    only** (invitations keep their own lobby section); unread chat is badged on **the score bar and the 💬**.
-  - **What shipped:** a ⚙️ **Settings hub** (`screens/SettingsHub.svelte`) over the existing
-    Settings/Profile/Friends/About bodies and an in-game **comms hub** (`game/CommsHub.svelte`) over
-    chat + dictionary, both with in-place tabs and a fixed back target; the game's menu items relocate into
-    the open move history (🏁 leave / 📤 export + 💬 comms header) and the player cards (🤝 add-friend); a
-    shared **TapConfirm** (`components/TapConfirm.svelte`, `lib/tapconfirm.ts`) — tap → fading ✅ → tap —
-    replaces the Skip/Hint press-and-hold popovers and drives the add-friend confirm. Fixed the move-history
-    "jump" bug (the slid board is now inert and the stage can't scroll, so a swipe up genuinely closes it).
-    `Menu.svelte` + `HoldConfirm.svelte` removed.
-  - **No schema/wire change → no contour DB wipe.** Bake-back: `docs/UI_DESIGN.md`, `docs/FUNCTIONAL.md`
-    (+`_ru`). Regression gate: UI `check` + unit (`tapconfirm`) + build + bundle budget + e2e (Chromium &
-    WebKit), all green.
-
-- **UI — Merge Exchange/Pass; drop the dead Tournaments tab** (owner ad-hoc, not on the raw TODO
-  list): the lobby's 🏆 *Tournaments* tab was an inert `lobby.soon` toast — removed (the lobby is back
-  to three tabs, matching `docs/FUNCTIONAL.md`). In-game the separate 🥺 *Skip* (pass) tab folds into
-  the 🔄 tab, now **Exchange/Pass**, whose dialog passes when no tile is selected and exchanges when
-  tiles are.
-  - **Decision — a pass is NOT an exchange of zero (verified against the rules + GCG):** the merge is
-    **UI-only**. Pass and exchange stay distinct game actions end-to-end — wire (`GameActionRequest` vs
-    `ExchangeRequest`), engine (`ActionPass` vs `ActionExchange`), and the GCG Poslfit dialect (a pass is
-    a bare `-`, an exchange is `-TILES`). The engine forbids a zero-tile exchange (`ErrNothingToExchange`)
-    and allows an exchange only with a full rack left in the bag (`ErrNotEnoughTilesToExchange`), while a
-    pass is always legal — collapsing them would lose a real distinction. The dialog dispatches the
-    existing `gateway.pass` / `gateway.exchange`.
-  - **What shipped:** `Lobby.svelte` (tab removed); `Game.svelte` (one 🔄 Exchange/Pass tab no longer
-    gated on an empty bag; the dialog disables tile selection while the bag is below a full rack
-    (`bagLen >= RACK_SIZE`), its confirm button reading **Pass without exchanging** / **Exchange N**);
-    i18n (`game.draw` → Exchange/Pass, new `game.passNoExchange`, dropped `game.skip` /
-    `lobby.tournaments` / `lobby.soon`). No backend/wire/history/GCG change.
-  - **No schema/wire change → no contour DB wipe.** Bake-back: `docs/UI_DESIGN.md`, `docs/FUNCTIONAL.md`
-    (+`_ru`). Regression gate: UI `check` + unit + build + bundle budget + e2e (Chromium & WebKit).
-
-- **AI — Honest AI opponent in quick game** (owner ad-hoc, not on the raw TODO list): a second quick-game
-  opponent the player *knowingly* chooses, distinct from the disguised robot of the random/open path
-  (which is kept as-is). New Game's quick-game mode replaces the "auto-match" subtitle with a two-button
-  selector **🤖 AI / 👤 Random player** (the `.seg`/`.opt` segmented style, AI the default); for AI the
-  move-clock line reads "Loss after 7 days of inactivity" and the "searching" hint is hidden.
-  - **Locked decisions (interview):** AI move is **event-driven** (the robot replies the instant the
-    player's move commits; the 30 s driver is the fallback); AI games **do not touch `account_stats`**
-    (practice, like guests); the **Stage 5 strength logic is reused unchanged** (`playToWin` 40 % from the
-    seed + margin band); **no per-move timeout — a 7-day inactivity loss** instead; the 7-day line lives on
-    the New Game screen (the in-game screen has no move-clock line); chat + nudge **disabled**, word-check
-    kept, add-friend never drawn, opponent shown as **🤖** everywhere.
-  - **The 7-day rule reuses the existing per-turn timeout:** an AI game is created with
-    `turn_timeout_secs = AIInactivityTimeout` (7 days) and the existing timeout sweeper resigns the overdue
-    seat — since the robot moves at once, only the human is ever on the clock, so the per-turn timeout *is*
-    the abandon rule (no new column, no new sweeper).
-  - **One game flag drives everything:** `games.vs_ai` (edited into the R1 baseline — pre-release, so a
-    contour DB wipe after merge). It is set **only** on AI-started games, so a robot-filled random game keeps
-    `vs_ai=false` and the disguised opponent is never revealed; the UI derives 🤖 / the gates **from the flag,
-    never from the opponent account**. New backend path `Matchmaker.StartVsAI` (picks a pooled robot via the
-    existing `Pick`, creates an **active** seated game via `game.Service.Create`, random seat order) — the AI
-    request never enters the open pool, so the open-game reaper never touches it. The robot driver gains a
-    `vs_ai` branch (no sleep, no proactive nudge, zero delay) and a focused `DriveGame`/`TriggerMove` fast
-    path wired from the game service's after-create/after-commit hook (`SetAITrigger`, a func value so the
-    game package never imports the robot package). Chat/nudge gated by a new `social` `VsAI` check
-    (`ErrGameVsAI` → 409 `ai_game`); statistics skipped in `commit` when `vs_ai`.
-  - **Wire:** `EnqueueRequest` += `vs_ai`, `GameView` += `vs_ai` (trailing FB fields, regenerated Go + TS),
-    threaded through the backend DTO, the gateway transcode and the `pkg/wire` + `notify` builders.
-  - **Tests:** `lobby` unit (StartVsAI seats a robot + flags the game; empty pool leaves no game); backend
-    integration (`ai_game_test.go`: active+seated+vs_ai+7-day clock, robot moves immediately, stats skipped,
-    7-day timeout resigns the human, chat/nudge rejected); UI codec round-trip (`vs_ai` on enqueue + game
-    view); e2e (an AI game shows 🤖, no "searching", chat disabled, the dictionary still works) + the
-    existing quick-match e2e updated to pick **Random player** (the default is now AI).
-  - **Schema/wire change → a contour DB wipe** after merge (`DROP SCHEMA backend CASCADE` + restart, the
-    R1/R3 pattern). Bake-back: `docs/ARCHITECTURE.md`, `docs/FUNCTIONAL.md` (+`_ru`), `docs/UI_DESIGN.md`,
-    `backend/README.md`, Go Doc comments.
-  - **Post-review refinements (owner, same PR):** (1) the **GCG export labels the robot seat "AI"** rather
-    than its human-like pool name (`ExportGCG` overrides the name via `accounts.IsRobot`; the in-app 🤖 is
-    unchanged); (2) honest-AI games **emit no `your_turn`** — the robot replies instantly, so the signal
-    would arrive with the move and be pointless; `opponent_moved` still advances the UI; (3) the **admin
-    console surfaces the AI flag** — a **🤖 column** in `/games` and an "AI game" line on the game card
-    (`GameRow`/`GameDetailView` gain `VsAI`); (4) `games_started_total` / `games_abandoned_total` gain a
-    **`vs_ai`** attribute and the Grafana *Game domain* dashboard splits started/abandoned into **human**
-    and **AI** panels.
-  - **Follow-up (separate PR — strategy deviation):** the robot now plays **≈20%** of opening/midgame moves
-    *against* its per-game `playToWin` intent (toward the opposite margin band — a winning robot eases off, a
-    losing one surges ahead), tapering linearly to **0 over the last 14 bag tiles** and **0 once the bag is
-    empty**, so the endgame follows the chosen strategy strictly while earlier outcomes can swing the human's
-    way. Deterministic from the seed (`mix(seed,"deviate",moveCount)`), applied to **both** robot paths via
-    the shared `selectMove`; the per-game intent (and the admin card) is unchanged. Tests: `robot` unit
-    (taper bounds + monotonicity, never-in-endgame, determinism, ~20% distribution). Bake-back:
-    `docs/ARCHITECTURE.md` §7, `docs/FUNCTIONAL.md` (+`_ru`), `backend/README.md`, `PLAN.md` Stage 5.
-
-- **GL — Simultaneous quick-game cap** (owner ad-hoc, not on the raw TODO list): a player may hold at
-  most **10** active quick games; at the cap the lobby greys **New Game** and shows a plain notice
-  "Вы достигли лимита одновременных партий", both clearing automatically when an active game finishes.
-  - **Locked decisions (interview):** what counts = active **+** open (searching) quick games, **including
-    AI** (`vs_ai`); friend games (invitation-linked) **never** count. The backend gate refuses **all** new-game
-    creation at the cap — `lobby/enqueue` **and** `invitations` — with **409 `game_limit_reached`**; **accepting**
-    an invitation is never gated, so friend games are capped "from the other end". Delivery = a boolean
-    **`at_game_limit`** on the existing `games.list` (no per-event payload: a turn change does not move the count,
-    and the lobby already re-fetches `games.list` on entry + every game event); the first uncached lobby frame
-    defaults the button **enabled** (the backend gate is the authority).
-  - **What shipped:** `game.MaxActiveQuickGames` + `Store/Service.CountActiveQuickGames` (active/open seats, no
-    `game_invitations` row; hidden games still count → a dedicated count, not a filter over the lobby list);
-    `Server.atGameLimit`/`ensureUnderGameLimit` gating `handleEnqueue` + `handleCreateInvitation`;
-    `gameListDTO.at_game_limit`; the FB `GameList` trailing `at_game_limit` (regenerated Go + TS) threaded through
-    the gateway transcode + UI codec; `lib/model` + `lobbycache` snapshot + `Lobby.svelte` (disabled tab + a muted
-    `.limit` notice); i18n `lobby.limitReached` (en authoritative + ru).
-  - **Caveat (logged):** the gate is a pre-check, not transaction-atomic — concurrent creates from one account could
-    momentarily exceed by 1–2 (harmless soft cap; the UI disables the button regardless). Strict atomicity was judged
-    a disproportionate diff across the two create paths.
-  - **No schema change → no contour DB wipe** (only a trailing FB field, no migration). Tests: backend integration
-    (`game_limit_test.go`: count rule + HTTP gate 409 + accept bypass), server unit (error mapping), gateway
-    transcode round-trip, UI codec + lobbycache unit, e2e (`gamelimit.spec.ts`). Bake-back: `docs/FUNCTIONAL.md`
-    (+`_ru`), `docs/ARCHITECTURE.md` §8, `docs/UI_DESIGN.md`, `backend/README.md`.

README.md

@@ -22,9 +22,8 @@ supports English Scrabble, Russian Scrabble and Эрудит.
   security, cross-service contracts.
 - [`docs/FUNCTIONAL.md`](docs/FUNCTIONAL.md) (+ [`_ru`](docs/FUNCTIONAL_ru.md)) —
   per-domain user stories.
-- [`docs/TESTING.md`](docs/TESTING.md) — test layers and the per-stage CI gate.
-- [`PLAN.md`](PLAN.md) — the staged implementation plan and stage tracker.
-- [`CLAUDE.md`](CLAUDE.md) — project guide and the mandatory per-stage workflow.
+- [`docs/TESTING.md`](docs/TESTING.md) — test layers and the CI gate.
+- [`CLAUDE.md`](CLAUDE.md) — project guide and development workflow.
 
 ## Build & test
 
@@ -90,7 +89,7 @@ observability stack (OTel Collector → Prometheus + Tempo → Grafana) + a fron
 services build from multi-stage distroless `*/Dockerfile`.
 
 ```sh
-docker build -f backend/Dockerfile -t scrabble-backend .   # pulls the DAWG release artifact
+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 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

@@ -7,12 +7,14 @@
 # (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:
-#   docker build -f backend/Dockerfile -t scrabble-backend .
+# 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 .
 
 # --- dictionary artifact -----------------------------------------------------
 FROM alpine:3.20 AS dawg
-ARG DICT_VERSION=v1.2.1
+ARG DICT_VERSION
 RUN apk add --no-cache curl tar
 RUN mkdir -p /dawg \
  && curl -fsSL -o /tmp/dawg.tar.gz \
@@ -33,14 +35,16 @@ COPY backend ./backend
 # Reduce the workspace to what the backend needs: backend + pkg. loadtest and the
 # gateway replace it requires are not in this context, so drop both.
 RUN go work edit -dropuse=./gateway -dropuse=./platform/telegram -dropuse=./loadtest -dropreplace=scrabble/gateway@v0.0.0
-RUN CGO_ENABLED=0 GOOS=linux go build -trimpath -o /out/backend ./backend/cmd/backend
+# VERSION (the deploy passes the git tag) is stamped into the binary via the linker.
+ARG VERSION=dev
+RUN CGO_ENABLED=0 GOOS=linux go build -trimpath -ldflags "-X scrabble/pkg/version.Version=${VERSION}" -o /out/backend ./backend/cmd/backend
 
 # --- runtime -----------------------------------------------------------------
 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=v1.2.1
+ARG DICT_VERSION
 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

@@ -106,6 +106,13 @@ Telegram `external_id`, language and `notifications_in_app_only` flag) lets the
 route out-of-app push to the Telegram bot over the gateway bot-link; the Telegram login
 seeds a new account's language and display name from the launch fields, and the
 `accounts.notifications_in_app_only` flag (default true).
+The gateway-only `POST /api/v1/internal/chat-access` resolves a Telegram identity (the
+bot's join-time query) or an account id (a `chat_access_changed` event) to its
+**moderated-chat write eligibility** — `registered AND NOT suspended AND NOT chat_muted`.
+That event is emitted on an admin block/unblock, a `chat_muted` role grant/revoke, or — via
+the `account.SuspensionSweeper` started in `cmd/backend` — a temporary block lapsing;
+`chat_muted` is an `account.KnownRoles` entry, a chat-only mute distinct from the game
+suspension (which dominates it).
 `accounts.is_guest` marks an ephemeral guest — a durable row
 with no identity, excluded from statistics. The server-rendered
 **admin console** at `/_gm` (`internal/adminconsole` + `internal/server/handlers_admin_console.go`;
@@ -221,7 +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/v1.2.1/scrabble-dawg-v1.2.1.tar.gz | tar xz -C /tmp/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
 BACKEND_POSTGRES_DSN='postgres://postgres:dev@localhost:5432/postgres?search_path=backend&sslmode=disable' \
   BACKEND_DICT_DIR=/tmp/dawg \
   GOPRIVATE='gitea.iliadenisov.ru/*' \

backend/cmd/backend/main.go

@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
 // loads the dictionaries into the engine registry, warms the session cache,
 // constructs the game domain and starts its turn-timeout sweeper, constructs the
 // lobby and social domains, then serves the HTTP listener with the infrastructure
-// probes and the /api/v1 route-group skeleton. Domain HTTP endpoints are added
-// with the gateway in a later stage described in PLAN.md.
+// probes and the /api/v1 route group, behind which the domains expose their HTTP
+// endpoints to the gateway.
 package main
 
 import (
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 	"syscall"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/google/uuid"
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 
 	"scrabble/backend/internal/account"
@@ -160,6 +161,15 @@ func run(ctx context.Context, cfg config.Config, logger *zap.Logger) error {
 		zap.Duration("interval", cfg.GuestReapInterval),
 		zap.Duration("retention", cfg.GuestRetention))
 
+	// Re-evaluate moderated-chat write access when a temporary block self-expires:
+	// no operator action fires then, so the sweeper emits the chat-access-changed
+	// event for lapsed blocks and the gateway re-pushes the chat-gate command.
+	chatSweeper := account.NewSuspensionSweeper(accounts, func(id uuid.UUID) {
+		hub.Publish(notify.ChatAccessChanged(id))
+	}, logger)
+	go chatSweeper.Run(ctx)
+	logger.Info("suspension expiry sweeper started", zap.Duration("interval", chatSweeper.Interval()))
+
 	// Lobby & social domains. Their REST and stream surface lives in the gateway,
 	// so they are handed to the server (like the route groups) for the handlers.
 	mailer := newMailer(cfg.SMTP, logger)

backend/internal/account/account.go

@@ -151,14 +151,26 @@ func (s *Store) ProvisionRobot(ctx context.Context, externalID, displayName stri
 	return modelToAccount(row), nil
 }
 
-// ProvisionTelegram provisions (or finds) the account bound to a Telegram
-// identity. On first contact only, it seeds the new account's preferred language
-// from the Telegram client languageCode (when it maps to a supported language) and
-// its display name sanitized from firstName (falling back to username, then to a
-// generated placeholder when neither yields any letters); an already-existing
-// account is returned unchanged, so a later profile edit is never overwritten.
-func (s *Store) ProvisionTelegram(ctx context.Context, externalID, languageCode, username, firstName string) (Account, error) {
-	return s.provision(ctx, KindTelegram, externalID, telegramSeed(languageCode, username, firstName))
+// ProvisionTelegram provisions (or finds) the account bound to a Telegram identity,
+// reporting whether this call created it (first contact). On first contact only, it
+// seeds the new account's preferred language from the Telegram client languageCode
+// (when it maps to a supported language) and its display name sanitized from firstName
+// (falling back to username, then to a generated placeholder when neither yields any
+// letters); an already-existing account is returned unchanged, so a later profile edit
+// is never overwritten. The created flag lets the auth handler re-evaluate moderated-
+// chat write access on first registration — the path of a user who joined the chat
+// before registering, whom no chat_member event covers.
+func (s *Store) ProvisionTelegram(ctx context.Context, externalID, languageCode, username, firstName string) (Account, bool, error) {
+	// Pre-check whether the identity already exists so the caller can act on first
+	// contact. A race with a concurrent create only over- or under-reports created for
+	// that one call, which the idempotent chat-access re-evaluation tolerates.
+	_, err := s.findByIdentity(ctx, KindTelegram, externalID)
+	created := errors.Is(err, ErrNotFound)
+	if err != nil && !created {
+		return Account{}, false, err
+	}
+	acc, err := s.provision(ctx, KindTelegram, externalID, telegramSeed(languageCode, username, firstName))
+	return acc, created, err
 }
 
 // provision finds the account for (kind, externalID) or creates it with seed,
@@ -195,10 +207,11 @@ type provisionSeed struct {
 
 // telegramSeed derives the create-time seed from Telegram launch fields: a
 // supported preferred language from languageCode (an ISO-639 code, possibly
-// region-tagged like "ru-RU"), and a display name sanitized from firstName or,
-// failing that, username (sanitizeDisplayName strips disallowed characters to the
-// editable format). When neither yields any letters, it falls back to a generated
-// placeholder in the seeded language (placeholderDisplayName).
+// region-tagged like "ru-RU"), and a display name. The name precedence is the real
+// name (firstName, sanitized to the editable format) → the @username taken verbatim
+// (already a valid handle, only trimmed and length-capped, never character-stripped)
+// → a generated placeholder in the seeded language (placeholderDisplayName), reached
+// only when firstName has no usable letters and no username is set.
 func telegramSeed(languageCode, username, firstName string) provisionSeed {
 	var seed provisionSeed
 	if lang, _, _ := strings.Cut(strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(languageCode)), "-"); lang == "en" || lang == "ru" {
@@ -206,7 +219,13 @@ func telegramSeed(languageCode, username, firstName string) provisionSeed {
 	}
 	name := sanitizeDisplayName(firstName)
 	if name == "" {
-		name = sanitizeDisplayName(username)
+		// The real name yielded nothing usable: fall back to the @username verbatim
+		// (Telegram guarantees a valid handle), only trimmed and capped to the column
+		// width — never character-stripped like the real name.
+		name = strings.TrimSpace(username)
+		if r := []rune(name); len(r) > maxDisplayName {
+			name = strings.TrimRight(string(r[:maxDisplayName]), " ")
+		}
 	}
 	if name == "" {
 		name = placeholderDisplayName(seed.preferredLanguage)
@@ -303,6 +322,14 @@ func (s *Store) CountAccounts(ctx context.Context) (int, error) {
 	return int(dest.Count), nil
 }
 
+// AccountByIdentity returns the account bound to (kind, externalID), or ErrNotFound
+// when none exists. Unlike ProvisionByIdentity it never creates one: the chat-access
+// resolver uses it to tell a registered Telegram user (eligible to be granted chat
+// write access) from an unregistered one (left muted).
+func (s *Store) AccountByIdentity(ctx context.Context, kind, externalID string) (Account, error) {
+	return s.findByIdentity(ctx, kind, externalID)
+}
+
 // findByIdentity joins identities to accounts and returns the matching account,
 // or ErrNotFound.
 func (s *Store) findByIdentity(ctx context.Context, kind, externalID string) (Account, error) {

backend/internal/account/provision_test.go

@@ -9,8 +9,9 @@ import (
 
 // TestTelegramSeed covers the pure mapping from Telegram launch fields to the
 // create-time account seed: supported-language detection (bare and region-tagged),
-// the first-name / username display-name precedence, and the sanitization that
-// strips disallowed characters (emoji, digits, punctuation) to the editable format.
+// the real-name → @username (verbatim) → placeholder display-name precedence, and
+// the sanitization of the real name (emoji, digits, punctuation stripped to the
+// editable format). The username, when used, is kept verbatim.
 func TestTelegramSeed(t *testing.T) {
 	cases := map[string]struct {
 		languageCode, username, firstName string
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ func TestTelegramSeed(t *testing.T) {
 		"punct to space":      {"en", "user", "John❤Doe", "en", "John Doe"},
 		"digits dropped":      {"ru", "user", "Маша123", "ru", "Маша"},
 		"garbage to username": {"en", "good", "123!@#", "en", "good"},
+		"username verbatim":   {"en", "co_ol99", "🎮🎮", "en", "co_ol99"},
 	}
 	for name, tc := range cases {
 		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -52,7 +54,7 @@ func TestTelegramSeedPlaceholder(t *testing.T) {
 		"en empty":                  {"en", "", "", `^Player-\d{5}$`},
 		"ru empty":                  {"ru", "", "", `^Игрок-\d{5}$`},
 		"default en":                {"fr", "", "", `^Player-\d{5}$`},
-		"both garbage": {"ru", "123", "!!!", `^Игрок-\d{5}$`},
+		"name garbage, no username": {"ru", "", "!!!", `^Игрок-\d{5}$`},
 	}
 	for name, tc := range cases {
 		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {

backend/internal/account/roles.go

@@ -24,11 +24,19 @@ const (
 	// unconditionally, overriding the usual eligibility (a free account with an
 	// empty hint wallet otherwise sees it). See internal/ads.
 	RoleNoBanner = "no_banner"
+
+	// RoleChatMuted forbids the account from writing in the moderated Telegram
+	// discussion chat, without otherwise restricting the game (the chat-only
+	// counterpart to a full account suspension). It is one input to the chat-access
+	// gate; an active admin suspension mutes the player regardless, so this role only
+	// matters for an account that is not suspended. Granting or revoking it re-pushes
+	// the chat-gate command for a member currently in the chat.
+	RoleChatMuted = "chat_muted"
 )
 
 // KnownRoles is the set of roles the console may grant or revoke; an operator
 // cannot assign an unrecognised role.
-var KnownRoles = []string{RoleFeedbackBanned, RoleNoBanner}
+var KnownRoles = []string{RoleFeedbackBanned, RoleNoBanner, RoleChatMuted}
 
 // IsKnownRole reports whether role is a recognised account role.
 func IsKnownRole(role string) bool {

backend/internal/account/suspension.go

@@ -161,6 +161,31 @@ func (s *Store) queryCurrentSuspension(ctx context.Context, accountID uuid.UUID,
 	return modelToSuspension(row), true, nil
 }
 
+// SuspensionsExpiredBetween returns the distinct account ids whose temporary block lapsed in the
+// half-open window (since, until]: a non-lifted suspension with a blocked_until in that range. The
+// chat-access sweeper uses it to re-evaluate chat write access when a temporary block self-expires,
+// since no operator action fires then. An account that still has another active block may be
+// included; the eligibility resolver returns the true state, so emitting for it is harmless.
+func (s *Store) SuspensionsExpiredBetween(ctx context.Context, since, until time.Time) ([]uuid.UUID, error) {
+	rows, err := s.db.QueryContext(ctx,
+		`SELECT DISTINCT account_id FROM backend.account_suspensions
+		 WHERE lifted_at IS NULL AND blocked_until > $1 AND blocked_until <= $2`,
+		since.UTC(), until.UTC())
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("account: suspensions expired between: %w", err)
+	}
+	defer rows.Close()
+	var out []uuid.UUID
+	for rows.Next() {
+		var id uuid.UUID
+		if err := rows.Scan(&id); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("account: scan expired suspension: %w", err)
+		}
+		out = append(out, id)
+	}
+	return out, rows.Err()
+}
+
 // invalidateSuspension drops the account's cached block so the next CurrentSuspension re-reads it.
 // Called after Suspend and LiftSuspension.
 func (s *Store) invalidateSuspension(accountID uuid.UUID) {

backend/internal/account/suspension_sweeper.go

@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+package account
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/google/uuid"
+	"go.uber.org/zap"
+)
+
+// suspensionSweepInterval is how often the sweeper re-checks for temporary blocks
+// that lapsed. A minute is well under the coarsest block grain (operators pick day
+// presets) while keeping the query trivial.
+const suspensionSweepInterval = time.Minute
+
+// suspensionExpiryQuerier is the slice of the account store the sweeper depends on:
+// the accounts whose temporary block lapsed in a window. *Store satisfies it; a fake
+// drives the sweeper's unit tests.
+type suspensionExpiryQuerier interface {
+	SuspensionsExpiredBetween(ctx context.Context, since, until time.Time) ([]uuid.UUID, error)
+}
+
+// SuspensionSweeper re-evaluates chat write access when a temporary block self-
+// expires. No operator action fires on expiry — the suspension gate just re-reads
+// the wall clock — so without this a temporarily blocked player would stay muted in
+// the moderated discussion chat after their block lapsed. Each tick it finds blocks
+// that expired since the previous tick and calls onExpire for the affected accounts;
+// onExpire is wired to publish the chat-access-changed event, after which the gateway
+// re-resolves the true eligibility. A liberal call (an account that still has another
+// active block) is therefore harmless. The window is in-memory, so a block that
+// expires while the process is down is not re-granted until the next operator action
+// or the player rejoins — an accepted best-effort gap.
+type SuspensionSweeper struct {
+	store    suspensionExpiryQuerier
+	onExpire func(accountID uuid.UUID)
+	log      *zap.Logger
+	// since is the upper bound of the previous swept window; the next sweep covers
+	// (since, now]. It advances only on a successful query, so a failed tick retries
+	// the same window rather than dropping expiries.
+	since time.Time
+}
+
+// NewSuspensionSweeper builds the sweeper over the account store, the per-account
+// expiry callback (publishing the chat-access-changed event) and a logger. The first
+// window opens at construction time, so blocks that lapsed earlier are not re-emitted.
+func NewSuspensionSweeper(store *Store, onExpire func(accountID uuid.UUID), log *zap.Logger) *SuspensionSweeper {
+	if log == nil {
+		log = zap.NewNop()
+	}
+	return &SuspensionSweeper{store: store, onExpire: onExpire, log: log, since: time.Now().UTC()}
+}
+
+// Interval reports the sweep cadence, for the startup log line.
+func (w *SuspensionSweeper) Interval() time.Duration { return suspensionSweepInterval }
+
+// Run sweeps every Interval until ctx is cancelled.
+func (w *SuspensionSweeper) Run(ctx context.Context) {
+	ticker := time.NewTicker(suspensionSweepInterval)
+	defer ticker.Stop()
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return
+		case <-ticker.C:
+			w.sweep(ctx)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// sweep emits a chat-access-changed signal for every account whose temporary block
+// lapsed in (since, now], then advances the window. On a query error it keeps the
+// window so the next tick retries it.
+func (w *SuspensionSweeper) sweep(ctx context.Context) {
+	now := time.Now().UTC()
+	ids, err := w.store.SuspensionsExpiredBetween(ctx, w.since, now)
+	if err != nil {
+		w.log.Warn("suspension expiry sweep failed", zap.Error(err))
+		return
+	}
+	w.since = now
+	for _, id := range ids {
+		w.onExpire(id)
+	}
+}

backend/internal/account/suspension_sweeper_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+package account
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/google/uuid"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"go.uber.org/zap"
+)
+
+// fakeExpiryQuerier records the `since` bound of each call and replays a scripted
+// result/error per call, so the sweeper's window and dispatch logic is testable
+// without a database.
+type fakeExpiryQuerier struct {
+	results [][]uuid.UUID
+	errs    []error
+	sinces  []time.Time
+	idx     int
+}
+
+func (f *fakeExpiryQuerier) SuspensionsExpiredBetween(_ context.Context, since, _ time.Time) ([]uuid.UUID, error) {
+	f.sinces = append(f.sinces, since)
+	i := f.idx
+	f.idx++
+	if i < len(f.errs) && f.errs[i] != nil {
+		return nil, f.errs[i]
+	}
+	if i < len(f.results) {
+		return f.results[i], nil
+	}
+	return nil, nil
+}
+
+func newSweeper(store suspensionExpiryQuerier, onExpire func(uuid.UUID)) *SuspensionSweeper {
+	return &SuspensionSweeper{
+		store:    store,
+		onExpire: onExpire,
+		log:      zap.NewNop(),
+		since:    time.Now().Add(-time.Minute).UTC(),
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSuspensionSweeperDispatchesAndAdvances(t *testing.T) {
+	id1, id2 := uuid.New(), uuid.New()
+	fake := &fakeExpiryQuerier{results: [][]uuid.UUID{{id1, id2}, nil}}
+	var got []uuid.UUID
+	w := newSweeper(fake, func(id uuid.UUID) { got = append(got, id) })
+
+	first := w.since
+	w.sweep(context.Background())
+	assert.Equal(t, []uuid.UUID{id1, id2}, got, "every expired account is dispatched")
+	assert.True(t, w.since.After(first), "the window advances on success")
+
+	// A second sweep opens the next window at the previous upper bound.
+	prev := w.since
+	w.sweep(context.Background())
+	require.Len(t, fake.sinces, 2)
+	assert.True(t, fake.sinces[1].After(fake.sinces[0]), "consecutive windows are contiguous and forward")
+	assert.True(t, fake.sinces[1].Equal(prev), "the next window starts at the previous upper bound")
+}
+
+func TestSuspensionSweeperKeepsWindowOnError(t *testing.T) {
+	fake := &fakeExpiryQuerier{errs: []error{errors.New("db down")}}
+	w := newSweeper(fake, func(uuid.UUID) { t.Fatal("onExpire must not run when the query fails") })
+
+	before := w.since
+	w.sweep(context.Background())
+	assert.True(t, w.since.Equal(before), "the window is retained on error so the next tick retries it")
+}
+
+func TestNewSuspensionSweeperDefaults(t *testing.T) {
+	w := NewSuspensionSweeper(nil, func(uuid.UUID) {}, nil)
+	assert.Equal(t, time.Minute, w.Interval())
+	assert.NotNil(t, w.log, "a nil logger is tolerated")
+	assert.WithinDuration(t, time.Now().UTC(), w.since, time.Second, "the first window opens at construction time")
+}

backend/internal/engine/decode.go

@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ const (
 	// ActionResign abandons the game.
 	ActionResign
 	// ActionTimeout is the auto-resignation a missed turn becomes; recorded by
-	// the game domain in a later stage, never produced by the engine itself.
+	// the game domain, never produced by the engine itself.
 	ActionTimeout
 )
 

backend/internal/engine/engine.go

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 // characters (see decode.go and docs/ARCHITECTURE.md §9.1), so archived games
 // replay independently of any dictionary. Second, the engine owns rules and
 // scoring only: turn scheduling, the 24-hour timeout, persistence and transport
-// belong to the game domain in a later stage.
+// belong to the game domain.
 package engine
 
 import (

backend/internal/engine/registry.go

@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ type entry struct {
 // Registry holds the dictionaries resident in memory, addressed by variant and
 // dictionary version, and the solvers built over them. Several versions of a
 // variant may be resident at once; a game pins the version it started on. The
-// admin reload flow (a later stage) registers a new version through Load.
+// admin reload flow registers a new version through Load.
 // Registry is safe for concurrent use.
 type Registry struct {
 	mu      sync.RWMutex

backend/internal/game/cache.go

@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ type gameCache struct {
 
 type cachedGame struct {
 	game       *engine.Game
+	seats      []Seat
 	variant    string
 	lastAccess time.Time
 }
@@ -71,24 +72,27 @@ func newGameCache(ttl time.Duration, now func() time.Time) *gameCache {
 	return &gameCache{entries: make(map[uuid.UUID]*cachedGame), ttl: ttl, now: now}
 }
 
-// get returns the live game for id and refreshes its idle timer, or (nil, false).
-func (c *gameCache) get(id uuid.UUID) (*engine.Game, bool) {
+// get returns the live game and its immutable seat list for id and refreshes its idle
+// timer, or (nil, nil, false). The seats let a read check membership (and label seats)
+// without re-loading the game from the store, since seats never change after a game starts.
+func (c *gameCache) get(id uuid.UUID) (*engine.Game, []Seat, bool) {
 	c.mu.Lock()
 	defer c.mu.Unlock()
 	e, ok := c.entries[id]
 	if !ok {
-		return nil, false
+		return nil, nil, false
 	}
 	e.lastAccess = c.now()
-	return e.game, true
+	return e.game, e.seats, true
 }
 
-// put stores g as the live game for id. variant labels the entry so the active-
-// games gauge can report counts by variant without inspecting engine internals.
-func (c *gameCache) put(id uuid.UUID, g *engine.Game, variant string) {
+// put stores g as the live game for id together with its seat list. variant labels the
+// entry so the active-games gauge can report counts by variant without inspecting engine
+// internals; seats are the game's immutable seat standings for the membership fast path.
+func (c *gameCache) put(id uuid.UUID, g *engine.Game, variant string, seats []Seat) {
 	c.mu.Lock()
 	defer c.mu.Unlock()
-	c.entries[id] = &cachedGame{game: g, variant: variant, lastAccess: c.now()}
+	c.entries[id] = &cachedGame{game: g, seats: seats, variant: variant, lastAccess: c.now()}
 }
 
 // remove drops id from the cache (used on a finished game and after a failed

backend/internal/game/doc.go

@@ -16,5 +16,5 @@
 // word-check tool with complaint capture, per-player game state, history and GCG
 // export, and the per-game turn-timeout sweeper that auto-resigns an overdue
 // player (honouring their daily away window). The HTTP surface that fronts these
-// operations is added with the gateway in a later stage.
+// operations is exposed to the gateway.
 package game

backend/internal/game/helpers_test.go

@@ -94,8 +94,8 @@ func TestGameCacheEviction(t *testing.T) {
 	cur := time.Unix(1_700_000_000, 0)
 	cache := newGameCache(time.Hour, func() time.Time { return cur })
 	id := uuid.New()
-	cache.put(id, nil, "scrabble_en")
-	if _, ok := cache.get(id); !ok {
+	cache.put(id, nil, "scrabble_en", nil)
+	if _, _, ok := cache.get(id); !ok {
 		t.Fatal("game must be resident after put")
 	}
 	cur = cur.Add(30 * time.Minute)
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ func TestGameCacheEviction(t *testing.T) {
 	if n := cache.sweep(); n != 1 {
 		t.Errorf("sweep evicted %d, want 1", n)
 	}
-	if _, ok := cache.get(id); ok {
+	if _, _, ok := cache.get(id); ok {
 		t.Error("game must be evicted after idle TTL")
 	}
 	if cache.size() != 0 {

backend/internal/game/service.go

@@ -287,12 +287,12 @@ func (svc *Service) Create(ctx context.Context, params CreateParams) (Game, erro
 	if err := svc.store.CreateGame(ctx, ins, seats, seeding.draws); err != nil {
 		return Game{}, err
 	}
-	svc.cache.put(id, g, params.Variant.String())
 	svc.metrics.recordStarted(ctx, params.Variant, params.VsAI)
 	created, err := svc.store.GetGame(ctx, id)
 	if err != nil {
 		return Game{}, err
 	}
+	svc.cache.put(id, g, params.Variant.String(), created.Seats)
 	// Honest-AI game seated with a robot: if the robot moves first, reply at once
 	// (the periodic driver is the fallback). No-op for every human-only game.
 	svc.triggerAI(created)
@@ -890,26 +890,35 @@ func (svc *Service) timeoutGame(ctx context.Context, gameID uuid.UUID, now time.
 // EvaluatePlay previews a tentative play for a seated player against the current
 // board without committing it: whether it is legal and what it would score.
 func (svc *Service) EvaluatePlay(ctx context.Context, gameID, accountID uuid.UUID, tiles []engine.TileRecord) (EvalResult, error) {
+	unlock := svc.locks.lock(gameID)
+	defer unlock()
+
+	// Hot path: an active game stays cached — the engine game is mutated in place across
+	// moves and evicted only when it finishes — so on a hit the cached live game and its
+	// immutable seat list answer the membership check and the score with no DB read. This
+	// preview is fired on every tile placement, the hottest gameplay call at scale.
+	g, seats, ok := svc.cache.get(gameID)
+	if !ok {
+		// Cold path: load and validate from the store, then replay into the cache.
 		pre, err := svc.store.GetGame(ctx, gameID)
 		if err != nil {
 			return EvalResult{}, err
 		}
-	if _, ok := pre.seatOf(accountID); !ok {
-		return EvalResult{}, ErrNotAPlayer
-	}
 		if pre.Status == StatusFinished {
 			return EvalResult{}, ErrFinished
 		}
-
-	unlock := svc.locks.lock(gameID)
-	defer unlock()
-	g, err := svc.liveGame(ctx, pre)
-	if err != nil {
+		if g, err = svc.liveGame(ctx, pre); err != nil {
 			return EvalResult{}, err
 		}
+		seats = pre.Seats
+	}
+	if !seatedIn(seats, accountID) {
+		return EvalResult{}, ErrNotAPlayer
+	}
+
 	validateStart := time.Now()
 	rec, err := g.EvaluatePlay(tiles)
-	svc.metrics.recordValidate(ctx, pre.Variant, validateStart)
+	svc.metrics.recordValidate(ctx, g.Variant(), validateStart)
 	if err != nil {
 		if errors.Is(err, engine.ErrIllegalPlay) {
 			return EvalResult{Valid: false}, nil
@@ -1359,7 +1368,7 @@ func (svc *Service) ExportGCG(ctx context.Context, gameID uuid.UUID) (string, er
 // liveGame returns the live engine.Game for pre, rebuilding it from the journal
 // on a cache miss. Callers must hold the per-game lock.
 func (svc *Service) liveGame(ctx context.Context, pre Game) (*engine.Game, error) {
-	if g, ok := svc.cache.get(pre.ID); ok {
+	if g, _, ok := svc.cache.get(pre.ID); ok {
 		return g, nil
 	}
 	g, err := svc.replay(ctx, pre)
@@ -1374,7 +1383,7 @@ func (svc *Service) liveGame(ctx context.Context, pre Game) (*engine.Game, error
 		}
 	}
 	if !g.Over() {
-		svc.cache.put(pre.ID, g, pre.Variant.String())
+		svc.cache.put(pre.ID, g, pre.Variant.String(), pre.Seats)
 	}
 	return g, nil
 }

backend/internal/game/store.go

@@ -355,27 +355,33 @@ func (s *Store) ExpiredOpen(ctx context.Context, now time.Time) ([]OpenGame, err
 // GetGame loads the games row joined with its seats (ordered by seat), or
 // ErrNotFound.
 func (s *Store) GetGame(ctx context.Context, id uuid.UUID) (Game, error) {
-	gstmt := postgres.SELECT(table.Games.AllColumns).
-		FROM(table.Games).
+	// One round-trip: the game joined with its seats. A LEFT JOIN keeps a (would-be)
+	// seatless game returning the game with no seats, exactly as the prior two-query
+	// version did; ORDER BY seat preserves seat order. The games columns repeat per seat
+	// row — cheap at 2-4 seats, and one round-trip instead of two, which matters because
+	// GetGame is the universal "load the game" step on every game operation.
+	stmt := postgres.SELECT(table.Games.AllColumns, table.GamePlayers.AllColumns).
+		FROM(table.Games.LEFT_JOIN(table.GamePlayers, table.GamePlayers.GameID.EQ(table.Games.GameID))).
 		WHERE(table.Games.GameID.EQ(postgres.UUID(id))).
-		LIMIT(1)
-	var grow model.Games
-	if err := gstmt.QueryContext(ctx, s.db, &grow); err != nil {
-		if errors.Is(err, qrm.ErrNoRows) {
-			return Game{}, ErrNotFound
+		ORDER_BY(table.GamePlayers.Seat.ASC())
+	var rows []struct {
+		model.Games
+		model.GamePlayers
 	}
+	if err := stmt.QueryContext(ctx, s.db, &rows); err != nil {
 		return Game{}, fmt.Errorf("game: get %s: %w", id, err)
 	}
-
-	sstmt := postgres.SELECT(table.GamePlayers.AllColumns).
-		FROM(table.GamePlayers).
-		WHERE(table.GamePlayers.GameID.EQ(postgres.UUID(id))).
-		ORDER_BY(table.GamePlayers.Seat.ASC())
-	var srows []model.GamePlayers
-	if err := sstmt.QueryContext(ctx, s.db, &srows); err != nil {
-		return Game{}, fmt.Errorf("game: get seats %s: %w", id, err)
+	if len(rows) == 0 {
+		return Game{}, ErrNotFound
 	}
-	return projectGame(grow, srows)
+	seats := make([]model.GamePlayers, 0, len(rows))
+	for i := range rows {
+		// Skip the phantom all-NULL seat row a LEFT JOIN yields for a seatless game.
+		if rows[i].GamePlayers.GameID == id {
+			seats = append(seats, rows[i].GamePlayers)
+		}
+	}
+	return projectGame(rows[0].Games, seats)
 }
 
 // GetGameVariant reads just a game's variant — a cheap single-column lookup the edge uses

backend/internal/game/types.go

@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ const MaxActiveQuickGames = 10
 const aiPlayerName = "AI"
 
 // CreateParams describes a new game. Seats lists the seated accounts in turn
-// order (seat 0 moves first); lobby/matchmaking assembles it in a later stage.
+// order (seat 0 moves first); lobby/matchmaking assembles it.
 type CreateParams struct {
 	Variant        engine.Variant
 	Seats          []uuid.UUID
@@ -184,6 +184,18 @@ func (g Game) seatOf(accountID uuid.UUID) (int, bool) {
 	return 0, false
 }
 
+// seatedIn reports whether accountID holds a seat in seats. It backs the read-side
+// membership check against the cached, immutable seat list, so a hot read can skip
+// loading the game from the store.
+func seatedIn(seats []Seat, accountID uuid.UUID) bool {
+	for _, s := range seats {
+		if s.AccountID == accountID {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 // MoveResult is the outcome of a committed transition: the decoded move and the
 // post-move game, plus the actor's own refilled rack and the bag size after the draw
 // (Rack/BagLen), so the mover renders the next state from the response without a

backend/internal/inttest/account_test.go

@@ -118,10 +118,13 @@ func TestProvisionTelegramSeedsNewAccountOnly(t *testing.T) {
 	store := account.NewStore(testDB)
 	ext := "tg-" + uuid.NewString()
 
-	acc, err := store.ProvisionTelegram(ctx, ext, "ru-RU", "thehandle", "Иван")
+	acc, created, err := store.ProvisionTelegram(ctx, ext, "ru-RU", "thehandle", "Иван")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("provision telegram: %v", err)
 	}
+	if !created {
+		t.Error("created = false on first contact, want true")
+	}
 	if acc.PreferredLanguage != "ru" {
 		t.Errorf("PreferredLanguage = %q, want ru", acc.PreferredLanguage)
 	}
@@ -133,10 +136,13 @@ func TestProvisionTelegramSeedsNewAccountOnly(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// A later login with different fields returns the same account, unchanged.
-	again, err := store.ProvisionTelegram(ctx, ext, "en", "other", "Other")
+	again, created, err := store.ProvisionTelegram(ctx, ext, "en", "other", "Other")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("re-provision telegram: %v", err)
 	}
+	if created {
+		t.Error("created = true on a repeat login, want false")
+	}
 	if again.ID != acc.ID {
 		t.Errorf("re-provision id = %s, want %s", again.ID, acc.ID)
 	}
@@ -150,7 +156,7 @@ func TestProvisionTelegramSeedsNewAccountOnly(t *testing.T) {
 // language CHECK.
 func TestProvisionTelegramUnknownLanguageDefaults(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := context.Background()
-	acc, err := account.NewStore(testDB).ProvisionTelegram(ctx, "tg-"+uuid.NewString(), "fr", "", "")
+	acc, _, err := account.NewStore(testDB).ProvisionTelegram(ctx, "tg-"+uuid.NewString(), "fr", "", "")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("provision telegram: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -166,7 +172,7 @@ func TestProvisionTelegramUnknownLanguageDefaults(t *testing.T) {
 func TestHighRateFlagRoundTrip(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	store := account.NewStore(testDB)
-	acc, err := store.ProvisionTelegram(ctx, "tg-"+uuid.NewString(), "en", "", "Player")
+	acc, _, err := store.ProvisionTelegram(ctx, "tg-"+uuid.NewString(), "en", "", "Player")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("provision telegram: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -222,7 +228,7 @@ func TestIdentityExternalID(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	store := account.NewStore(testDB)
 	ext := "tg-" + uuid.NewString()
-	acc, err := store.ProvisionTelegram(ctx, ext, "en", "", "Tg User")
+	acc, _, err := store.ProvisionTelegram(ctx, ext, "en", "", "Tg User")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("provision telegram: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -247,7 +253,7 @@ func TestIdentityExternalID(t *testing.T) {
 func TestNotificationsInAppOnlyRoundTrip(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	store := account.NewStore(testDB)
-	acc, err := store.ProvisionTelegram(ctx, "tg-"+uuid.NewString(), "en", "", "Player")
+	acc, _, err := store.ProvisionTelegram(ctx, "tg-"+uuid.NewString(), "en", "", "Player")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("provision telegram: %v", err)
 	}

backend/internal/inttest/admin_test.go

@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ func TestConsoleGameDetailRobotSchedule(t *testing.T) {
 func TestConsoleThrottledViewAndFlagClear(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	accounts := account.NewStore(testDB)
-	acc, err := accounts.ProvisionTelegram(ctx, "tg-"+uuid.NewString(), "en", "", "Throttled Player")
+	acc, _, err := accounts.ProvisionTelegram(ctx, "tg-"+uuid.NewString(), "en", "", "Throttled Player")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("provision: %v", err)
 	}

backend/internal/inttest/chat_access_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,315 @@
+//go:build integration
+
+package inttest
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"strings"
+	"sync"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/google/uuid"
+	"go.uber.org/zap/zaptest"
+
+	"scrabble/backend/internal/account"
+	"scrabble/backend/internal/notify"
+	"scrabble/backend/internal/server"
+	"scrabble/backend/internal/session"
+)
+
+// chatAccessBody mirrors the backend's /internal/chat-access JSON for the test.
+type chatAccessBody struct {
+	ExternalID string `json:"external_id"`
+	Registered bool   `json:"registered"`
+	Eligible   bool   `json:"eligible"`
+}
+
+// chatAccess issues the gateway-internal chat-access query and asserts a 200.
+func chatAccess(t *testing.T, srv *server.Server, body string) chatAccessBody {
+	t.Helper()
+	rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodPost, "/api/v1/internal/chat-access", strings.NewReader(body))
+	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+	srv.Handler().ServeHTTP(rec, req)
+	if rec.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("chat-access %s = %d: %s", body, rec.Code, rec.Body.String())
+	}
+	var b chatAccessBody
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(rec.Body.Bytes(), &b); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("decode chat-access: %v", err)
+	}
+	return b
+}
+
+// TestChatAccessResolver drives the gateway-internal eligibility resolver over HTTP:
+// the registered/suspended/chat_muted truth table by Telegram identity and by account
+// id, the suspension dominating the chat_muted role, an unknown identity reported
+// unregistered, and an account with no Telegram identity carrying an empty external_id.
+func TestChatAccessResolver(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	accounts := account.NewStore(testDB)
+	srv := server.New(":0", server.Deps{Logger: zaptest.NewLogger(t), DB: testDB, Accounts: accounts})
+
+	ext := "tg-" + uuid.NewString()
+	acc, _, err := accounts.ProvisionTelegram(ctx, ext, "en", "", "Chatter")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("provision: %v", err)
+	}
+	id := acc.ID
+
+	byExt := func() chatAccessBody { return chatAccess(t, srv, `{"external_id":"`+ext+`"}`) }
+	byUser := func() chatAccessBody { return chatAccess(t, srv, `{"user_id":"`+id.String()+`"}`) }
+
+	// A registered, unsuspended, unmuted account is eligible by either address, and the
+	// account-id query resolves back to its Telegram identity.
+	if b := byExt(); !b.Registered || !b.Eligible || b.ExternalID != ext {
+		t.Fatalf("fresh by external_id = %+v, want registered+eligible+ext", b)
+	}
+	if b := byUser(); !b.Registered || !b.Eligible || b.ExternalID != ext {
+		t.Fatalf("fresh by user_id = %+v, want registered+eligible+ext", b)
+	}
+
+	// A suspension mutes; a lift restores.
+	if _, err := accounts.Suspend(ctx, id, nil, "", "", nil); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("suspend: %v", err)
+	}
+	if b := byExt(); !b.Registered || b.Eligible {
+		t.Fatalf("suspended = %+v, want registered but not eligible", b)
+	}
+	if err := accounts.LiftSuspension(ctx, id); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("lift: %v", err)
+	}
+	if b := byExt(); !b.Eligible {
+		t.Fatalf("after lift = %+v, want eligible", b)
+	}
+
+	// The chat_muted role mutes independently; a revoke restores.
+	if err := accounts.GrantRole(ctx, id, account.RoleChatMuted); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("grant chat_muted: %v", err)
+	}
+	if b := byExt(); !b.Registered || b.Eligible {
+		t.Fatalf("chat_muted = %+v, want registered but not eligible", b)
+	}
+
+	// Suspension dominates: while chat_muted is set, lifting a concurrent suspension
+	// must not re-grant chat (the role still mutes).
+	if _, err := accounts.Suspend(ctx, id, nil, "", "", nil); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("suspend over mute: %v", err)
+	}
+	if b := byExt(); b.Eligible {
+		t.Fatalf("suspended+muted = %+v, want not eligible", b)
+	}
+	if err := accounts.LiftSuspension(ctx, id); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("lift over mute: %v", err)
+	}
+	if b := byExt(); b.Eligible {
+		t.Fatalf("lifted but still muted = %+v, want not eligible", b)
+	}
+	if err := accounts.RevokeRole(ctx, id, account.RoleChatMuted); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("revoke chat_muted: %v", err)
+	}
+	if b := byExt(); !b.Eligible {
+		t.Fatalf("after revoke = %+v, want eligible", b)
+	}
+
+	// An unknown Telegram identity is unregistered (and thus left muted).
+	if b := chatAccess(t, srv, `{"external_id":"tg-missing-`+uuid.NewString()+`"}`); b.Registered || b.Eligible {
+		t.Fatalf("unknown identity = %+v, want neither registered nor eligible", b)
+	}
+
+	// An account with no Telegram identity (a guest) carries an empty external_id, so
+	// the gateway has nothing to gate.
+	guest := provisionGuest(t)
+	if b := chatAccess(t, srv, `{"user_id":"`+guest.String()+`"}`); b.ExternalID != "" || b.Registered {
+		t.Fatalf("guest by user_id = %+v, want empty external_id and not registered", b)
+	}
+
+	// A request naming neither address is a bad request.
+	rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodPost, "/api/v1/internal/chat-access", strings.NewReader(`{}`))
+	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+	srv.Handler().ServeHTTP(rec, req)
+	if rec.Code != http.StatusBadRequest {
+		t.Fatalf("empty query = %d, want 400", rec.Code)
+	}
+}
+
+// captureNotifier records every published intent so a test can assert which live
+// events a console action emitted.
+type captureNotifier struct {
+	mu      sync.Mutex
+	intents []notify.Intent
+}
+
+func (c *captureNotifier) Publish(in ...notify.Intent) {
+	c.mu.Lock()
+	defer c.mu.Unlock()
+	c.intents = append(c.intents, in...)
+}
+
+// count returns how many intents of kind addressed to user were captured.
+func (c *captureNotifier) count(user uuid.UUID, kind string) int {
+	c.mu.Lock()
+	defer c.mu.Unlock()
+	n := 0
+	for _, in := range c.intents {
+		if in.UserID == user && in.Kind == kind {
+			n++
+		}
+	}
+	return n
+}
+
+// TestChatAccessPublishedOnModeration drives the admin console and asserts each
+// moderation action that can change chat eligibility — block, unblock, and the
+// chat_muted role grant/revoke — emits the chat_access_changed signal the gateway
+// turns into a chat-gate command.
+func TestChatAccessPublishedOnModeration(t *testing.T) {
+	notifier := &captureNotifier{}
+	srv := server.New(":0", server.Deps{
+		Logger:   zaptest.NewLogger(t),
+		DB:       testDB,
+		Accounts: account.NewStore(testDB),
+		Games:    newGameService(),
+		Registry: testRegistry,
+		DictDir:  dictDir(),
+		Notifier: notifier,
+	})
+	h := srv.Handler()
+	id := provisionAccount(t)
+	base := "http://admin.test/_gm/users/" + id.String()
+	const origin = "http://admin.test"
+
+	steps := []struct {
+		name, path, body string
+		want             string
+	}{
+		{"block", "/block", "duration=permanent", "Blocked"},
+		{"unblock", "/unblock", "", "Unblocked"},
+		{"grant chat_muted", "/grant-role", "role=chat_muted", "Role granted"},
+		{"revoke chat_muted", "/revoke-role", "role=chat_muted", "Role revoked"},
+	}
+	for i, s := range steps {
+		code, body := consoleDo(h, http.MethodPost, base+s.path, s.body, origin)
+		if code != http.StatusOK || !strings.Contains(body, s.want) {
+			t.Fatalf("%s = %d, has %q = %v", s.name, code, s.want, strings.Contains(body, s.want))
+		}
+		if got := notifier.count(id, notify.KindChatAccessChanged); got != i+1 {
+			t.Fatalf("after %s: chat_access_changed count = %d, want %d", s.name, got, i+1)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// TestChatAccessPublishedOnFirstRegistration checks that a Telegram first contact
+// (the sessions/telegram endpoint creating the account) emits chat_access_changed —
+// the re-grant for a user who joined the moderated chat before registering — and that
+// a repeat login does not re-emit.
+func TestChatAccessPublishedOnFirstRegistration(t *testing.T) {
+	notifier := &captureNotifier{}
+	srv := server.New(":0", server.Deps{
+		Logger:   zaptest.NewLogger(t),
+		DB:       testDB,
+		Accounts: account.NewStore(testDB),
+		Sessions: session.NewService(session.NewStore(testDB), session.NewCache()),
+		Notifier: notifier,
+	})
+	h := srv.Handler()
+	ext := "tg-" + uuid.NewString()
+
+	post := func() {
+		rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+		req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodPost, "/api/v1/internal/sessions/telegram",
+			strings.NewReader(`{"external_id":"`+ext+`","language_code":"en","first_name":"Reg"}`))
+		req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		h.ServeHTTP(rec, req)
+		if rec.Code != http.StatusOK {
+			t.Fatalf("telegram auth = %d: %s", rec.Code, rec.Body.String())
+		}
+	}
+
+	post()
+	acc, err := account.NewStore(testDB).AccountByIdentity(context.Background(), account.KindTelegram, ext)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("lookup: %v", err)
+	}
+	if got := notifier.count(acc.ID, notify.KindChatAccessChanged); got != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("first registration: chat_access_changed count = %d, want 1", got)
+	}
+	// A repeat login (the account already exists) must not re-emit.
+	post()
+	if got := notifier.count(acc.ID, notify.KindChatAccessChanged); got != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("repeat login: chat_access_changed count = %d, want still 1", got)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestSuspensionsExpiredBetween checks the sweeper's window query: a non-lifted
+// temporary block whose expiry falls in the window is returned, while one outside the
+// window, a permanent block, and a lifted block are not.
+func TestSuspensionsExpiredBetween(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	accounts := account.NewStore(testDB)
+
+	// A temporary block whose expiry already lapsed at a known instant.
+	tempID := provisionAccount(t)
+	expiry := time.Now().Add(-time.Hour).Truncate(time.Second)
+	if _, err := accounts.Suspend(ctx, tempID, &expiry, "", "", nil); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("suspend temp: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	contains := func(ids []uuid.UUID, want uuid.UUID) bool {
+		for _, id := range ids {
+			if id == want {
+				return true
+			}
+		}
+		return false
+	}
+
+	// A window straddling the expiry returns the account.
+	got, err := accounts.SuspensionsExpiredBetween(ctx, expiry.Add(-time.Minute), expiry.Add(time.Minute))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expired between: %v", err)
+	}
+	if !contains(got, tempID) {
+		t.Fatalf("window over expiry missing the lapsed block %s", tempID)
+	}
+	// A window entirely after the expiry does not.
+	got, err = accounts.SuspensionsExpiredBetween(ctx, expiry.Add(time.Minute), expiry.Add(2*time.Minute))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expired between (after): %v", err)
+	}
+	if contains(got, tempID) {
+		t.Fatalf("window after expiry should not return %s", tempID)
+	}
+
+	// A permanent block never appears, even in a wide window.
+	permID := provisionAccount(t)
+	if _, err := accounts.Suspend(ctx, permID, nil, "", "", nil); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("suspend perm: %v", err)
+	}
+	// A lifted block does not appear either. The block must still be in force when lifted
+	// (LiftSuspension only lifts in-force blocks), so its expiry is in the future and the
+	// wide window below still covers it — yet lifted_at excludes it.
+	liftID := provisionAccount(t)
+	liftExpiry := time.Now().Add(30 * time.Minute).Truncate(time.Second)
+	if _, err := accounts.Suspend(ctx, liftID, &liftExpiry, "", "", nil); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("suspend lift: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := accounts.LiftSuspension(ctx, liftID); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("lift: %v", err)
+	}
+	wide, err := accounts.SuspensionsExpiredBetween(ctx, time.Now().Add(-2*time.Hour), time.Now().Add(time.Hour))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expired between (wide): %v", err)
+	}
+	if contains(wide, permID) {
+		t.Fatalf("permanent block %s must not be reported as expired", permID)
+	}
+	if contains(wide, liftID) {
+		t.Fatalf("lifted block %s must not be reported as expired", liftID)
+	}
+}

backend/internal/inttest/email_test.go

@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func TestEmailConfirmFlow(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 // TestEmailAlreadyTakenByAnotherAccount refuses to bind an email confirmed by a
-// different account (merge is a later stage).
+// different account (combining two accounts is the separate link/merge flow).
 func TestEmailAlreadyTakenByAnotherAccount(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	store := account.NewStore(testDB)

backend/internal/inttest/game_test.go

@@ -543,6 +543,12 @@ func TestEvaluatePlayPreview(t *testing.T) {
 	if bad.Valid {
 		t.Error("disconnected play must be invalid")
 	}
+
+	// A non-seated account cannot preview: with the game warm in the live cache, the
+	// membership check runs against the cached seat list (the hot path that skips GetGame).
+	if _, err := svc.EvaluatePlay(ctx, g.ID, provisionAccount(t), hint.Tiles); !errors.Is(err, game.ErrNotAPlayer) {
+		t.Errorf("evaluate by a non-player = %v, want ErrNotAPlayer", err)
+	}
 }
 
 // TestConcurrentSubmitSerialized confirms the per-game lock lets only one of two

backend/internal/inttest/suspension_gate_test.go

@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ func TestSuspensionGate(t *testing.T) {
 		Accounts: accounts,
 	})
 
-	acc, err := accounts.ProvisionTelegram(ctx, "tg-"+uuid.NewString(), "ru", "", "Blocked")
+	acc, _, err := accounts.ProvisionTelegram(ctx, "tg-"+uuid.NewString(), "ru", "", "Blocked")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("provision: %v", err)
 	}

backend/internal/inttest/userlist_test.go

@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ func TestUserListFilter(t *testing.T) {
 	st := account.NewStore(testDB)
 	uniq := uuid.NewString()
 
-	human, err := st.ProvisionTelegram(ctx, "tg-"+uniq, "en", "", "Zzqxhuman")
+	human, _, err := st.ProvisionTelegram(ctx, "tg-"+uniq, "en", "", "Zzqxhuman")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("provision human: %v", err)
 	}

backend/internal/notify/events.go

@@ -216,6 +216,16 @@ func BannerChanged(userID uuid.UUID) Intent {
 	return Notification(userID, NotifyBanner)
 }
 
+// ChatAccessChanged signals that userID's eligibility to write in the moderated
+// Telegram discussion chat may have changed (an admin block/unblock, a chat_muted
+// grant/revoke, or a temporary block lapsing). It carries no payload: the gateway
+// resolves the user's Telegram identity and current eligibility and pushes the
+// resulting chat-gate command to the bot. Unlike the lobby notifications it is an
+// infra signal — a distinct top-level kind, never an out-of-app rendered message.
+func ChatAccessChanged(userID uuid.UUID) Intent {
+	return Intent{UserID: userID, Kind: KindChatAccessChanged, EventID: eventID()}
+}
+
 // eventID returns a best-effort correlation id for one emitted event.
 func eventID() string {
 	if id, err := uuid.NewV7(); err == nil {

backend/internal/notify/notify.go

@@ -35,6 +35,13 @@ const (
 	// KindGameOver announces a finished game to each seated player, driving the
 	// out-of-app "game over" push.
 	KindGameOver = "game_over"
+	// KindChatAccessChanged signals that a player's eligibility to write in the
+	// moderated Telegram discussion chat may have changed (an admin block or unblock,
+	// a chat_muted grant or revoke, or a temporary block lapsing). It carries no
+	// payload and is never fanned out to in-app clients: the gateway consumes it to
+	// resolve the player's Telegram identity and current eligibility and push the
+	// resulting chat-gate command to the bot.
+	KindChatAccessChanged = "chat_access_changed"
 )
 
 // Notification sub-kinds carried in a KindNotification event payload; the client

backend/internal/server/chataccess.go

@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+package server
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"net/http"
+
+	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
+	"github.com/google/uuid"
+
+	"scrabble/backend/internal/account"
+	"scrabble/backend/internal/notify"
+)
+
+// chatAccessRequest is the gateway's chat write-eligibility query, addressed either
+// by Telegram identity (ExternalID — the join path, when the bot sees a user enter
+// the chat) or by account id (UserID — the change path, resolving an emitted
+// chat-access-changed event). Exactly one field is set.
+type chatAccessRequest struct {
+	ExternalID string `json:"external_id"`
+	UserID     string `json:"user_id"`
+}
+
+// chatAccessResponse is the resolved eligibility. ExternalID echoes the account's
+// Telegram identity (empty when it has none — the gateway then has nothing to gate);
+// Registered reports whether the lookup found an account at all; Eligible is the
+// final gate the bot applies (registered and neither admin-suspended nor chat-muted).
+type chatAccessResponse struct {
+	ExternalID string `json:"external_id"`
+	Registered bool   `json:"registered"`
+	Eligible   bool   `json:"eligible"`
+}
+
+// handleChatAccess resolves whether a Telegram user may write in the moderated
+// discussion chat. It is gateway-internal: the gateway's bot-link serves the bot's
+// join-time query (by external_id) and resolves an emitted chat-access-changed event
+// (by user_id) through it.
+func (s *Server) handleChatAccess(c *gin.Context) {
+	var req chatAccessRequest
+	if err := c.ShouldBindJSON(&req); err != nil {
+		abortBadRequest(c, "invalid body")
+		return
+	}
+	switch {
+	case req.ExternalID != "":
+		s.respondChatAccessByExternalID(c, req.ExternalID)
+	case req.UserID != "":
+		s.respondChatAccessByUserID(c, req.UserID)
+	default:
+		abortBadRequest(c, "external_id or user_id required")
+	}
+}
+
+// respondChatAccessByExternalID answers the join-path query: an unknown identity is
+// reported unregistered (and left muted); a known one carries its current eligibility.
+func (s *Server) respondChatAccessByExternalID(c *gin.Context, externalID string) {
+	ctx := c.Request.Context()
+	resp := chatAccessResponse{ExternalID: externalID}
+	acc, err := s.accounts.AccountByIdentity(ctx, account.KindTelegram, externalID)
+	if errors.Is(err, account.ErrNotFound) {
+		c.JSON(http.StatusOK, resp)
+		return
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		s.abortErr(c, err)
+		return
+	}
+	resp.Registered = true
+	eligible, err := s.chatEligible(ctx, acc.ID)
+	if err != nil {
+		s.abortErr(c, err)
+		return
+	}
+	resp.Eligible = eligible
+	c.JSON(http.StatusOK, resp)
+}
+
+// respondChatAccessByUserID answers the change-path query: an account with no
+// Telegram identity carries an empty external_id (nothing for the gateway to gate);
+// otherwise it carries the identity and the current eligibility.
+func (s *Server) respondChatAccessByUserID(c *gin.Context, raw string) {
+	ctx := c.Request.Context()
+	uid, err := uuid.Parse(raw)
+	if err != nil {
+		abortBadRequest(c, "invalid user_id")
+		return
+	}
+	var resp chatAccessResponse
+	ext, err := s.accounts.IdentityExternalID(ctx, uid, account.KindTelegram)
+	if errors.Is(err, account.ErrNotFound) {
+		c.JSON(http.StatusOK, resp)
+		return
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		s.abortErr(c, err)
+		return
+	}
+	resp.ExternalID = ext
+	resp.Registered = true
+	eligible, err := s.chatEligible(ctx, uid)
+	if err != nil {
+		s.abortErr(c, err)
+		return
+	}
+	resp.Eligible = eligible
+	c.JSON(http.StatusOK, resp)
+}
+
+// chatEligible reports whether the account may write in the moderated discussion
+// chat: not currently admin-suspended and not holding the chat_muted role. A
+// suspension dominates — it mutes regardless of the role. Registration is established
+// by the caller's identity lookup.
+func (s *Server) chatEligible(ctx context.Context, accountID uuid.UUID) (bool, error) {
+	if _, blocked, err := s.accounts.CurrentSuspension(ctx, accountID); err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	} else if blocked {
+		return false, nil
+	}
+	muted, err := s.accounts.HasRole(ctx, accountID, account.RoleChatMuted)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	return !muted, nil
+}
+
+// publishChatAccessChange emits the chat-access-changed signal for the account, so
+// the gateway re-resolves the player's chat eligibility and pushes the chat-gate
+// command to the bot. Best-effort (notify.Nop when no notifier is wired).
+func (s *Server) publishChatAccessChange(id uuid.UUID) {
+	s.notifier.Publish(notify.ChatAccessChanged(id))
+}

backend/internal/server/handlers.go

@@ -37,6 +37,13 @@ func (s *Server) registerRoutes() {
 		// before delivering an out-of-app notification.
 		in.POST("/push-target", s.handlePushTarget)
 	}
+	if s.accounts != nil {
+		// Moderated-chat write eligibility for the Telegram bot: resolve a Telegram
+		// identity (the bot's join-time query) or an account id (a chat-access-changed
+		// event) to whether the user may write in the discussion chat. It needs only the
+		// account store, not the session service, so it registers independently.
+		s.internal.POST("/chat-access", s.handleChatAccess)
+	}
 	if s.ratewatch != nil {
 		// The gateway's periodic rate-limiter rejection summary: feeds the
 		// admin console's throttled view and the high-rate auto-flag.

backend/internal/server/handlers_admin_console.go

@@ -987,6 +987,9 @@ func (s *Server) consoleBlockUser(c *gin.Context) {
 		s.consoleError(c, err)
 		return
 	}
+	// Re-evaluate the player's moderated-chat write access: a block mutes them in
+	// the discussion chat if they are currently in it.
+	s.publishChatAccessChange(id)
 	s.renderConsoleMessage(c, "Blocked", fmt.Sprintf("account blocked; %d game(s) forfeited", forfeited), back)
 }
 
@@ -1001,6 +1004,9 @@ func (s *Server) consoleUnblockUser(c *gin.Context) {
 		s.consoleError(c, err)
 		return
 	}
+	// Re-evaluate the player's moderated-chat write access: an unblock restores it
+	// (unless they are still chat-muted) for a member currently in the chat.
+	s.publishChatAccessChange(id)
 	s.renderConsoleMessage(c, "Unblocked", "the block was lifted; lost games are not restored", "/_gm/users/"+id.String())
 }
 

backend/internal/server/handlers_admin_feedback.go

@@ -248,6 +248,9 @@ func (s *Server) consoleGrantRole(c *gin.Context) {
 	if role == account.RoleNoBanner {
 		s.publishBannerChange(id)
 	}
+	if role == account.RoleChatMuted {
+		s.publishChatAccessChange(id)
+	}
 	s.renderConsoleMessage(c, "Role granted", "granted "+role, back)
 }
 
@@ -270,6 +273,9 @@ func (s *Server) consoleRevokeRole(c *gin.Context) {
 	if role == account.RoleNoBanner {
 		s.publishBannerChange(id)
 	}
+	if role == account.RoleChatMuted {
+		s.publishChatAccessChange(id)
+	}
 	s.renderConsoleMessage(c, "Role revoked", "revoked "+role, back)
 }
 

backend/internal/server/handlers_auth.go

@@ -35,11 +35,17 @@ func (s *Server) handleTelegramAuth(c *gin.Context) {
 		abortBadRequest(c, "external_id is required")
 		return
 	}
-	acc, err := s.accounts.ProvisionTelegram(c.Request.Context(), req.ExternalID, req.LanguageCode, req.Username, req.FirstName)
+	acc, created, err := s.accounts.ProvisionTelegram(c.Request.Context(), req.ExternalID, req.LanguageCode, req.Username, req.FirstName)
 	if err != nil {
 		s.abortErr(c, err)
 		return
 	}
+	if created {
+		// First registration: re-evaluate moderated-chat write access, so a user who
+		// joined the chat before registering is granted on the spot (no chat_member
+		// event fires on registration).
+		s.publishChatAccessChange(acc.ID)
+	}
 	s.mintSession(c, acc)
 }
 

backend/internal/server/server.go

@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 // Package server wires the backend's HTTP listener: the gin engine, its route
 // groups, the per-request telemetry middleware and the start/stop lifecycle.
 //
-// The /api/v1 route groups (public, user, internal, admin) are created here so
-// later stages attach their endpoints to a stable structure; the /user group
-// requires the X-User-ID identity header. The probes /healthz (liveness) and
-// /readyz (database + session-cache readiness) are unauthenticated.
+// The /api/v1 route groups (public, user, internal, admin) attach their endpoints
+// to a stable structure; the /user group requires the X-User-ID identity header.
+// The probes /healthz (liveness) and /readyz (database + session-cache readiness)
+// are unauthenticated.
 package server
 
 import (
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ func (s *Server) Invitations() *lobby.InvitationService { return s.invitations }
 func (s *Server) Emails() *account.EmailService { return s.emails }
 
 // Handler returns the underlying HTTP handler. It lets tests drive the server
-// without binding a socket and lets later stages compose the backend behind
+// without binding a socket and lets callers compose the backend behind
 // another listener.
 func (s *Server) Handler() http.Handler { return s.http.Handler }
 

backend/internal/session/service.go

@@ -8,8 +8,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 // Service mints, resolves, and revokes sessions over the store and the
-// write-through cache. The gateway is its only caller (from a later stage); the
-// HTTP surface is wired then.
+// write-through cache. The gateway is its only caller.
 type Service struct {
 	store *Store
 	cache *Cache

backend/internal/social/social.go

@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
 // in as a message kind. It owns the friendships, blocks and chat_messages tables,
 // reads the account-level block toggles through account.Store, and gates chat and
 // nudge on game state through a GameReader so it never imports the engine. The
-// live delivery of chat and nudges (push / in-app stream) belongs to the gateway
-// in a later stage; this package only persists and reads them.
+// live delivery of chat and nudges (push / in-app stream) belongs to the gateway;
+// this package only persists and reads them.
 package social
 
 import (

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=v1.2.1
+DICT_VERSION=v1.3.0
 
 # --- Logging ----------------------------------------------------------------
 LOG_LEVEL=info
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ GRAFANA_ADMIN_PASSWORD=admin
 AWG_CONF=                              # required; AmneziaWG sidecar config (the bot's Telegram egress)
 TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=                    # required
 TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_ID=
+TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID=                      # moderated discussion chat (channel's linked group); empty disables gating
+TELEGRAM_PROMO_BOT_TOKEN=             # optional standalone promo bot token; empty disables it
+TELEGRAM_BOT_USERNAME=               # main bot @username without the @ (promo message); required when the promo token is set
+TELEGRAM_BOT_LINK=                    # main bot Mini App link for the promo button (reuse VITE_TELEGRAM_LINK); required when the promo token is set
 TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL=                  # required
 TELEGRAM_TEST_ENV=false
 TELEGRAM_API_BASE_URL=

deploy/README.md

@@ -17,11 +17,12 @@ operational reference for **every environment variable**.
 | `backend` | built (`backend/Dockerfile`) | Domain service; bakes in the DAWG dictionaries; runs migrations at boot. |
 | `postgres` | `postgres:17-alpine` | Database (named volume, `pg_isready` healthcheck). |
 | `validator` | built (`platform/telegram/Dockerfile`, target `validator`) | Telegram HMAC validator (no VPN, no Bot API); internal gRPC at `validator:9091`. Game login depends only on this. |
-| `vpn` + `bot` | sidecar + built (`platform/telegram/Dockerfile`, target `bot`) | Telegram bot; egresses through the AmneziaWG sidecar; holds no inbound port — dials the gateway bot-link (mTLS) at `gateway:9443`. |
+| `vpn` + `bot` | sidecar + built (`platform/telegram/Dockerfile`, target `bot`) | Telegram bot, gated to the **`telegram-local`** profile; egresses through the AmneziaWG sidecar and dials the gateway bot-link (mTLS) at `gateway:9443`. The test contour activates the profile; the prod **main** host omits it and runs the bot standalone on its **own host** (`docker-compose.bot.yml`, no VPN — native Bot API egress). |
 | `otelcol` | `otel/opentelemetry-collector-contrib` | OTLP/gRPC `:4317` → Prometheus scrape (`:9464`) + Tempo. |
-| `prometheus` | `prom/prometheus` | Metrics, 15d retention. |
+| `prometheus` | `prom/prometheus` | Metrics, 15d retention (7d in prod). |
 | `tempo` | `grafana/tempo` | Traces, 72h retention. |
 | `grafana` | `grafana/grafana` | Dashboards (provisioned), anonymous-admin behind caddy's `/_gm/grafana`. |
+| `node_exporter` | `quay.io/prometheus/node-exporter` | Host CPU/memory/disk metrics (Prometheus job `node`); the OOM signal on the tight prod main host (2 vCPU / 1.9 GiB). |
 
 Networking: inter-service traffic is on the private `internal` network
 (project-scoped DNS); only `caddy` joins the shared external `edge` network so the
@@ -59,7 +60,6 @@ compose binds from this directory.
 | Variable | Gitea kind | Purpose |
 | --- | --- | --- |
 | `POSTGRES_PASSWORD` | secret | Postgres password (also embedded in `BACKEND_POSTGRES_DSN`). |
-| `AWG_CONF` | secret | AmneziaWG config for the VPN sidecar (the bot's only Telegram egress in the test contour). **Must not contain a `DNS=` line** — it hijacks the shared netns's resolv.conf and breaks the bot resolving `otelcol` / `gateway`. Without it, Docker's resolver handles `otelcol`, `gateway` and `api.telegram.org`. |
 | `GM_BASICAUTH_HASH` | secret | bcrypt hash gating `/_gm` (admin console + Grafana). Generate with `docker run --rm caddy:2-alpine caddy hash-password --plaintext '<pw>'`. |
 | `TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL` | variable | The Mini App URL the bot hands out in deep links / buttons. |
 
@@ -67,13 +67,20 @@ compose binds from this directory.
 secret) and the bot (Bot API). It defaults to empty in compose, but both **fail at
 boot** when it is empty.
 
+**Conditionally — `AWG_CONF`** (secret): the AmneziaWG config for the VPN sidecar, needed
+only when the `telegram-local` profile runs (the test contour and local runs with the
+bot). It is **not** `:?`-guarded — compose interpolates profiled-out services too, so the
+prod main host (no VPN) must not require it. It **must not contain a `DNS=` line** — that
+hijacks the shared netns's resolv.conf and breaks the bot resolving `otelcol` / `gateway`;
+without it Docker's resolver handles `otelcol`, `gateway` and `api.telegram.org`.
+
 ## Optional variables (with defaults)
 
 | Variable | Gitea kind | Default | Purpose |
 | --- | --- | --- | --- |
 | `POSTGRES_DB` | variable | `scrabble` | Database name. |
 | `POSTGRES_USER` | variable | `scrabble` | Database user. |
-| `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`. |
+| `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`. |
 | `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. |
@@ -110,6 +117,87 @@ 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,
+native Bot API, no VPN), one-time provisioned by **[`ansible/`](ansible/)** (docker, a
+non-sudo `deploy` user holding the CI key, key-only sshd, default-deny ufw, fail2ban).
+Re-run `ansible/` after a host resize — it is idempotent.
+
+**To roll out:** merge `development → master` (CI green), then run the **`prod-deploy`**
+workflow manually (Gitea → Actions → prod-deploy → run from `master`, input
+`confirm=deploy`). It builds + pushes the images to the registry, ships the
+compose/config/certs/env over SSH, deploys the main host with `prod-deploy.sh` (rolling,
+health-gated, **auto-rollback to the previous tag**), then the bot host, then probes the
+public site. After `master` is green this workflow is the **only** thing that touches
+prod — nothing auto-deploys there. It runs four visible jobs: **build → deploy-main →
+deploy-bot → verify** (the per-service rolling shows in the deploy-main log).
+
+**Versioning.** Each release is a git tag `vX.Y.Z` on `master`; the deploy stamps
+`git describe --tags` into every image tag, every binary (`-ldflags` → `pkg/version` →
+the `service.version` telemetry attribute) and the SPA About screen. Tag the release
+before running the deploy:
+
+```sh
+git tag -a v1.0.0 -m v1.0.0 && git push origin v1.0.0
+```
+
+**Manual rollback** (any time after a successful deploy). Run the **`prod-rollback`**
+workflow (Gitea → Actions → prod-rollback, `confirm=rollback`). Leave `target_version`
+blank to roll back to the previously deployed version (read from the host's
+`PREVIOUS_TAG`), or set it to a release tag from the **Releases** page. It re-deploys
+that already-published image rolling + health-gated — no rebuild, no DB migration
+(image rollback is DB-safe under the expand-contract rule). The registry keeps every
+release tag, so any prior release is reachable.
+
+**Migrations** must be **expand-contract** (backward-compatible; goose is forward-only):
+the automatic rollback is image-only and never restores the DB. A deploy that changes
+`backend/internal/postgres/migrations/` opens a maintenance window — the backend (sole
+writer) is stopped for a consistent `pg_dump` into `/opt/scrabble/dumps` before the new
+backend migrates. **Manual DB restore** (only if a migration was destructive):
+`docker exec -i scrabble-postgres psql -U scrabble -d scrabble -c 'DROP SCHEMA backend CASCADE'`,
+then pipe the dump into the same `psql`, and redeploy the matching old tag.
+
+**bot-link cert rotation:** regenerate (`deploy/gen-certs.sh /tmp/c --force`), reset the
+five `PROD_BOTLINK_*` secrets from `/tmp/c`, and re-run the workflow — both hosts redeploy
+together with the fresh CA.
+
+**Sizing / monitoring:** the main host launches undersized (2 vCPU / 1.9 GiB); the prod
+overlay trims limits + `GOMAXPROCS=2` + 7d Prometheus retention, and `node_exporter` feeds
+host memory to Grafana (`/_gm/grafana/`). Watch host memory and resize at Selectel when
+players arrive.
+
+**`PROD_` Gitea set** (mirrors `TEST_`, mapped onto the unprefixed names above) — secrets:
+`PROD_{POSTGRES_PASSWORD, GM_BASICAUTH_HASH, GRAFANA_ADMIN_PASSWORD, TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN,
+TELEGRAM_PROMO_BOT_TOKEN, REGISTRY_PASSWORD, SSH_KEY, SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS, BOTLINK_CA,
+BOTLINK_GATEWAY_CERT, BOTLINK_GATEWAY_KEY, BOTLINK_BOT_CERT, BOTLINK_BOT_KEY}`; variables:
+`PROD_{REGISTRY_USER, MAIN_HOST, TG_HOST, CADDY_SITE_ADDRESS, GM_BASICAUTH_USER,
+GRAFANA_ROOT_URL, LOG_LEVEL, DICT_VERSION, TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL, TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_ID,
+TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID, TELEGRAM_BOT_USERNAME, VITE_TELEGRAM_BOT_ID, VITE_TELEGRAM_LINK,
+VITE_TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_NAME}`.
+
 ## Host-side setup (outside this repo)
 
 - **`edge` network** must exist on the host (`docker network create edge`).

deploy/ansible/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+# Prod host provisioning
+
+Idempotent Ansible that prepares the two production hosts. It installs Docker, a
+non-sudo `deploy` service account, SSH hardening, a default-deny firewall,
+fail2ban, unattended security upgrades and time sync. It does **not** deploy the
+application — that is `.gitea/workflows/prod-deploy.yaml`'s job, running as the
+`deploy` account this playbook creates.
+
+Hosts are referenced by `~/.ssh/config` aliases (`scrabble-main-ops`,
+`scrabble-tg-ops`), so no IPs or key paths live in the repo.
+
+## Prerequisites (controller)
+
+- `ansible` with the bundled collections (`community.general`, `community.docker`,
+  `ansible.posix`).
+- The two hosts reachable as root via the ssh-config aliases, host keys already
+  accepted into `known_hosts` (`host_key_checking = True`).
+
+## One-time: the CI deploy key
+
+The CI prod-deploy workflow logs into the hosts as `deploy` using a dedicated
+key. Generate it once on the controller, authorize its public half via the
+playbook, and store its private half **only** in the Gitea `PROD_SSH_KEY` secret:
+
+```sh
+ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -N '' -C scrabble-ci-deploy \
+  -f ~/.ssh/scrabble_ci_deploy_ed25519
+# private half -> Gitea secret PROD_SSH_KEY (set via API); never commit it
+```
+
+## Run
+
+```sh
+cd deploy/ansible
+ansible-playbook site.yml
+```
+
+The playbook reads the public key from `~/.ssh/scrabble_ci_deploy_ed25519.pub` by
+default; override with `-e deploy_ci_pubkey_path=/path/to/key.pub`. Re-running is
+safe (idempotent) and survives a host resize.
+
+## What each host gets
+
+- **both** (`common`): docker-ce + compose plugin, `daemon.json` (live-restore,
+  10m×3 log rotation), `deploy` user (docker group, no sudo), key-only sshd,
+  `ufw` default-deny incoming + allow SSH, fail2ban sshd jail, unattended
+  upgrades, chrony, `/opt/scrabble/{config,certs,dumps,images}`.
+- **main**: `ufw` opens 80/443/9443; the external `edge` docker network.
+- **tg**: verifies direct `api.telegram.org` egress (the no-VPN assumption).

deploy/ansible/ansible.cfg

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+[defaults]
+inventory = inventory.ini
+roles_path = roles
+interpreter_python = /usr/bin/python3
+host_key_checking = True
+stdout_callback = yaml
+deprecation_warnings = False
+retry_files_enabled = False
+
+[ssh_connection]
+pipelining = True

deploy/ansible/group_vars/all.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+---
+# Service account the CI prod-deploy workflow uses to drive docker on the hosts.
+# Membership in the docker group is root-equivalent (docker socket access), which
+# is all the deploy workflow needs; the account is deliberately not given sudo.
+deploy_user: deploy
+
+# Public half of the dedicated CI deploy SSH key, read from the controller at run
+# time. The private half is generated on the controller during provisioning and
+# stored ONLY in the Gitea PROD_SSH_KEY secret; it is never committed. Override the
+# path with -e deploy_ci_pubkey_path=/path/to/key.pub if the key lives elsewhere.
+deploy_ci_pubkey_path: "{{ lookup('env', 'HOME') }}/.ssh/scrabble_ci_deploy_ed25519.pub"
+deploy_ci_pubkey: "{{ lookup('file', deploy_ci_pubkey_path) }}"
+
+# Base directory the deploy workflow rsyncs compose files, config, certs and dumps
+# into. Owned by deploy_user so the workflow needs no elevation.
+scrabble_base_dir: /opt/scrabble
+
+# Docker daemon json-file log rotation, mirroring the compose x-logging anchor so
+# the host's own containers (and any ad-hoc runs) rotate identically.
+docker_log_max_size: "10m"
+docker_log_max_file: "3"

deploy/ansible/inventory.ini

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# Production inventory for Stage 18.
+#
+# Hosts resolve through the operator's ~/.ssh/config aliases, so HostName (public
+# IP), User and IdentityFile live there — no IPs or key paths are committed here.
+#   scrabble-main-ops -> main stack host (public IP, domain erudit-game.ru)
+#   scrabble-tg-ops   -> Telegram bot host (direct Bot API egress, no VPN)
+
+[main]
+scrabble-main-ops
+
+[tg]
+scrabble-tg-ops
+
+[prod:children]
+main
+tg
+
+[prod:vars]
+ansible_user=root

deploy/ansible/roles/common/handlers/main.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+---
+- name: restart docker
+  ansible.builtin.service:
+    name: docker
+    state: restarted
+
+- name: reload sshd
+  ansible.builtin.service:
+    name: ssh
+    state: reloaded
+
+- name: restart fail2ban
+  ansible.builtin.service:
+    name: fail2ban
+    state: restarted

deploy/ansible/roles/common/tasks/main.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,167 @@
+---
+# Common baseline applied to both prod hosts: Docker engine, a non-sudo deploy
+# service account, SSH hardening, a default-deny firewall, fail2ban, unattended
+# security upgrades and time sync. Every task is idempotent.
+
+- name: Install base packages
+  ansible.builtin.apt:
+    name:
+      - ca-certificates
+      - curl
+      - gnupg
+      - ufw
+      - fail2ban
+      - unattended-upgrades
+      - chrony
+    state: present
+    update_cache: true
+    cache_valid_time: 3600
+
+# --- Docker engine (official repo; trixie is published upstream) ---------------
+
+- name: Create apt keyring directory
+  ansible.builtin.file:
+    path: /etc/apt/keyrings
+    state: directory
+    mode: "0755"
+
+- name: Install Docker apt GPG key
+  ansible.builtin.get_url:
+    url: https://download.docker.com/linux/debian/gpg
+    dest: /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc
+    mode: "0644"
+
+- name: Add Docker apt repository
+  ansible.builtin.apt_repository:
+    repo: >-
+      deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc]
+      https://download.docker.com/linux/debian {{ ansible_distribution_release }} stable
+    filename: docker
+    state: present
+
+- name: Install Docker engine and the compose plugin
+  ansible.builtin.apt:
+    name:
+      - docker-ce
+      - docker-ce-cli
+      - containerd.io
+      - docker-buildx-plugin
+      - docker-compose-plugin
+    state: present
+    update_cache: true
+
+- name: Configure the Docker daemon (live-restore + log rotation)
+  ansible.builtin.template:
+    src: daemon.json.j2
+    dest: /etc/docker/daemon.json
+    mode: "0644"
+  notify: restart docker
+
+- name: Enable and start Docker
+  ansible.builtin.service:
+    name: docker
+    enabled: true
+    state: started
+
+# --- Deploy service account ----------------------------------------------------
+
+- name: Create the deploy service account
+  ansible.builtin.user:
+    name: "{{ deploy_user }}"
+    groups: docker
+    append: true
+    shell: /bin/bash
+    create_home: true
+
+- name: Ensure the deploy .ssh directory
+  ansible.builtin.file:
+    path: "/home/{{ deploy_user }}/.ssh"
+    state: directory
+    owner: "{{ deploy_user }}"
+    group: "{{ deploy_user }}"
+    mode: "0700"
+
+- name: Authorize the CI deploy SSH key (exclusive)
+  ansible.builtin.copy:
+    dest: "/home/{{ deploy_user }}/.ssh/authorized_keys"
+    content: "{{ deploy_ci_pubkey }}\n"
+    owner: "{{ deploy_user }}"
+    group: "{{ deploy_user }}"
+    mode: "0600"
+
+# --- SSH hardening -------------------------------------------------------------
+
+- name: Harden sshd (key-only auth)
+  ansible.builtin.template:
+    src: sshd-hardening.conf.j2
+    dest: /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/10-scrabble-hardening.conf
+    mode: "0644"
+    validate: sshd -t -f %s
+  notify: reload sshd
+
+# --- Firewall (default deny incoming) ------------------------------------------
+# SSH is allowed before the policy flips so enabling ufw never locks us out.
+
+- name: Allow SSH through the firewall
+  community.general.ufw:
+    rule: allow
+    name: OpenSSH
+
+- name: Default-deny incoming, allow outgoing
+  community.general.ufw:
+    direction: "{{ item.direction }}"
+    policy: "{{ item.policy }}"
+  loop:
+    - { direction: incoming, policy: deny }
+    - { direction: outgoing, policy: allow }
+
+- name: Enable the firewall
+  community.general.ufw:
+    state: enabled
+
+# --- fail2ban ------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+- name: Configure the fail2ban sshd jail
+  ansible.builtin.template:
+    src: jail.local.j2
+    dest: /etc/fail2ban/jail.local
+    mode: "0644"
+  notify: restart fail2ban
+
+- name: Enable and start fail2ban
+  ansible.builtin.service:
+    name: fail2ban
+    enabled: true
+    state: started
+
+# --- Unattended security upgrades + time sync ----------------------------------
+
+- name: Enable unattended upgrades
+  ansible.builtin.copy:
+    dest: /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/20auto-upgrades
+    mode: "0644"
+    content: |
+      APT::Periodic::Update-Package-Lists "1";
+      APT::Periodic::Unattended-Upgrade "1";
+
+- name: Enable and start chrony
+  ansible.builtin.service:
+    name: chrony
+    enabled: true
+    state: started
+
+# --- Deploy directories --------------------------------------------------------
+
+- name: Create the scrabble base directories
+  ansible.builtin.file:
+    path: "{{ scrabble_base_dir }}/{{ item }}"
+    state: directory
+    owner: "{{ deploy_user }}"
+    group: "{{ deploy_user }}"
+    mode: "0750"
+  loop:
+    - ""
+    - config
+    - certs
+    - dumps
+    - images

deploy/ansible/roles/common/templates/daemon.json.j2

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+{
+  "live-restore": true,
+  "log-driver": "json-file",
+  "log-opts": {
+    "max-size": "{{ docker_log_max_size }}",
+    "max-file": "{{ docker_log_max_file }}"
+  }
+}

deploy/ansible/roles/common/templates/jail.local.j2

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# Managed by Ansible (deploy/ansible).
+[DEFAULT]
+bantime = 1h
+findtime = 10m
+maxretry = 5
+backend = systemd
+
+[sshd]
+enabled = true

deploy/ansible/roles/common/templates/sshd-hardening.conf.j2

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# Managed by Ansible (deploy/ansible). Key-only authentication.
+# root stays reachable by key (prohibit-password) for provisioning re-runs.
+PasswordAuthentication no
+PermitRootLogin prohibit-password
+PubkeyAuthentication yes
+KbdInteractiveAuthentication no

deploy/ansible/roles/main/tasks/main.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+---
+# Main stack host: public web + bot-link ports and the external 'edge' network
+# the compose stack attaches caddy to.
+
+- name: Open public web and bot-link ports
+  community.general.ufw:
+    rule: allow
+    port: "{{ item }}"
+    proto: tcp
+  loop:
+    - "80"    # HTTP (ACME challenge + redirect to HTTPS)
+    - "443"   # HTTPS (caddy edge)
+    - "9443"  # bot-link mTLS (remote bot dials in; mutual TLS gates access)
+
+- name: Ensure the external 'edge' docker network exists
+  community.docker.docker_network:
+    name: edge
+    state: present

deploy/ansible/roles/tg/tasks/main.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+---
+# Telegram bot host: holds no inbound port beyond SSH (the bot dials out to the
+# Bot API and into the main host's bot-link). We only verify direct Bot API
+# egress here, since the "no VPN" decision depends on it.
+
+- name: Verify direct Telegram Bot API egress (no VPN on this host)
+  ansible.builtin.uri:
+    url: https://api.telegram.org/
+    method: GET
+    status_code: [200, 301, 302, 401, 404]   # any HTTP reply proves reachability
+    timeout: 10
+  register: tg_egress
+  failed_when: false
+
+- name: Report Telegram reachability
+  ansible.builtin.debug:
+    msg: >-
+      api.telegram.org reachable:
+      {{ (tg_egress.status | default(0) | int) > 0 }} (status {{ tg_egress.status | default('none') }})

deploy/ansible/site.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+---
+# Production host provisioning. Idempotent: safe to re-run after a host resize.
+# Prepares hosts only (docker, hardening, service account, firewall); the
+# application is deployed separately by .gitea/workflows/prod-deploy.yaml.
+
+- name: Common baseline (both hosts)
+  hosts: prod
+  become: true
+  pre_tasks:
+    - name: Require a well-formed CI deploy public key
+      ansible.builtin.assert:
+        that:
+          - deploy_ci_pubkey | length > 0
+          - deploy_ci_pubkey is search('^(ssh|ecdsa)-')
+        fail_msg: >-
+          deploy_ci_pubkey is empty or malformed. Generate the key first
+          (see deploy/ansible/README.md) or override deploy_ci_pubkey_path.
+  roles:
+    - common
+
+- name: Main stack host
+  hosts: main
+  become: true
+  roles:
+    - main
+
+- name: Telegram bot host
+  hosts: tg
+  become: true
+  roles:
+    - tg

deploy/docker-compose.bot.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+# Production Telegram bot host descriptor (standalone — NOT an overlay). Run only on
+# the bot host:
+#   docker compose -f docker-compose.bot.yml up -d
+#
+# The bot egresses to the Bot API directly (no VPN sidecar) and dials the main host's
+# published bot-link :9443 over mTLS. It exports no telemetry — otelcol lives on the
+# main host and is unreachable from here — so observe it via `docker logs` on this host.
+# Values come from the prod-deploy workflow (PROD_ secrets/variables); BOT_IMAGE is the
+# pushed registry tag and BOTLINK_GATEWAY_ADDR is the main host's <ip>:9443.
+name: scrabble-bot
+
+services:
+  bot:
+    container_name: scrabble-telegram-bot
+    image: ${BOT_IMAGE:?set BOT_IMAGE to the registry tag}
+    restart: unless-stopped
+    logging:
+      driver: json-file
+      options:
+        max-size: "10m"
+        max-file: "3"
+    environment:
+      TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN: ${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN:?set TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}
+      TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_ID: ${TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_ID:-}
+      TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID: ${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID:-}
+      TELEGRAM_PROMO_BOT_TOKEN: ${TELEGRAM_PROMO_BOT_TOKEN:-}
+      TELEGRAM_BOT_USERNAME: ${TELEGRAM_BOT_USERNAME:-}
+      TELEGRAM_BOT_LINK: ${TELEGRAM_BOT_LINK:-}
+      TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL: ${TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL:?set TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL}
+      # Real Bot API in prod (the test contour pins TELEGRAM_TEST_ENV=true instead).
+      TELEGRAM_TEST_ENV: "false"
+      TELEGRAM_API_BASE_URL: ${TELEGRAM_API_BASE_URL:-}
+      TELEGRAM_OWNS_UPDATES: "true"
+      # Dials the main host's published bot-link. ServerName stays `gateway` (the cert
+      # SAN), so TLS validation is independent of the dial address.
+      TELEGRAM_GATEWAY_ADDR: ${BOTLINK_GATEWAY_ADDR:?set BOTLINK_GATEWAY_ADDR (main:9443)}
+      TELEGRAM_BOTLINK_SERVER_NAME: gateway
+      TELEGRAM_BOTLINK_TLS_CERT: /certs/bot.crt
+      TELEGRAM_BOTLINK_TLS_KEY: /certs/bot.key
+      TELEGRAM_BOTLINK_TLS_CA: /certs/ca.crt
+      TELEGRAM_LOG_LEVEL: ${LOG_LEVEL:-info}
+      TELEGRAM_SERVICE_NAME: scrabble-telegram-bot
+      # No telemetry export: otelcol is on the main host, unreachable from here.
+      TELEGRAM_OTEL_TRACES_EXPORTER: none
+      TELEGRAM_OTEL_METRICS_EXPORTER: none
+      GOMAXPROCS: "1"
+    volumes:
+      - ${SCRABBLE_CONFIG_DIR:-.}/certs:/certs:ro
+    deploy:
+      resources:
+        limits:
+          cpus: "1.0"
+          memory: 256M

deploy/docker-compose.prod.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+# Production main-host overlay, applied on top of docker-compose.yml on the main host:
+#   docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.prod.yml up -d
+#
+# It (1) publishes caddy 80/443 — there is no host caddy in prod, so the contour caddy
+# owns the edge and does its own ACME on CADDY_SITE_ADDRESS — and the gateway bot-link
+# :9443 the remote bot dials in over mTLS; and (2) retunes the baseline limits down for the
+# 2 vCPU / 1.9 GiB host (GOMAXPROCS=2, smaller memory caps, shorter Prometheus
+# retention). The contour launches deliberately undersized at zero players; the added
+# node_exporter + Grafana watch host memory so it can be resized at Selectel when
+# traffic arrives.
+#
+# The bot + its VPN sidecar are absent here (the telegram-local profile is not
+# activated); the prod bot runs on its own host from docker-compose.bot.yml.
+
+services:
+  caddy:
+    ports:
+      - "80:80"
+      - "443:443"
+    deploy:
+      resources:
+        limits:
+          memory: 96M
+
+  gateway:
+    # Prod pulls the pushed image by tag instead of building locally; the base
+    # build: section stays dormant because the deploy always pulls first.
+    image: ${REGISTRY:?set REGISTRY}/scrabble-gateway:${TAG:?set TAG}
+    ports:
+      - "9443:9443"
+    environment:
+      # 2 vCPU host: align the Go scheduler with the cgroup quota (the baseline's 3-core gateway needs 3 cores).
+      GOMAXPROCS: "2"
+    deploy:
+      resources:
+        limits:
+          cpus: "2.0"
+          memory: 384M
+
+  backend:
+    image: ${REGISTRY:?set REGISTRY}/scrabble-backend:${TAG:?set TAG}
+    deploy:
+      resources:
+        limits:
+          memory: 384M
+
+  postgres:
+    deploy:
+      resources:
+        limits:
+          memory: 384M
+
+  validator:
+    image: ${REGISTRY:?set REGISTRY}/scrabble-telegram-validator:${TAG:?set TAG}
+    deploy:
+      resources:
+        limits:
+          memory: 96M
+
+  landing:
+    image: ${REGISTRY:?set REGISTRY}/scrabble-landing:${TAG:?set TAG}
+    deploy:
+      resources:
+        limits:
+          memory: 64M
+
+  otelcol:
+    deploy:
+      resources:
+        limits:
+          memory: 256M
+
+  prometheus:
+    command:
+      - --config.file=/etc/prometheus/prometheus.yml
+      - --storage.tsdb.retention.time=7d
+    deploy:
+      resources:
+        limits:
+          memory: 256M
+
+  tempo:
+    deploy:
+      resources:
+        limits:
+          memory: 384M
+
+  grafana:
+    deploy:
+      resources:
+        limits:
+          memory: 256M
+
+  postgres_exporter:
+    deploy:
+      resources:
+        limits:
+          memory: 64M

deploy/docker-compose.yml

@@ -25,9 +25,9 @@
 #     backend admin relay reaches the gateway at `gateway:9092` (plaintext).
 name: scrabble
 
-# Bound every container's json-file logs. R7 measured the backend emitting a
-# per-request latency line at info (~14 MiB / 30 min under the 500-player stress
-# peak); without rotation the volume grows unbounded. 10 MiB x 3 files caps each
+# Bound every container's json-file logs. The backend emits a per-request latency
+# line at info (~14 MiB / 30 min under the 500-player peak); without rotation the
+# volume grows unbounded. 10 MiB x 3 files caps each
 # container at 30 MiB. Applied to every service via the *default-logging alias.
 x-logging: &default-logging
   driver: json-file
@@ -52,8 +52,8 @@ services:
       retries: 30
     volumes:
       - postgres-data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
-    # R7 starting limits: 512M leaves headroom over the default 128 MB shared_buffers +
-    # per-connection memory (R2 peaked at 28 backends / 69 MiB RSS); tighten after the run.
+    # 512M leaves headroom over the default 128 MB shared_buffers + per-connection
+    # memory (the load harness peaked at 28 backends / 69 MiB RSS).
     deploy:
       resources:
         limits:
@@ -68,9 +68,13 @@ services:
       context: ..
       dockerfile: backend/Dockerfile
       args:
-        # 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}
+        # 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}
+        # Build version stamped into the binary (git tag; see pkg/version).
+        VERSION: ${APP_VERSION:-dev}
     restart: unless-stopped
     logging: *default-logging
     depends_on:
@@ -79,8 +83,8 @@ services:
     environment:
       # search_path=backend matches the migrations (00001 creates the schema).
       BACKEND_POSTGRES_DSN: postgres://${POSTGRES_USER:-scrabble}:${POSTGRES_PASSWORD}@postgres:5432/${POSTGRES_DB:-scrabble}?sslmode=disable&search_path=backend
-      # R7 tuned: the pool sat at its 25-conn cap (28 backends total) at 500 players;
-      # 40 gives headroom for bursts. Postgres (2 cores / 512 MiB) handles it.
+      # The pool caps at 25 conns (~28 backends) around 500 players; 40 gives headroom
+      # for bursts. Postgres (2 cores / 512 MiB) handles it.
       BACKEND_POSTGRES_MAX_OPEN_CONNS: "40"
       BACKEND_HTTP_ADDR: ":8080"
       BACKEND_GRPC_ADDR: ":9090"
@@ -109,8 +113,8 @@ services:
       - dawg-data:/opt/dawg
     # No container healthcheck: the distroless image has no shell/wget. Readiness
     # is covered by the CI post-deploy probe (GET / through caddy).
-    # R7 starting limits (generous over the R2 ~1-core / <=100 MiB peak); tightened to
-    # the agreed prod values after the final stress run. deploy.resources.limits is
+    # Generous over the ~1-core / <=100 MiB measured peak; the prod overlay trims these
+    # to the launch-host values. deploy.resources.limits is
     # honoured by `docker compose up` (Compose v2), not only by swarm.
     deploy:
       resources:
@@ -132,6 +136,8 @@ services:
         VITE_TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_NAME: ${VITE_TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_NAME:-}
         VITE_GATEWAY_URL: ${VITE_GATEWAY_URL:-}
         VITE_APP_VERSION: ${APP_VERSION:-dev}
+        # Go binary version (the SPA's VITE_APP_VERSION is the same git tag).
+        VERSION: ${APP_VERSION:-dev}
     restart: unless-stopped
     logging: *default-logging
     depends_on: [backend]
@@ -171,7 +177,7 @@ services:
     # deploy/gen-certs.sh for the test contour; supplied from PROD_ secrets in prod.
     volumes:
       - ${SCRABBLE_CONFIG_DIR:-.}/certs:/certs:ro
-    # R7 tuned: the gateway holds one h2c connection per player, so at 500 players it
+    # The gateway holds one h2c connection per player, so at 500 players it
     # bursts into a 2-core cap (~2.49% transport_error on game.state); 3 cores absorbs
     # the bursts. Per-connection overhead is the realistic prod cost — size for it.
     deploy:
@@ -218,6 +224,8 @@ services:
       context: ..
       dockerfile: platform/telegram/Dockerfile
       target: validator
+      args:
+        VERSION: ${APP_VERSION:-dev}
     restart: unless-stopped
     logging: *default-logging
     environment:
@@ -240,14 +248,22 @@ services:
     networks: [internal]
 
   # --- Telegram bot (egress via the VPN sidecar in test; dials the gateway) ---
+  # vpn + bot are gated to the `telegram-local` profile: the test contour runs them
+  # locally (CI passes --profile telegram-local), the prod main host omits them, and
+  # the prod bot runs on its own host from deploy/docker-compose.bot.yml.
   vpn:
     container_name: scrabble-telegram-vpn
     image: docker.iliadenisov.ru/developer/amneziawg-sidecar:latest
+    profiles: ["telegram-local"]
     restart: unless-stopped
     logging: *default-logging
     privileged: true
     environment:
-      AWG_CONF: ${AWG_CONF:?set AWG_CONF}
+      # Required by the vpn sidecar, which is gated to the telegram-local profile.
+      # Compose can't scope a `:?` guard to a profile (interpolation runs for
+      # profiled-out services too) and the prod main host has no VPN, so this is a soft
+      # default; the test contour always supplies TEST_AWG_CONF and the sidecar validates it.
+      AWG_CONF: ${AWG_CONF:-}
     networks:
       internal:
         aliases: [telegram]
@@ -255,10 +271,13 @@ services:
   bot:
     container_name: scrabble-telegram-bot
     image: scrabble-telegram-bot:latest
+    profiles: ["telegram-local"]
     build:
       context: ..
       dockerfile: platform/telegram/Dockerfile
       target: bot
+      args:
+        VERSION: ${APP_VERSION:-dev}
     restart: unless-stopped
     logging: *default-logging
     depends_on: [vpn]
@@ -268,6 +287,17 @@ services:
       # at boot; an empty value leaves the bot down while the rest of the contour comes up.
       TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN: ${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN:-}
       TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_ID: ${TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_ID:-}
+      # The moderated discussion chat (a channel's linked group) the bot gates write
+      # access in. Empty disables gating. The group must ALLOW sending by default — the bot
+      # only restricts (mutes the ineligible) — and the bot must be an admin there with the
+      # "Ban users" right; chat_member updates are delivered only to a chat admin.
+      TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID: ${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID:-}
+      # The optional standalone promo bot (its own token) answering /start with a button
+      # into the main bot's app. Empty disables it; when set it needs the main bot's
+      # @username and the Mini App link (reused from the UI's VITE_TELEGRAM_LINK).
+      TELEGRAM_PROMO_BOT_TOKEN: ${TELEGRAM_PROMO_BOT_TOKEN:-}
+      TELEGRAM_BOT_USERNAME: ${TELEGRAM_BOT_USERNAME:-}
+      TELEGRAM_BOT_LINK: ${TELEGRAM_BOT_LINK:-}
       TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL: ${TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL:?set TELEGRAM_MINIAPP_URL}
       TELEGRAM_TEST_ENV: ${TELEGRAM_TEST_ENV:-false}
       TELEGRAM_API_BASE_URL: ${TELEGRAM_API_BASE_URL:-}
@@ -374,8 +404,8 @@ services:
     volumes:
       - ${SCRABBLE_CONFIG_DIR:-.}/tempo/tempo.yaml:/etc/tempo/tempo.yaml:ro
       - tempo-data:/var/tempo
-    # R7 tuned: tempo reached the 1 GiB cap during the final run (446 MiB in R2);
-    # raised to 2 GiB for headroom against OOM under sustained tracing load.
+    # Tempo reached the 1 GiB cap under sustained load (446 MiB in earlier runs);
+    # raised to 2 GiB for headroom against OOM.
     deploy:
       resources:
         limits:
@@ -433,6 +463,26 @@ services:
           memory: 128M
     networks: [internal]
 
+  # node_exporter exports host CPU/memory/disk metrics. The prod main host runs a tight
+  # 1.9 GiB budget, so host memory pressure — not just per-container docker_stats — is
+  # what warns before an OOM. Prometheus scrapes it at :9100 (see prometheus.yml).
+  node_exporter:
+    container_name: scrabble-node-exporter
+    image: quay.io/prometheus/node-exporter:v1.8.2
+    restart: unless-stopped
+    logging: *default-logging
+    command:
+      - --path.rootfs=/host
+      - --collector.filesystem.mount-points-exclude=^/(sys|proc|dev|host)($|/)
+    pid: host
+    volumes:
+      - /:/host:ro,rslave
+    deploy:
+      resources:
+        limits:
+          memory: 64M
+    networks: [internal]
+
 networks:
   internal:
     name: scrabble-internal

deploy/prod-deploy.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,143 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Production main-host deploy driver. Runs ON the main host, invoked over SSH by
+# .gitea/workflows/prod-deploy.yaml as the deploy user (which must already be
+# `docker login`ed to the registry). It pulls the images at the new tag and rolls
+# the stack ONE service at a time in dependency order (least -> most dependent),
+# health-checking after each; any failure rolls the whole stack back to the
+# previously deployed tag.
+#
+# A schema migration adds a maintenance window: the backend (the only writer) is
+# stopped so a consistent pg_dump is taken before the new backend migrates forward.
+# Image rollback alone is safe under the expand-contract migration rule, so the
+# automatic rollback never touches the database; the dump is kept for a MANUAL
+# restore if a migration turned out to be destructive (see deploy/prod/README.md).
+#
+# Required env (exported by the workflow over SSH):
+#   REGISTRY   registry namespace, e.g. docker.iliadenisov.ru/developer
+#   TAG        new image tag (the deployed git SHA)
+#   PREV_TAG   previously deployed tag, or "none" on the first deploy
+#   MIGRATION  "1" when the deploy carries a schema migration, else "0"
+# Optional: COMPOSE_DIR ENV_FILE DUMP_DIR STATE_FILE POSTGRES_USER POSTGRES_DB
+set -uo pipefail
+
+# Runtime compose vars (POSTGRES_*, GM_*, GRAFANA_*, CADDY_*, TELEGRAM_*, REGISTRY,
+# SCRABBLE_CONFIG_DIR, ...) come from a shell-sourceable env file the workflow writes
+# with single-quoted values. Exporting them into the process environment lets compose
+# interpolate ${...} without re-parsing the value — a plain --env-file would mangle the
+# literal '$' in the bcrypt GM_BASICAUTH_HASH.
+ENV_FILE="${ENV_FILE:-/opt/scrabble/env.sh}"
+# shellcheck disable=SC1090
+[ -f "$ENV_FILE" ] && . "$ENV_FILE"
+
+REGISTRY="${REGISTRY:?REGISTRY required (env.sh)}"
+TAG="${TAG:?TAG required}"
+PREV_TAG="${PREV_TAG:-none}"
+MIGRATION="${MIGRATION:-0}"
+COMPOSE_DIR="${COMPOSE_DIR:-/opt/scrabble/compose}"
+DUMP_DIR="${DUMP_DIR:-/opt/scrabble/dumps}"
+STATE_FILE="${STATE_FILE:-/opt/scrabble/DEPLOYED_TAG}"
+# The prior deployed tag, preserved on every successful deploy so prod-rollback can
+# target "the previous version" with no operator input.
+PREV_STATE_FILE="${PREV_STATE_FILE:-/opt/scrabble/PREVIOUS_TAG}"
+PG_USER="${POSTGRES_USER:-scrabble}"
+PG_DB="${POSTGRES_DB:-scrabble}"
+
+cd "$COMPOSE_DIR" || { echo "compose dir $COMPOSE_DIR missing"; exit 1; }
+export REGISTRY
+# otelcol joins the host docker group to read the socket; the GID varies per host.
+DOCKER_GID="$(getent group docker | cut -d: -f3)"
+export DOCKER_GID
+
+dc() { docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.prod.yml "$@"; }
+use_tag() { export TAG="$1"; }
+
+# --- health probes (one-off containers on the contour networks, like CI) --------
+_probe() { docker run --rm --network "$1" alpine:3.20 wget -q -T 5 -O /dev/null "$2"; }
+health_backend() { for _ in $(seq 1 20); do _probe scrabble-internal http://backend:8080/readyz && return 0; sleep 3; done; return 1; }
+health_landing() { for _ in $(seq 1 20); do _probe scrabble-internal http://landing:80/ && return 0; sleep 3; done; return 1; }
+health_postgres() { for _ in $(seq 1 30); do [ "$(docker inspect -f '{{.State.Health.Status}}' scrabble-postgres 2>/dev/null)" = healthy ] && return 0; sleep 2; done; return 1; }
+health_running() { # health_running <container>: running, not restarting, stable restart count
+  local n="$1" s r c1 c2
+  for _ in $(seq 1 20); do
+    s="$(docker inspect -f '{{.State.Status}}' "$n" 2>/dev/null || echo missing)"
+    r="$(docker inspect -f '{{.State.Restarting}}' "$n" 2>/dev/null || echo true)"
+    if [ "$s" = running ] && [ "$r" = false ]; then
+      c1="$(docker inspect -f '{{.RestartCount}}' "$n")"; sleep 5
+      c2="$(docker inspect -f '{{.RestartCount}}' "$n")"
+      [ "$c1" = "$c2" ] && return 0
+    fi
+    sleep 3
+  done
+  return 1
+}
+
+roll() { # roll <service> <health-cmd...>
+  local svc="$1"; shift
+  echo ">>> rolling $svc -> $TAG"
+  dc up -d --no-build --no-deps "$svc" || return 1
+  "$@" || { echo "!!! $svc failed health check"; return 1; }
+  echo "<<< $svc healthy"
+}
+
+rollback() {
+  echo "########## ROLLBACK -> $PREV_TAG ##########"
+  if [ "$PREV_TAG" = none ]; then
+    echo "no previous tag (first deploy): cannot roll back; leaving the stack up for inspection."
+    return
+  fi
+  use_tag "$PREV_TAG"
+  dc up -d --no-build --remove-orphans
+  echo "rolled back to $PREV_TAG."
+  [ "$MIGRATION" = 1 ] && echo "NOTE: the DB is forward-migrated; a pre-deploy dump is in $DUMP_DIR — restore manually ONLY if the migration was destructive (see deploy/README.md, prod runbook)."
+}
+
+commit_tag() {
+  # Record the just-deployed tag as current, preserving the prior one as previous.
+  [ -f "$STATE_FILE" ] && cp "$STATE_FILE" "$PREV_STATE_FILE"
+  echo "$TAG" > "$STATE_FILE"
+}
+
+mkdir -p "$DUMP_DIR"
+echo "=== prod deploy: tag=$TAG prev=$PREV_TAG migration=$MIGRATION ==="
+use_tag "$TAG"
+dc pull
+
+# First deploy: nothing to roll from; bring the whole stack up and gate on health.
+if [ -z "$(docker ps -aq -f name=scrabble-backend)" ]; then
+  echo "first deploy: bringing the whole stack up"
+  dc up -d --no-build --remove-orphans || { echo "compose up failed"; exit 1; }
+  health_backend || { echo "backend not ready"; exit 1; }
+  health_landing || { echo "landing not ready"; exit 1; }
+  commit_tag
+  echo "first deploy healthy ($TAG)."
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+# Migration deploy: freeze writes and snapshot a consistent dump before migrating.
+if [ "$MIGRATION" = 1 ]; then
+  echo "migration deploy: opening maintenance window (stopping the backend = the only writer)"
+  dc stop backend
+  dump="$DUMP_DIR/pre-$TAG-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S).sql"
+  if ! docker exec scrabble-postgres pg_dump -U "$PG_USER" -d "$PG_DB" -n backend > "$dump"; then
+    echo "pg_dump failed; restarting the old backend and aborting"
+    dc start backend
+    exit 1
+  fi
+  echo "consistent dump: $dump"
+fi
+
+# Roll one service at a time, least -> most dependent; any failure rolls everything back.
+roll postgres  health_postgres                              || { rollback; exit 1; }
+roll backend   health_backend                               || { rollback; exit 1; }
+roll gateway   health_running scrabble-gateway              || { rollback; exit 1; }
+roll landing   health_landing                               || { rollback; exit 1; }
+roll validator health_running scrabble-telegram-validator   || { rollback; exit 1; }
+roll caddy     health_running scrabble-caddy                || { rollback; exit 1; }
+
+# Observability + node_exporter: bring up the remainder and pick up any config changes.
+dc up -d --no-build --remove-orphans || { rollback; exit 1; }
+
+# Final internal sanity before committing the new tag.
+health_backend || { rollback; exit 1; }
+commit_tag
+echo "=== deploy healthy ($TAG) ==="

deploy/prometheus/prometheus.yml

@@ -18,3 +18,8 @@ scrape_configs:
   - job_name: postgres_exporter
     static_configs:
       - targets: ["postgres_exporter:9187"]
+  # Host-level metrics (memory/CPU/disk). Matters most on the prod main host's tight
+  # 1.9 GiB budget, where total host memory is the OOM-proximity signal.
+  - job_name: node
+    static_configs:
+      - targets: ["node_exporter:9100"]

docs/ARCHITECTURE.md

@@ -2,10 +2,8 @@
 
 Source of truth for the platform architecture, transport, security model and
 cross-service contracts. User-visible behaviour per domain lives in
-[`FUNCTIONAL.md`](FUNCTIONAL.md); the staged build order lives in
-[`../PLAN.md`](../PLAN.md). This document always describes the **current**
-design, not the history of how it was reached. Sections describing
-not-yet-implemented components are marked *(planned)*.
+[`FUNCTIONAL.md`](FUNCTIONAL.md). This document always describes the **current**
+design, not the history of how it was reached.
 
 ## 1. Overview
 
@@ -128,7 +126,11 @@ dropped). Horizontal scaling is explicit future work.
   and GCG are unaffected** (they stay decoded concrete characters, §9.1).
 - **gateway ↔ backend (sync)**: plain HTTP REST/JSON. The gateway injects
   `X-User-ID` for authenticated requests; `backend` never re-derives identity
-  from the body.
+  from the body. Because every sync call targets the one backend host, the
+  gateway's REST client widens its keep-alive pool well past the stdlib default
+  of 2 idle connections per host; otherwise the per-request connection churn
+  exhausts ephemeral ports and burns gateway CPU under load (see
+  [`../loadtest/REPORT.md`](../loadtest/REPORT.md)).
 - **backend → gateway (live)**: a single gRPC server-stream carries live events
   (your-turn, opponent-moved, chat, nudge). The gateway bridges them to the
   client's in-app stream while the app is open. Out-of-app delivery uses
@@ -824,7 +826,13 @@ the bot renders the message and skips the rest — so in-app-only sub-kinds like
 block-state sync to the blocker) never become a platform push. Operator broadcasts
 (`SendToUser` / `SendToGameChannel`, §10 admin) render in an **operator-chosen** language in
 the console; the backend calls them on the **gateway's bot-link relay**, which forwards them
-to the bot and **awaits its delivery ack** (so the console still reports delivered/not).
+to the bot and **awaits its delivery ack** (so the console still reports delivered/not). Beyond
+messages the same bot-link carries a **chat-gate control path** — a `ChatGate` command sets a user's
+write access in the moderated discussion chat and the bot's unary `ResolveChatEligibility` resolves a
+joiner's eligibility (neither renders a message; see *Moderated discussion chat* below). An optional
+**standalone promo bot** runs in the bot container (`TELEGRAM_PROMO_BOT_TOKEN`): a second bot
+answering `/start` with a URL button into the **main** bot's Mini App (`?startapp`, since a `web_app`
+button would sign initData with the promo token); it is self-contained — no bot-link, no gateway.
 Session-revocation events and cursor-based stream resume stay deferred (single-instance MVP).
 
 A separate **advertising-banner** channel feeds the client's one-line strip (UI_DESIGN.md),
@@ -987,9 +995,28 @@ revoked token would fail session resolution at the gateway *before* the gate, se
 login instead of the blocked screen). A block instantly **forfeits** every active game the player
 is in (the opponent wins, exactly as a resignation — the engine resigns off-turn) and cancels
 their open matchmaking games; a temporary block lapses automatically once its expiry passes (no
-sweeper — the gate recomputes against `now`). No operator identity is recorded (shared
+sweeper for the gate — it recomputes against `now`). No operator identity is recorded (shared
 Basic-Auth).
 
+**Moderated discussion chat.** A channel's linked discussion group is gated by the Telegram bot
+(`TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID`). The group **allows sending by default** and the bot only **restricts**: Telegram
+intersects the chat default with each user's permission, so a per-user grant can never exceed a
+deny-by-default group — the gate must mute the ineligible, not grant the eligible. A user may write
+while they are **registered and neither admin-suspended nor holding the chat-only `chat_muted` role**
+(`eligible = registered AND NOT suspended AND NOT chat_muted` — the game suspension dominates); the bot
+**mutes** an ineligible member and **un-mutes** an eligible one it had muted, leaving an already-allowed
+eligible member untouched (it acts only when the current state differs, so it is idempotent and never
+loops on its own change). A single backend resolver behind `POST /api/v1/internal/chat-access` answers
+both directions: the bot's `ResolveChatEligibility` on a `chat_member` event (over the mTLS bot-link),
+and a `chat_access_changed` event — emitted on a block/unblock, a `chat_muted` grant/revoke, a first
+Telegram registration, or a temporary block lapsing (a dedicated `account.SuspensionSweeper`, since no
+request fires then) — drives a `ChatGate` command the gateway pushes to the bot. The bot applies it
+only to a member currently in the chat (a per-user `getChatMember` probe, since bots cannot list
+members); the signal is idempotent and is never an in-app or out-of-app message. `chat_muted` is an
+`account_roles` entry (an operator toggle in the console), so it needs no schema change. The bot
+must be an administrator in the group with the **restrict-members** right and `chat_member` in its
+allowed updates.
+
 **Short numeric codes** (email confirm-codes and friend codes) are stored
 only as SHA-256 hashes and are short-lived and single-use. The unauthenticated
 email path carries a tight per-IP sub-limit (5 / 10 min); the **friend-code redeem**
@@ -1027,8 +1054,10 @@ plaintext relay (`GATEWAY_BOTLINK_RELAY_ADDR`) the backend admin console calls.
 
 The full contour (`deploy/docker-compose.yml`) runs one `gateway`, one `backend`,
 one Postgres, the static `landing`, the Telegram `validator` and `bot` (+ the bot's VPN
-sidecar) and the **observability stack** —
-OTel Collector (OTLP/gRPC ingest → Prometheus metrics + Tempo traces) and Grafana
+sidecar — the `bot`+`vpn` pair is gated to a `telegram-local` compose profile so the prod
+main host can omit them) and the **observability stack** —
+OTel Collector (OTLP/gRPC ingest → Prometheus metrics + Tempo traces), a `node_exporter`
+for host CPU/memory (the prod main host's OOM signal), and Grafana
 with provisioned datasources and dashboards. All services export OTLP to the
 collector; the bot shares the VPN sidecar's netns, so its `AWG_CONF` must not
 carry a `DNS=` directive (that would hijack resolv.conf and stop it resolving
@@ -1052,16 +1081,36 @@ Two contours, two secret/variable prefixes (`TEST_` / `PROD_`):
   generated by `deploy/gen-certs.sh` before `compose up`; the bot keeps its VPN sidecar
   for Telegram egress and dials the gateway by its internal name, so the bot-link stays
   on the internal network.
-- **Prod**: a manual SSH deploy after `development → master`. There is no
-  host caddy, so the contour ships its own caddy terminating TLS — set
-  `CADDY_SITE_ADDRESS` to the domain and the caddy does its own ACME. The **bot runs
-  on a separate host** with native Telegram access (no VPN), deployed by SSH alongside
-  the main app (rolled together so the bot-link protocol versions never skew); the
-  gateway **publishes** the bot-link port and the certificates come from `PROD_`
-  secrets — a long-lived CA with leaves rotated by a scheduled job. The bot dials the
-  gateway's public bot-link endpoint and holds no inbound port; login is unaffected if
-  that host or the link is down. *(This prod wiring is the deferred final stage; the
-  code and the unified test contour land first — see `PRERELEASE.md`.)*
+- **Prod**: a **manual** rollout — `.gitea/workflows/prod-deploy.yaml`, `workflow_dispatch`
+  only (from `master`, `confirm=deploy`), run after `development → master` is merged green.
+  It builds and pushes the images to the registry (`docker.iliadenisov.ru`), then deploys
+  over SSH onto **two hosts** provisioned by `deploy/ansible/` (docker, a non-sudo `deploy`
+  service account holding a dedicated CI key, key-only sshd, default-deny ufw, fail2ban):
+  the **main host** runs the full stack (`docker-compose.yml` + `docker-compose.prod.yml`),
+  the **bot host** runs only the bot (`docker-compose.bot.yml`, no VPN — native Bot API
+  egress, telemetry off). There is no host caddy, so the contour caddy terminates TLS —
+  `CADDY_SITE_ADDRESS` is the domain and caddy does its own ACME. The gateway **publishes**
+  the bot-link `:9443`; the remote bot dials it over mTLS (certs from `PROD_BOTLINK_*`,
+  ServerName `gateway`, so TLS validation is independent of the public dial address), holds
+  no inbound port, and login is unaffected if that host or the link is down.
+  `deploy/prod-deploy.sh` rolls the main stack **one service at a time in dependency order**
+  (postgres → backend → gateway → landing → validator → caddy), health-checking after each;
+  any failure **rolls the whole stack back to the previous image tag**. A **schema migration**
+  adds a maintenance window: the backend (the sole writer) is stopped for a consistent
+  `pg_dump` before the new backend migrates forward — image rollback stays DB-safe under the
+  expand-contract migration rule, and the dump is kept for a manual restore. The workflow runs
+  four visible jobs (build → deploy-main → deploy-bot → verify). Releases are git tags
+  `vX.Y.Z`; the version is stamped into the image tag, every binary (`-ldflags` → `pkg/version`
+  → the `service.version` telemetry attribute) and the SPA About screen. A separate manual
+  **`prod-rollback`** workflow re-deploys any prior release tag (blank input = the previous
+  deployed version, tracked on the host) over the same rolling, health-gated path — image-only,
+  no DB migration. The main host is
+  intentionally **launch-sized** (2 vCPU / 1.9 GiB): the prod overlay trims the baseline limits
+  (`GOMAXPROCS=2`, smaller caps, 7d Prometheus retention) and a **node_exporter** feeds
+  host-memory metrics to Grafana so it can be resized reactively as players arrive.
+  `GATEWAY_ABUSE_BAN_ENABLED=true` in prod (the per-IP ban is meaningful only with real
+  client IPs). The `vpn`+`bot` pair is gated to a `telegram-local` compose profile the test
+  contour activates; the prod main host omits it.
 
 ## 14. CI & branches
 

docs/FUNCTIONAL.md

@@ -31,9 +31,15 @@ ephemeral guest. The gateway validates the credential once and mints a thin
 session token; the backend resolves it to an internal `user_id`. A **Telegram Mini
 App** launch authenticates from the platform's signed `initData`, themes the UI to
 the Telegram colours, and — on first contact — seeds the new account's interface
-language from the Telegram client. Telegram runs a **single bot**: every player uses
+language from the Telegram client. If a launch cannot reach the backend (for example during a
+deployment), the Mini App retries quietly and then shows a small "couldn't load" screen with a
+**Retry** button, rather than dropping to the web sign-in, which has no place inside Telegram.
+Telegram runs a **single bot**: every player uses
 the same bot, and all of its chat and out-of-app notifications are written in the
-player's own **interface language** (en/ru). Guests are session-only with restricted features
+player's own **interface language** (en/ru). A separate optional **promo bot** can run alongside the
+main one — its only job is to answer `/start` with a short message and a button that opens the
+**main** bot's app, where the player picks their game variant; it is an onboarding entry point that
+touches nothing else. Guests are session-only with restricted features
 (auto-match only; no friends, stats or history); an abandoned guest that never
 joined a game and has been idle past the retention window is garbage-collected. While the app is open the client
 keeps a live stream and receives in-app updates in real time — the opponent's move,
@@ -53,6 +59,10 @@ reconnect), and pending reads resume on their own — the interface stays usable
 flashing a red banner each time.
 
 ### Accounts, linking & merge
+_Sign-in is currently provider-only, so the in-profile linking UI is temporarily hidden; it
+returns once the anonymous `/app/` guest (whose upgrade path this is) ships. The flow below
+describes it for when it does._
+
 First platform contact auto-provisions a durable account. From the profile a player
 links an email (via a confirm code) or their Telegram (via the web sign-in); a guest
 who links their first identity becomes a durable account. The "already taken" status
@@ -320,6 +330,14 @@ plus the reason when one was given, and the app stops all background traffic wit
 temporary block lifts itself when it expires; the operator can also **unblock** from the user card
 at any time (games already lost stay lost).
 
+Where the bot manages a channel's **linked discussion chat**, everyone may write by default and the
+bot **mutes** a player who is **not registered** or is **blocked**, un-muting them once they register
+or are unblocked. So an unregistered newcomer who comments is muted (the promo bot points them at the
+game to register, after which the bot restores their voice), and a registered, unblocked player simply
+writes. An operator can also **mute a player in the chat only** — a `chat_muted` role on the user card —
+without a full account block; an account block mutes them in the chat regardless. Muting and unmuting
+take effect for a player already in the chat; one who is not in it is unaffected until they next join.
+
 From the user card the operator can also **top up a player's hint wallet**: an additive grant
 (1–100 hints per action) that raises the balance shown on the card. Grants are **raise-only** —
 the console can never lower a wallet (a player only loses hints by spending them in a game), so an

docs/FUNCTIONAL_ru.md

@@ -32,9 +32,15 @@ top-1 подсказку, безлимитную проверку слова с
 session-токен; backend сопоставляет его с внутренним `user_id`. Запуск **Telegram
 Mini App** авторизует по подписанным `initData` платформы, перекрашивает интерфейс
 в цвета Telegram и — при первом контакте — задаёт язык интерфейса нового аккаунта по
-языку Telegram-клиента. Telegram держит **единого бота**: все игроки пользуются одним
+языку Telegram-клиента. Если запуск не может достучаться до бэкенда (например, во время
+деплоя), Mini App тихо повторяет попытки, а затем показывает небольшой экран «не удалось
+загрузить» с кнопкой **Повторить**, вместо того чтобы сбрасывать на веб-вход, которому внутри
+Telegram не место. Telegram держит **единого бота**: все игроки пользуются одним
 и тем же ботом, а весь его чат и внеприложенческие уведомления пишутся на **языке
-интерфейса** самого игрока (en/ru). Гость — только сессия, с урезанными функциями (только
+интерфейса** самого игрока (en/ru). Рядом с основным может работать отдельный опциональный
+**промо-бот** — его единственная задача отвечать на `/start` коротким сообщением и кнопкой,
+открывающей приложение **основного** бота, где игрок выбирает нужный вариант игры; это точка входа
+для онбординга, не затрагивающая больше ничего. Гость — только сессия, с урезанными функциями (только
 авто-подбор; без друзей, статистики и истории); заброшенный гость, не вошедший ни
 в одну игру и простаивавший дольше окна удержания, удаляется сборщиком. Пока приложение открыто, клиент
 держит живой стрим и получает обновления в реальном времени — ход соперника, ваш ход,
@@ -54,6 +60,10 @@ Mini App** авторизует по подписанным `initData` плат
 рабочим вместо красного баннера каждый раз.
 
 ### Аккаунты, привязка и слияние
+_Вход сейчас только через провайдера, поэтому UI привязки в профиле временно скрыт; он
+вернётся, когда появится анонимный `/app/`-гость (для апгрейда которого он и нужен). Описание
+ниже — на этот случай._
+
 Первый контакт с платформы заводит постоянный аккаунт. Из профиля игрок
 привязывает email (по confirm-коду) или свой Telegram (через веб-вход); гость,
 привязавший первую личность, становится постоянным аккаунтом. Факт «личность уже
@@ -329,6 +339,15 @@ high-rate флага. С карточки пользователя операт
 истечении срока; оператор также может **разблокировать** с карточки пользователя в любой момент
 (уже проигранные партии не возвращаются).
 
+Там, где бот ведёт **привязанный к каналу чат-обсуждение**, по умолчанию писать может каждый, а бот
+**глушит** игрока, который **не зарегистрирован** или **заблокирован**, и снимает мьют, как только тот
+зарегистрируется или будет разблокирован. То есть незарегистрированного новичка, написавшего в чат,
+бот глушит (промо-бот направляет его в игру зарегистрироваться, после чего бот возвращает голос), а
+зарегистрированный незаблокированный игрок просто пишет. Оператор также может **замьютить игрока только
+в чате** — роль `chat_muted` на карточке пользователя — без полной блокировки аккаунта; блокировка
+аккаунта всё равно мьютит его в чате. Мьют и размьют срабатывают для игрока, уже находящегося в чате;
+того, кого в чате нет, это не затрагивает до его следующего входа.
+
 С карточки пользователя оператор также может **пополнить кошелёк подсказок** игрока: аддитивное
 начисление (1–100 подсказок за раз), которое **только увеличивает** баланс на карточке. Начисления
 **только в плюс** — понизить кошелёк из консоли нельзя (игрок теряет подсказки только тратя их в

docs/TESTING.md

@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ tests or touching CI.
   Postgres-backed `inttest` drives the **guest reaper** end to end (an abandoned guest is
   reaped; a too-young guest, a seated guest and a durable account are kept).
 - **Load test & resource baseline** — a reusable `loadtest/` module
-  (`scrabble/loadtest`) is the pre-release stress harness. It **seeds** a large account
+  (`scrabble/loadtest`) is the stress/load harness. It **seeds** a large account
   population with pre-created sessions directly in Postgres (token hashes matching
   `backend/internal/session`), **drives** virtual players through the edge protocol —
   real games assembled via invitations, **mid-ranked** legal moves generated locally by
@@ -133,9 +133,9 @@ tests or touching CI.
   engine tests do). It is **not** part of the per-PR suite's behavioural assertions: it
   runs ad hoc as a one-shot container against the contour, producing a trip report (bugs
   + a per-container resource profile) read off the **otelcol `docker_stats` +
-  postgres_exporter** Grafana dashboard on the contour. Two passes are recorded — the
-  early [`REPORT-R2.md`](../loadtest/REPORT-R2.md) and the final, tuned
-  [`REPORT-R7.md`](../loadtest/REPORT-R7.md). See [`../loadtest/README.md`](../loadtest/README.md).
+  postgres_exporter** Grafana dashboard on the contour. The findings — including the
+  `game.evaluate` hot-path model and the gateway→backend connection-pool fix — are written
+  up in [`REPORT.md`](../loadtest/REPORT.md). See [`../loadtest/README.md`](../loadtest/README.md).
 - **User feedback** — `internal/feedback` unit tests cover the attachment allow-list /
   content-type and the channel normaliser; the UI covers `detectChannel`, the attachment gate and
   the feedback wire round-trip (`channel` / `feedback` / `codec` tests) plus a Playwright e2e
@@ -154,13 +154,12 @@ tests or touching CI.
 - No network or real platform calls in unit tests; validate platform
   credentials behind an interface seam and test with fixtures.
 
-## Per-stage CI gate
+## CI gate
 
-Every completed stage is exercised on `gitea.iliadenisov.ru` before it is marked
-done in [`../PLAN.md`](../PLAN.md):
+Every change is exercised on `gitea.iliadenisov.ru` before it is merged:
 
-1. Commit the stage on its `feature/*` branch.
+1. Commit the change on its `feature/*` branch.
 2. Push to `origin`.
 3. Watch the run to completion — never hand-roll a poll loop:
    `python3 ~/.claude/bin/gitea-ci-watch.py` (launch in the background).
-4. Only after every workflow that fired is green may the stage be marked done.
+4. Only after every workflow that fired is green may the change be merged.

docs/UI_DESIGN.md

@@ -109,7 +109,10 @@ 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.
+  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`).
 - **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

gateway/Dockerfile

@@ -70,7 +70,9 @@ RUN rm gateway/internal/webui/dist/landing.html
 # Reduce the workspace to what the gateway needs: gateway + pkg (loadtest is not in
 # this context; its scrabble/gateway replace targets ./gateway, which is present here).
 RUN go work edit -dropuse=./backend -dropuse=./platform/telegram -dropuse=./loadtest
-RUN CGO_ENABLED=0 GOOS=linux go build -trimpath -o /out/gateway ./gateway/cmd/gateway
+# VERSION (the deploy passes the git tag) is stamped into the binary via the linker.
+ARG VERSION=dev
+RUN CGO_ENABLED=0 GOOS=linux go build -trimpath -ldflags "-X scrabble/pkg/version.Version=${VERSION}" -o /out/gateway ./gateway/cmd/gateway
 
 # --- runtime -----------------------------------------------------------------
 FROM gcr.io/distroless/static-debian12:nonroot AS gateway

gateway/cmd/gateway/main.go

@@ -147,7 +147,11 @@ func run(ctx context.Context, cfg config.Config, logger *zap.Logger) error {
 	// fire-and-forget; the backend admin relay (plaintext, internal) awaits the Ack.
 	var botHub *botlink.Hub
 	if cfg.BotLinkEnabled() {
-		botHub = botlink.NewHub(logger, tel.MeterProvider().Meter("scrabble/gateway/botlink"))
+		botHub = botlink.NewHub(logger, tel.MeterProvider().Meter("scrabble/gateway/botlink"),
+			func(ctx context.Context, externalID string) (bool, bool, error) {
+				r, rerr := backend.ChatEligibility(ctx, externalID)
+				return r.Registered, r.Eligible, rerr
+			})
 		tlsCfg, terr := mtls.ServerConfig(cfg.BotLink.CertFile, cfg.BotLink.KeyFile, cfg.BotLink.CAFile)
 		if terr != nil {
 			return terr
@@ -361,6 +365,15 @@ func runPushPump(ctx context.Context, backend *backendclient.Client, hub *push.H
 				}
 				break
 			}
+			// A chat-access-changed event is an infra signal, not an in-app event:
+			// resolve the recipient's Telegram identity and current eligibility and
+			// push the chat-gate command to the bot, without fanning it out to clients.
+			if ev.GetKind() == chatAccessChangedKind {
+				if bot != nil {
+					go deliverChatGate(ctx, backend, bot, ev.GetUserId(), logger)
+				}
+				continue
+			}
 			hub.Publish(push.Event{
 				UserID:  ev.GetUserId(),
 				Kind:    ev.GetKind(),
@@ -398,6 +411,27 @@ func deliverOutOfApp(ctx context.Context, backend *backendclient.Client, bot *bo
 	bot.Send(botlink.NotifyCommand(target.ExternalID, kind, payload, target.Language))
 }
 
+// chatAccessChangedKind is the backend event signalling that a player's moderated-chat
+// write eligibility may have changed; the gateway turns it into a bot-link chat-gate
+// command rather than an in-app event (it mirrors notify.KindChatAccessChanged).
+const chatAccessChangedKind = "chat_access_changed"
+
+// deliverChatGate resolves a chat-access-changed event to the recipient's Telegram
+// identity and current eligibility and pushes the chat-gate command to the bot. It is
+// best-effort: a recipient with no Telegram identity is skipped, and a resolve failure
+// is logged and dropped (the next moderation action, or a re-join, re-applies the gate).
+func deliverChatGate(ctx context.Context, backend *backendclient.Client, bot *botlink.Hub, userID string, logger *zap.Logger) {
+	res, err := backend.ChatAccessByUser(ctx, userID)
+	if err != nil {
+		logger.Warn("chat-gate resolve failed", zap.String("user_id", userID), zap.Error(err))
+		return
+	}
+	if res.ExternalID == "" {
+		return // no Telegram identity, nothing to gate
+	}
+	bot.Send(botlink.ChatGateCommand(res.ExternalID, res.Eligible))
+}
+
 // sleep waits for d or until ctx is cancelled, reporting whether it waited the
 // full duration.
 func sleep(ctx context.Context, d time.Duration) bool {

gateway/internal/backendclient/api.go

@@ -215,6 +215,34 @@ func (c *Client) PushTarget(ctx context.Context, userID string) (PushTargetResp,
 	return out, err
 }
 
+// ChatAccessResp is a user's moderated-chat write eligibility: ExternalID is their
+// Telegram identity (empty when they have none, so the gateway has nothing to gate),
+// Registered whether an account was found, and Eligible the final gate the bot applies
+// (registered and neither admin-suspended nor chat-muted).
+type ChatAccessResp struct {
+	ExternalID string `json:"external_id"`
+	Registered bool   `json:"registered"`
+	Eligible   bool   `json:"eligible"`
+}
+
+// ChatEligibility resolves a Telegram identity to its moderated-chat write
+// eligibility — the join path, when the bot sees a user enter the chat.
+func (c *Client) ChatEligibility(ctx context.Context, externalID string) (ChatAccessResp, error) {
+	var out ChatAccessResp
+	err := c.do(ctx, http.MethodPost, "/api/v1/internal/chat-access", "", "",
+		map[string]string{"external_id": externalID}, &out)
+	return out, err
+}
+
+// ChatAccessByUser resolves an account id to its Telegram identity and current
+// moderated-chat write eligibility — the change path, for a chat-access-changed event.
+func (c *Client) ChatAccessByUser(ctx context.Context, userID string) (ChatAccessResp, error) {
+	var out ChatAccessResp
+	err := c.do(ctx, http.MethodPost, "/api/v1/internal/chat-access", "", "",
+		map[string]string{"user_id": userID}, &out)
+	return out, err
+}
+
 // GuestAuth provisions a guest account and mints a session.
 func (c *Client) GuestAuth(ctx context.Context) (SessionResp, error) {
 	var out SessionResp

gateway/internal/backendclient/client.go

@@ -22,6 +22,19 @@ import (
 	pushv1 "scrabble/pkg/proto/push/v1"
 )
 
+// backendMaxIdleConns sizes the REST keep-alive pool to the single backend host. The
+// default transport caps idle connections per host at 2 (http.DefaultMaxIdleConnsPerHost),
+// which — since every synchronous client call proxies to that one host — forces a fresh
+// TCP connection (and a lingering TIME_WAIT socket) for almost every request under load.
+// That connection churn burns gateway CPU and exhausts ephemeral ports at scale, all
+// while the backend itself sits near-idle. Pooling the connections lets them be reused.
+//
+// The stress harness measured the effect at 500 concurrent players: the churn collapsed
+// from ~26 500 TIME_WAIT sockets to ~0 and peak gateway CPU from ~1.75 to ~0.26 cores,
+// with the pool settling at ~225 live connections. 512 keeps ~2x headroom over that
+// observed peak so a burst never re-caps the pool. See loadtest/REPORT.md.
+const backendMaxIdleConns = 512
+
 // Client calls the backend's REST API and opens its push gRPC stream.
 type Client struct {
 	baseURL string
@@ -41,9 +54,14 @@ func New(httpURL, grpcAddr string, timeout time.Duration) (*Client, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("backendclient: dial push %s: %w", grpcAddr, err)
 	}
+	// Clone the default transport (keeping its proxy, dialer and timeouts) and widen the
+	// idle pool so REST calls to the backend reuse connections instead of churning them.
+	transport := http.DefaultTransport.(*http.Transport).Clone()
+	transport.MaxIdleConns = backendMaxIdleConns
+	transport.MaxIdleConnsPerHost = backendMaxIdleConns
 	return &Client{
 		baseURL: strings.TrimRight(httpURL, "/"),
-		http:    &http.Client{Timeout: timeout},
+		http:    &http.Client{Timeout: timeout, Transport: transport},
 		conn:    conn,
 		push:    pushv1.NewPushClient(conn),
 	}, nil

gateway/internal/backendclient/client_internal_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+package backendclient
+
+import (
+	"net/http"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// TestBackendTransportPoolsConnections guards the fix for the gateway->backend
+// connection churn. Every synchronous client call proxies to the single backend host,
+// so the REST client must widen the idle-connection pool past the default per-host cap
+// of 2 (http.DefaultMaxIdleConnsPerHost) — otherwise almost every request under load
+// opens a fresh TCP connection that then lingers in TIME_WAIT, burning gateway CPU and
+// exhausting ephemeral ports. Reverting to the default transport (`&http.Client{...}`
+// with no Transport) would silently reintroduce that, so assert the pool is widened.
+func TestBackendTransportPoolsConnections(t *testing.T) {
+	c, err := New("http://backend.invalid", "localhost:9090", time.Second)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("New: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer func() { _ = c.Close() }()
+
+	tr, ok := c.http.Transport.(*http.Transport)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("REST transport = %T, want a *http.Transport with a widened idle pool", c.http.Transport)
+	}
+	if tr.MaxIdleConnsPerHost <= http.DefaultMaxIdleConnsPerHost {
+		t.Errorf("MaxIdleConnsPerHost = %d, want > default %d (else per-call connection churn)",
+			tr.MaxIdleConnsPerHost, http.DefaultMaxIdleConnsPerHost)
+	}
+}

gateway/internal/botlink/command.go

@@ -36,3 +36,15 @@ func SendToGameChannelCommand(text string) *botlinkv1.Command {
 		}},
 	}
 }
+
+// ChatGateCommand builds a chat-gate command that sets whether the Telegram user
+// identified by externalID may write in the moderated discussion chat. The bot
+// applies it only to a member currently in the chat (guarded on getChatMember).
+func ChatGateCommand(externalID string, allow bool) *botlinkv1.Command {
+	return &botlinkv1.Command{
+		Payload: &botlinkv1.Command_ChatGate{ChatGate: &botlinkv1.ChatGateCommand{
+			ExternalId: externalID,
+			Allow:      allow,
+		}},
+	}
+}

gateway/internal/botlink/hub.go

@@ -31,6 +31,13 @@ var ErrNoBot = errors.New("botlink: no bot connected")
 // (at-most-once under backpressure).
 const outboundBuffer = 64
 
+// EligibilityResolver answers a Telegram identity's moderated-chat write eligibility
+// for the bot's join-time ResolveChatEligibility query: registered reports whether the
+// identity maps to an account, eligible is the final gate the bot acts on (registered
+// and neither admin-suspended nor chat-muted). The gateway backs it with the backend
+// chat-access endpoint.
+type EligibilityResolver func(ctx context.Context, externalID string) (registered, eligible bool, err error)
+
 // Hub registers connected bots and routes send commands to them. A single bot is
 // expected today; the registry already holds a set so adding more later needs no
 // rewrite.
@@ -38,6 +45,7 @@ type Hub struct {
 	botlinkv1.UnimplementedBotLinkServer
 
 	log         *zap.Logger
+	eligibility EligibilityResolver
 
 	mu      sync.Mutex
 	links   map[*link]struct{}
@@ -56,13 +64,16 @@ type link struct {
 	out         chan *botlinkv1.ToBot
 }
 
-// NewHub builds a Hub. A nil meter disables metrics; a nil logger is tolerated.
-func NewHub(log *zap.Logger, meter metric.Meter) *Hub {
+// NewHub builds a Hub. resolve answers the bot's join-time chat-eligibility query
+// (nil rejects it as unavailable). A nil meter disables metrics; a nil logger is
+// tolerated.
+func NewHub(log *zap.Logger, meter metric.Meter, resolve EligibilityResolver) *Hub {
 	if log == nil {
 		log = zap.NewNop()
 	}
 	h := &Hub{
 		log:         log,
+		eligibility: resolve,
 		links:       make(map[*link]struct{}),
 		pending:     make(map[string]chan *botlinkv1.Ack),
 	}
@@ -120,6 +131,22 @@ func (h *Hub) Link(stream grpc.BidiStreamingServer[botlinkv1.FromBot, botlinkv1.
 	}
 }
 
+// ResolveChatEligibility serves the bot's join-time query: whether the Telegram user
+// identified in the request may write in the moderated discussion chat. It delegates
+// to the configured resolver (the backend chat-access endpoint), unlike the streamed
+// Commands it is a plain request/response over the same mTLS channel.
+func (h *Hub) ResolveChatEligibility(ctx context.Context, req *botlinkv1.ChatEligibilityRequest) (*botlinkv1.ChatEligibilityResponse, error) {
+	if h.eligibility == nil {
+		return nil, status.Error(codes.Unavailable, "chat eligibility resolver not configured")
+	}
+	registered, eligible, err := h.eligibility(ctx, req.GetExternalId())
+	if err != nil {
+		h.log.Warn("resolve chat eligibility failed", zap.String("external_id", req.GetExternalId()), zap.Error(err))
+		return nil, status.Error(codes.Internal, "resolve chat eligibility")
+	}
+	return &botlinkv1.ChatEligibilityResponse{Registered: registered, Eligible: eligible}, nil
+}
+
 // register adds a connected bot.
 func (h *Hub) register(l *link) {
 	h.mu.Lock()

gateway/internal/botlink/hub_test.go

@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/codes"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/credentials/insecure"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/status"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/test/bufconn"
 
 	botlinkv1 "scrabble/pkg/proto/botlink/v1"
@@ -23,12 +25,18 @@ type fakeBot struct {
 	received  chan *botlinkv1.Command
 }
 
-// startHub registers a Hub on an in-memory gRPC server and returns the hub plus a
-// dialer for fake bots.
+// startHub registers a Hub (no chat-eligibility resolver) on an in-memory gRPC
+// server and returns the hub plus a dialer for fake bots.
 func startHub(t *testing.T) (*Hub, func(t *testing.T) botlinkv1.BotLinkClient) {
+	return startHubWith(t, nil)
+}
+
+// startHubWith is startHub with an explicit chat-eligibility resolver, for the
+// ResolveChatEligibility tests.
+func startHubWith(t *testing.T, resolve EligibilityResolver) (*Hub, func(t *testing.T) botlinkv1.BotLinkClient) {
 	t.Helper()
 	lis := bufconn.Listen(1 << 20)
-	hub := NewHub(nil, nil)
+	hub := NewHub(nil, nil, resolve)
 	srv := grpc.NewServer()
 	botlinkv1.RegisterBotLinkServer(srv, hub)
 	go func() { _ = srv.Serve(lis) }()
@@ -162,6 +170,62 @@ func TestHubSendAsync(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestHubSendChatGate(t *testing.T) {
+	hub, dial := startHub(t)
+	ctx := t.Context()
+	bot := &fakeBot{ack: false}
+	bot.connect(t, ctx, hub, dial(t))
+
+	hub.Send(ChatGateCommand("42", true))
+	select {
+	case cmd := <-bot.received:
+		cg := cmd.GetChatGate()
+		if cg.GetExternalId() != "42" || !cg.GetAllow() {
+			t.Errorf("chat_gate = %+v, want external_id=42 allow=true", cg)
+		}
+	case <-time.After(time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("bot received no command")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestHubResolveChatEligibility(t *testing.T) {
+	var gotExt string
+	_, dial := startHubWith(t, func(_ context.Context, ext string) (bool, bool, error) {
+		gotExt = ext
+		return true, ext == "good", nil
+	})
+	client := dial(t)
+	ctx := t.Context()
+
+	resp, err := client.ResolveChatEligibility(ctx, &botlinkv1.ChatEligibilityRequest{ExternalId: "good"})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ResolveChatEligibility: %v", err)
+	}
+	if gotExt != "good" {
+		t.Errorf("resolver external_id = %q, want good", gotExt)
+	}
+	if !resp.GetRegistered() || !resp.GetEligible() {
+		t.Errorf("resp = %+v, want registered+eligible", resp)
+	}
+
+	resp, err = client.ResolveChatEligibility(ctx, &botlinkv1.ChatEligibilityRequest{ExternalId: "muted"})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ResolveChatEligibility(muted): %v", err)
+	}
+	if !resp.GetRegistered() || resp.GetEligible() {
+		t.Errorf("resp = %+v, want registered but not eligible", resp)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestHubResolveChatEligibilityUnconfigured(t *testing.T) {
+	_, dial := startHub(t) // nil resolver
+	client := dial(t)
+	_, err := client.ResolveChatEligibility(t.Context(), &botlinkv1.ChatEligibilityRequest{ExternalId: "x"})
+	if status.Code(err) != codes.Unavailable {
+		t.Fatalf("err = %v, want Unavailable", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestRelayServerNoBot(t *testing.T) {
 	hub, _ := startHub(t)
 	relay := NewRelayServer(hub, 200*time.Millisecond)

gateway/internal/botlink/mtls_test.go

@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ func startMTLSHub(t *testing.T) (hub *Hub, addr, caFile, cliCert, cliKey string)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("listen: %v", err)
 	}
-	hub = NewHub(nil, nil)
+	hub = NewHub(nil, nil, nil)
 	srv := grpc.NewServer(grpc.Creds(credentials.NewTLS(tlsCfg)))
 	botlinkv1.RegisterBotLinkServer(srv, hub)
 	go func() { _ = srv.Serve(lis) }()

loadtest/Dockerfile

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

loadtest/README.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # loadtest — stress harness
 
-Reusable load harness for the pre-release stress pass. It
+Reusable load/stress harness. It
 seeds a large account population with pre-created sessions, drives virtual players
 through the **gateway edge protocol** in realistic games, hammers the rate limiter,
 and prints a trip-report summary. It stays in the repo for repeats.
@@ -15,10 +15,12 @@ and prints a trip-report summary. It stays in the repo for repeats.
 2. **Drive** (edge protocol over h2c): assembles real 2–4 player games via the
    invitation flow (`invitation.create` → `invitation.accept`, no robots), then runs
    each player's turn loop — poll `game.state`, replay `game.history`, generate a legal
-   **mid-ranked** move with the embedded `scrabble-solver`, and `game.submit_play`
-   (or pass/exchange). A fraction of turns exercise nudge / chat / check-word / draft /
-   profile-update / stats. Each player also holds a live `Subscribe` stream. The
-   moderate ramp is **50 → 200 → 500** concurrent players, ~12 min per step.
+   **mid-ranked** move with the embedded `scrabble-solver`, **compose it tile by tile with
+   the debounced `game.evaluate` preview a real client fires** (the hottest gameplay call),
+   persist a `draft.save`, and `game.submit_play` (or pass/exchange). A fraction of turns
+   exercise nudge / chat / check-word / draft / profile-update / stats. Each player also
+   holds a live `Subscribe` stream. The moderate ramp is **50 → 200 → 500** concurrent
+   players, ~12 min per step. `--eval=false` drops the evaluate model for an A/B baseline.
 3. **Hammer**: drives `games.list` from one account far above the per-user rate limit
    to verify the limiter holds (`rate_limited` results) and measure its cost.
 4. **Report**: per-operation latency percentiles, throughput, result-code breakdown,
@@ -33,8 +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
-docker build -f loadtest/Dockerfile -t scrabble-loadtest .
+# 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 .
 
 docker run --rm --cpus=3 --name scrabble-loadtest --network scrabble-internal \
   -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD="$TEST_POSTGRES_PASSWORD" \
@@ -72,6 +74,8 @@ Key `run` flags (env in parentheses):
 | `--games-per-player` | `0` (random 3–5) | target concurrent games per player |
 | `--tick` | `800ms` | per-player op cadence (keeps a player under the per-user limit) |
 | `--secondary-prob` | `0.08` | chance per tick of a non-move op |
+| `--eval` | `true` | model the per-tile `game.evaluate` preview (the gameplay hot path); `false` reproduces the pre-evaluate harness |
+| `--eval-recon` | `1` | extra full-composition evaluate re-previews per play (reconsideration), beyond one per placed tile |
 | `--hammer-workers` / `--hammer-dur` | `20` / `15s` | gateway-hammer (0 workers disables) |
 | `--reset` / `--cleanup` | `false` | delete harness rows before / after the run |
 
@@ -93,16 +97,16 @@ runs unconditionally. Use an **absolute** path (here via `$PWD`): `go test ./loa
 runs each package from its own directory, so a relative `BACKEND_DICT_DIR` would not
 resolve.
 
-## Trip reports
+## Trip report
 
-The two stress passes are written up in the repo: the early pass in
-[`REPORT-R2.md`](REPORT-R2.md) and the final, tuned pass in
-[`REPORT-R7.md`](REPORT-R7.md).
+The stress findings — the final run, the `game.evaluate` hot-path model, the
+gateway→backend connection-pool fix, and the revised sizing — are written up in
+[`REPORT.md`](REPORT.md).
 
 ## Caveat
 
 The harness shares the host CPU with the contour, so its own `scrabble-loadtest`
 container series is read alongside the system under test; capping it with `--cpus`
-keeps the contour's quota. Per-player transports (R7) removed the shared-transport
-artifact that inflated R2's `transport_error`, so the figures reflect the system. A
+keeps the contour's quota. Per-player transports removed the shared-transport
+artifact that previously inflated `transport_error`, so the figures reflect the system. A
 fully isolated ceiling on separate hardware remains future work.

loadtest/REPORT-R2.md

@@ -1,162 +0,0 @@
-# R2 — early stress-run trip report
-
-The early stress pass for `PRERELEASE.md` R2. It exercises the system through the
-**edge protocol** with the `scrabble/loadtest` harness, to surface logic/concurrency
-bugs and capture a resource baseline that feeds R3 (edge hardening), R6 (refactor) and
-R7 (final tuning). Pass bar: **diagnostic** — the run "passes" by completing without the
-harness crashing; findings are recorded below, not gated.
-
-## Method
-
-- **Driver:** the `scrabble/loadtest` module, run as a one-shot container on the
-  `scrabble-internal` docker network (reaching `postgres:5432` and `gateway:8081`
-  directly, bypassing the host→gateway hairpin).
-- **Seed:** 10 000 durable + 1 000 guest accounts with pre-created sessions written
-  directly to Postgres (token hash matches `backend/internal/session`), so the driver
-  authenticates without the per-IP-limited auth ops.
-- **Games:** assembled through the real **invitation** flow (`invitation.create` →
-  `invitation.accept`), 2–4 players each, no robots; variants spread over
-  scrabble_en / scrabble_ru / erudit_ru.
-- **Play:** each virtual player holds a live `Subscribe` stream and, per tick, polls
-  `game.state`, replays `game.history` and submits a **mid-ranked** legal move generated
-  locally by the embedded `scrabble-solver` (the edge carries no board), or
-  passes/exchanges; a fraction exercise nudge / chat / check-word / draft / profile /
-  stats. A separate **gateway-hammer** floods `games.list` from one account.
-- **Scale:** moderate ramp **50 → 200 → 500** concurrent players, 10 min/step (the
-  agreed moderate profile; harness and contour share this host's CPU).
-- **Resource capture:** `docker stats` (docker API) sampled every 28 s for per-container
-  CPU/memory; Prometheus for edge latency/throughput, `postgres_exporter` internals and
-  per-service Go runtime metrics.
-
-## Run configuration
-
-```
-loadtest run --durable 10000 --guest 1000 --steps 50,200,500 --step-dur 10m \
-             --tick 800ms --hammer-workers 20 --hammer-dur 15s --cleanup
-```
-
-Date: 2026-06-09. Contour: the R1-baseline schema, freshly deployed with the R2
-exporters. Seeded population removed by `--cleanup` afterwards.
-
-## Findings
-
-### Validated (fixed within R2)
-- **Harness draft payload.** `draft.save` first returned `bad_request`: the backend
-  draft DTO's `rack_order` is a string (the harness sent `[]`). Fixed → `ok`.
-- **Harness profile marker.** `profile.update` first returned `invalid_profile`: the
-  editable-display-name validator (`backend/internal/account/profile.go`) forbids digits
-  and colons, but the seed marker was `lt:…`. Switched the marker to a distinctive
-  letters-only string → `ok`. Cleanup still matches it.
-
-### By-design behaviour (correctly exercised, not bugs)
-- **`chat_not_your_turn`** — chat is gated to the sender's turn
-  (`backend/internal/social/chat.go`); off-turn posts are correctly rejected.
-- **`nudge_own_turn`** — you nudge the player whose turn it is, so a nudge on your own
-  turn is correctly rejected. The harness nudges/chats at random ticks, so a share of
-  these codes is expected.
-
-### Observability gap (key R7 input)
-- **cAdvisor yields only the root cgroup on the contour host.** Its docker factory
-  registers, but per-container init fails — `failed to identify the read-write layer ID
-  … /rootfs/var/lib/docker/image/overlayfs/…: no such file or directory` — because this
-  host's `/var/lib/docker` is a **separate XFS mount** not visible under cAdvisor's
-  `/rootfs` bind (the existing galaxy deployment on the same host has the same
-  limitation). So the **Scrabble — Resources** dashboard's per-container panels are empty
-  here, and per-container CPU/RSS for this run was captured via `docker stats` instead.
-  Postgres internals (`postgres_exporter`) and per-service Go runtime metrics
-  (`go_*` by `service_name`) work. **Recommendation for R7:** adopt the otelcol
-  **`docker_stats`** receiver (already the contrib image) — it reads per-container stats
-  via the docker API with no cgroup dependency — and/or run the final pass on hardware
-  where cAdvisor resolves containers. (Decision to confirm with the owner.)
-
-### Run results
-
-The ramp ran clean to 500 players with no harness crash, no deadlock and
-`stream errors: 0`; cleanup removed all 11 000 seeded accounts (and their ~941 games).
-
-- **Ramp:** step 1 = 50 players / 90 games, step 2 = 200 / 282, step 3 = 500 / 569.
-- **Volume (30 min):** 1.20 M total edge calls, 659 req/s average. Real gameplay at
-  scale: **48 870 committed plays**, 52 772 `your_turn` + 159 631 `opponent_moved`
-  events, **2 798 games finished**.
-- **Latency under load (peak, step 3):** `game.state` p50 ≈ 100 ms, p90/p99 in the
-  200–500 ms buckets, max 849 ms; `game.submit_play` similar (p99 ≤ 500 ms, max 490 ms).
-  Lobby ops stayed fast (invitation/games.list p99 ≤ 10 ms).
-- **Rate limiter holds.** The gateway-hammer sent 522 667 `games.list` from one account;
-  **522 486 (99.97 %) were `rate_limited`**, only 135 `ok` (the burst). Rejections are
-  cheap — p99 = 2 ms — and the gateway sustained ~16 k req/s of rejections during the
-  flood. The per-user limiter behaves as designed (R3 input: the cost is negligible).
-
-**Top finding — `transport_error` under saturation.** At 500 players ~14 % of
-`game.state` calls (72 429 / 519 067) and a few % of the other ops returned a Connect
-`transport_error` (not a domain code). It correlates with the CPU saturation below: the
-backend/gateway are pinned near one core each while the host also runs the 86 %-core
-harness, so the edge sheds load (resets/timeouts) at the knee. It is **amplified by a
-harness artifact** — all 500 virtual players multiplex over a *single* shared
-`http2.Transport`, so 500 persistent `Subscribe` streams plus Execute calls press on one
-HTTP/2 connection's concurrent-stream limit; real clients each use their own connection.
-**Actions:** R7 harness — give each player (or a pool) its own transport, and run on
-hardware not shared with the contour; R3 — confirm the gateway's h2c
-`MaxConcurrentStreams` and edge timeouts are sized for many persistent streams.
-
-**Minor findings:**
-- `unauthenticated` on a tiny share (188 / 519 067 `game.state`, ~0.04 %) — transient
-  session-resolve failures under load; worth a glance in R3 but not material.
-- one `internal` on `game.pass` (1 / 4 788).
-- `game_finished` dominates `chat.nudge`/`chat.post` (≈ 3 900 each): the harness keeps
-  secondary ops on games that already ended. Harness refinement — drop finished games
-  from the rotation (R7).
-- `nudge_own_turn` / `chat_not_your_turn` / `nudge_too_soon` are the expected turn/rate
-  gates, correctly exercised.
-
-## Resource baseline
-
-Per-container peak during step 3 (500 players), from `docker stats`:
-
-| container | peak CPU | memory |
-|-----------|---------:|-------:|
-| scrabble-backend | **99 %** (~1 core) | 91 MiB |
-| scrabble-gateway | **93 %** | 76 MiB |
-| scrabble-postgres | **90 %** | 69 MiB |
-| scrabble-loadtest (harness) | **86 %** | 42 MiB |
-| scrabble-otelcol | 10 % | 110 MiB |
-| scrabble-tempo | 9 % | 446 MiB |
-| prometheus / postgres-exporter | ~0 % | 46 / 16 MiB |
-
-- **The contour is CPU-bound at 500 concurrent players:** backend, gateway and Postgres
-  each saturate ~1 core (single-instance MVP config), so the system draws ~3 cores at
-  this scale; memory is modest (≤ 100 MiB per Go service). This is the sizing input for
-  R7 (pool sizes, GOMAXPROCS, container limits) and the prod cutover.
-- **Caveat:** the harness itself peaked at **86 % of a core** on the *same host*, so the
-  step-3 latency and `transport_error` figures are pessimistic — the contour competed
-  with the generator for CPU. A clean ceiling needs separate hardware (R7).
-- **Postgres:** peak 28 backend connections, ~5 581 commits/s at the peak, **100 % cache
-  hit ratio** (no disk reads) — the DB was comfortable; CPU, not I/O, is its limit here.
-- **Goroutines:** backend 638, gateway **1 698** (it holds the 500 `Subscribe` streams +
-  per-request goroutines), telegram 49 — all stable, no leak across the ramp.
-
-## Recommendations feeding later phases
-- **R3 (edge hardening):** the per-user limiter holds (99.97 % rejected, p99 2 ms) — add
-  the per-IP body-size cap on top. Investigate the **~14 % `transport_error` on
-  `game.state` at 500 players**: confirm the gateway h2c `MaxConcurrentStreams` and edge
-  read/write timeouts are sized for many persistent `Subscribe` streams, and glance at the
-  ~0.04 % transient `unauthenticated` resolves under load.
-- **R6 (refactor):** no logic bug forced a code change beyond the two harness-payload
-  fixes; the run surfaced no deadlock or goroutine leak across the ramp.
-- **R7 (final tuning + stress):** (1) fix the per-container observability gap — adopt the
-  otelcol `docker_stats` receiver so Grafana shows per-container CPU/RSS on the contour;
-  (2) refine the harness — per-player/pooled transports and dropping finished games from
-  the rotation — and run on hardware **not** shared with the contour; (3) size pools /
-  GOMAXPROCS / container limits from the CPU-bound peak (~1 core each for backend, gateway,
-  Postgres at 500 players).
-
-## Re-running
-
-See [`README.md`](README.md). Briefly, from the repo root:
-
-```sh
-docker build -f loadtest/Dockerfile -t scrabble-loadtest .
-docker run --rm --name scrabble-loadtest --network scrabble-internal \
-  -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=… scrabble-loadtest run    # add --reset on a re-run
-```
-
-The harness stays in the repo for the R7 repeat.

loadtest/REPORT-R7.md

@@ -1,212 +0,0 @@
-# R7 — final stress-run trip report
-
-The final pre-release stress pass for [`PRERELEASE.md`](../PRERELEASE.md) R7. It re-runs
-the R2 harness (`scrabble/loadtest`) against the **final, refactored system** on a
-freshly redeployed contour, to confirm the system holds at scale and to settle the
-resource sizing (container limits, `GOMAXPROCS`, pools, rate limits, log levels) before
-the Stage 18 prod cutover. Pass bar: **diagnostic + a tuning decision** — the run
-"passes" by completing cleanly; the per-container resource profile drives the tuning
-recorded below. Companion to the early pass, [`REPORT-R2.md`](REPORT-R2.md).
-
-## What changed since the R2 pass
-
-- **Harness — per-player transports.** Each virtual player now owns its `edge.Client`
-  (its own `http2.Transport` / h2c connection carrying both its `Subscribe` stream and
-  its `Execute` calls), instead of all players multiplexing over one shared transport.
-  R2 traced the ~14 % `transport_error` on `game.state` at 500 players to that single
-  shared connection's stream limit; per-player connections mirror real clients and
-  remove the artifact, so this pass measures the system, not the harness.
-- **Harness — drop finished games.** `playTurn` reports a finished game and the player
-  drops it from its rotation, so secondary ops stop hitting `game_finished` on ended
-  games (the other R2 harness finding).
-- **Observability — otelcol `docker_stats`.** cAdvisor (which resolves only the root
-  cgroup on this host — separate-XFS `/var/lib/docker`) is replaced by the otelcol
-  `docker_stats` receiver, reading per-container CPU/memory/network from the Docker API.
-  Per-container panels now populate on the contour host. (`api_version` pinned to 1.44;
-  the daemon's minimum is 1.40.)
-- **Contour — container limits + `GOMAXPROCS`.** `deploy.resources.limits` now bound
-  every service; the Go services pin `GOMAXPROCS` to their CPU limit so the runtime
-  matches the cgroup quota. Starting values were generous over the R2 peak; this pass
-  validates them and settles the agreed sizing (below).
-
-## Method
-
-Unchanged from R2 except for the per-player transports and the dropped-finished-games
-refinement above:
-
-- **Driver:** the `scrabble/loadtest` module, run as a one-shot container on the
-  `scrabble-internal` docker network (reaching `postgres:5432` / `gateway:8081`
-  directly), capped at `--cpus 3` so the contour keeps the host's spare cores.
-- **Seed:** 10 000 durable + 1 000 guest accounts with pre-created sessions written
-  straight to Postgres (token hash matches `backend/internal/session`).
-- **Games:** assembled through the real **invitation** flow, 2–4 players each, no
-  robots; variants over scrabble_en / scrabble_ru / erudit_ru.
-- **Play:** each player holds a live `Subscribe` stream and, per tick, polls
-  `game.state`, replays `game.history` and submits a **mid-ranked** legal move generated
-  locally by the embedded `scrabble-solver`, or passes / exchanges; a fraction exercise
-  nudge / chat / check-word / draft / profile / stats. A separate **gateway-hammer**
-  floods `games.list` from one account.
-- **Scale:** the same moderate ramp **50 → 200 → 500** concurrent players, 10 min/step.
-- **Resource capture:** `docker stats` (docker API) sampled every ~20 s for per-container
-  CPU/memory; the otelcol **`docker_stats`** receiver → Prometheus → the Grafana
-  **Scrabble — Resources** dashboard for the same per-container series; `postgres_exporter`
-  internals and per-service Go runtime metrics.
-
-## Run configuration
-
-```
-docker run --rm --cpus=3 --name scrabble-loadtest --network scrabble-internal \
-  -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=… scrabble-loadtest \
-  run --durable 10000 --guest 1000 --steps 50,200,500 --step-dur 10m \
-      --tick 800ms --hammer-workers 20 --hammer-dur 15s --reset --cleanup
-```
-
-Date: 2026-06-10. Contour: the R1-baseline schema, freshly redeployed with the R7
-container limits / `GOMAXPROCS` (backend/gateway/postgres capped at 2 cores + 512 MiB,
-`GOMAXPROCS=2`) and the `docker_stats` observability. Seeded population removed by
-`--cleanup` afterwards.
-
-## Findings
-
-The ramp ran clean to 500 players — no harness crash, no deadlock, `stream errors: 0` —
-and cleanup removed all 11 000 seeded accounts.
-
-- **Volume (1827 s):** 821 680 edge calls (449.7 req/s incl. the hammer). Real gameplay
-  at scale: **50 916 committed plays**, 4 817 passes, 2 931 games finished; 165 755
-  `opponent_moved` + 54 864 `your_turn` events.
-- **The per-player transport fix worked.** `game.state` returned `transport_error` on
-  **3 173 / 127 403 = 2.49 %** of calls — down from R2's ~14 % on the same step. Other
-  ops were lower still (`game.history` 0.43 %, `game.submit_play` 0.28 %). The residual
-  is the gateway bursting into its 2-core cap (see the profile below), not the harness.
-- **Dropping finished games worked.** `game_finished` on `chat.nudge` / `chat.post` fell
-  to **35 / 36** (R2: ≈ 3 900 each) — secondary ops no longer hammer ended games.
-- **The limiter holds.** The gateway-hammer sent 565 152 `games.list`; **564 979
-  (99.97 %) were `rate_limited`** (154 ok burst, 19 deadline), p99 = 2 ms, ~309 req/s of
-  rejections sustained — unchanged from R2.
-- **Latency (peak):** `game.state` p50 ≈ 100 ms, p99 in the 2000 ms bucket (max 2549 ms);
-  `game.submit_play` p50 100 / p99 1000 ms bucket. Lobby ops stayed fast
-  (invitation / games.list p99 ≤ 10 ms). The p99 tail correlates with the gateway
-  burst-throttling, not the backend (which stayed at ~0.85 core).
-
-## Resource profile
-
-Per-container peak during step 3 (500 players), with the R7 starting limits in force
-(backend/gateway/postgres capped at 2 cores / 512 MiB). Two CPU columns: `docker stats`
-samples a ~1 s window (catches bursts); the otelcol `docker_stats` receiver averages over
-its 30 s collection interval (smooths them) — they agree within sampling error, which
-validates the new observability path.
-
-| container | CPU burst (1 s) | CPU sustained (30 s) | CPU cap | mem peak | mem cap |
-|-----------|----------------:|---------------------:|--------:|---------:|--------:|
-| scrabble-gateway | **217 %** (at cap) | ~145 % | 200 % | 167 MiB | 512 MiB |
-| scrabble-postgres | 138 % | ~153 % | 200 % | 117 MiB | 512 MiB |
-| scrabble-backend | 85 % | ~89 % | 200 % | 116 MiB | 512 MiB |
-| scrabble-tempo | 33 % | — | (none) | **1024 MiB** (at cap) | 1024 MiB |
-| scrabble-otelcol | 11 % | — | (none) | 131 MiB | 512 MiB |
-| scrabble-loadtest (harness) | 157 % | — | 300 % | 369 MiB | — |
-
-- **The gateway is the binding constraint.** With one h2c connection per player it draws
-  ~1.45 cores sustained and **bursts to its 2-core cap** at 500 players, throttling
-  briefly — the source of the 2.49 % `transport_error`. R2 saw only ~0.93 core because
-  all 500 players shared one connection; the +~0.5 core is the realistic per-connection
-  overhead (500 separate HTTP/2 connections). This is a sizing fact, not a regression.
-- **backend is over-provisioned** (~0.85 core vs a 2-core cap); **postgres** (~1.4 cores)
-  has headroom; both stayed ≤ 120 MiB.
-- **tempo reached its 1 GiB memory cap** (R2: 446 MiB) — an OOM risk under sustained
-  tracing.
-- **Postgres backends peaked at 28**, with the backend pool at its `MaxOpenConns=25` cap.
-  Cache hit stayed ~100 % (no disk reads); CPU, not I/O, is the limit.
-- **docker log volume (30 min):** backend 14.2 MiB, gateway 4.6 MiB, postgres 0.04 MiB —
-  the backend's per-request latency line at info dominates, and json-file logs had no
-  rotation.
-
-## Tuning applied
-
-Agreed from the profile (all in `deploy/docker-compose.yml`; no code change — the pool
-is already env-driven):
-
-| knob | from | to | why |
-|------|------|----|-----|
-| gateway CPU + `GOMAXPROCS` | 2 cores / 2 | **3 cores / 3** | it bursts into the 2-core cap at 500 players (the 2.49 % `transport_error`); 3 absorbs the bursts |
-| tempo memory | 1 GiB | **2 GiB** | it reached the 1 GiB cap (OOM risk) |
-| backend `MAX_OPEN_CONNS` | 25 | **40** | the pool sat at its 25-conn cap at peak; headroom trims the p99 tail |
-| docker logs | unbounded | **json-file 10m × 3** | bound the ~14 MiB / 30 min backend log; level stays `info` |
-
-Left as-is: backend / postgres at 2 cores / 512 MiB (peak ~0.85 / ~1.4 cores — headroom
-is cheap on the shared host); the per-user rate limiter and `h2cMaxConcurrentStreams=250`
-(per-connection now, ~1 stream each — ample) and cache TTLs (no pressure observed).
-
-### Validation re-run
-
-Re-running the **same gradual ramp** (50 → 200 → 500) on the tuned contour confirms the
-fix:
-
-- **`game.state` `transport_error` fell to 0.72 %** (853 / 119 051), down from 2.49 % at
-  2 cores. The latency tail also improved — p99 in the 1000 ms bucket, max 1220 ms (was
-  the 2000 ms bucket, max 2549 ms).
-- The **gateway peaked at ~2 cores** (≈196 % on the 30 s gauge) — now comfortably **under
-  the 3-core cap**, so it no longer throttles. backend ~1 core, postgres ~1.3 cores.
-- **tempo peaked at ~1.27 GiB** — under the new 2 GiB cap (it would have OOM-ed at 1 GiB).
-- Drop-finished still holds (`game_finished` on chat 41/42); the limiter still rejects
-  99.97 % of the hammer at p99 2 ms; `stream errors: 0`.
-
-A separate **burst stress** (a single 100 → 500 jump — 400 players connecting at once)
-**pegged the gateway at 3 cores** (≈296 % sustained) and pushed `game.state`
-`transport_error` to 9.27 %. The gateway is **connection-CPU-bound and bursty**: average
-load is ~1 core, but a mass-simultaneous connection storm saturates whatever single-node
-cap it is given. Real arrivals are gradual (the canonical run), where 3 cores has
-headroom; the lever for a true arrival spike is **horizontal scaling**, not more cores per
-node — carried into the prod recommendation below.
-
-## Prod-sizing recommendation (Stage 18)
-
-The contour is **CPU-bound and gateway-led** at 500 concurrent players. Carry these to the
-prod contour env (the same compose, `PROD_*` values):
-
-- **gateway: ≥ 3 cores** per ~500 concurrent players, `GOMAXPROCS` pinned to the limit —
-  it scales with the **connection count**, not just the request rate; beyond one node's
-  worth, scale the gateway **horizontally** rather than vertically.
-- **backend: ~1–2 cores**, pool 40 — comfortable; the work is light per request.
-- **postgres: ~2 cores / ≥ 512 MiB** — ~1.4 cores at 500 players, 100 % cache hit.
-- **tempo: ≥ 2 GiB**; the Go services run under ~170 MiB (256 MiB would suffice, 512 is
-  safe); pin `GOMAXPROCS` to each CPU limit; keep json-file rotation.
-- Memory is not the constraint anywhere; CPU is.
-
-### VPS / VDS sizing (single-host contour)
-
-The whole contour (the app + the observability stack) runs on one host via
-`docker-compose`. The tiers below are grounded in the R7 profile (**≈5.5 cores / ≈2.5 GiB
-RAM peak at 500 concurrent players**; ≈0.5 GiB idle) and the **measured** on-disk
-footprint: prod images ≈2.4 GB; the Tempo volume **3.1 GB at 72 h** retention; Prometheus
-≈1–2 GB at 15 d; the game DB 23 MiB and growing with history. CPU and disk grow; RAM has
-the most slack.
-
-| tier | CPU | RAM | disk | handles |
-|------|-----|-----|------|---------|
-| **Minimum** | 2 cores | 2 GiB | 20 GiB | ~up to ~150 concurrent; lower the compose limits (gateway 1.5 / backend·postgres 1 / tempo 1 GiB) to fit the box |
-| **Average** (reasonable load) | 4 cores | 4 GiB | 40 GiB | ~300–400 concurrent comfortably; the tested 500 with occasional gateway burst-throttling |
-| **Maximum** (worry-free) | 8 cores | 8 GiB | 80 GiB | 500+ concurrent with full gateway burst headroom (its 3-core cap) + room to grow; the compose limits fit as-is |
-
-- The per-service limits in `docker-compose.yml` are tuned for the **Average/Maximum**
-  target (the gateway alone caps at 3 cores). On the **Minimum** tier, scale them down to
-  match the host or the caps over-subscribe it.
-- **Disk is dominated by observability retention + DB growth.** Tempo (72 h traces) and
-  Prometheus (15 d metrics) are the main levers — shorten the windows (or move Tempo to
-  object storage) to cut disk; Postgres grows with game history, so budget for months of
-  it; container logs are already capped (json-file 10m × 3 ≈ 30 MiB each).
-- **RAM** rarely binds: the contour peaks ≈2.5 GiB at 500 players and the sum of all
-  configured limits is ≈5.6 GiB, so 8 GiB never strains.
-- Beyond one host's worth of players, scale the **gateway horizontally** (it is
-  connection-CPU-bound) rather than ordering an ever-bigger box.
-
-## Re-running
-
-See [`README.md`](README.md). Briefly, from the repo root:
-
-```sh
-docker build -f loadtest/Dockerfile -t scrabble-loadtest .
-docker run --rm --cpus=3 --name scrabble-loadtest --network scrabble-internal \
-  -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=… scrabble-loadtest run --reset --cleanup
-```
-
-The harness stays in the repo for future repeats.

loadtest/REPORT.md

@@ -0,0 +1,194 @@
+# loadtest — stress trip report
+
+The pre-release stress write-up for [`PRERELEASE.md`](../PRERELEASE.md). It drives the
+`scrabble/loadtest` harness against a freshly redeployed test contour to confirm the
+system holds at scale and to settle resource sizing before the prod cutover. The harness
+stays in the repo for repeats; see [`README.md`](README.md) for how to run it.
+
+This report supersedes the earlier per-phase notes. The harness has been through three
+passes: an early diagnostic, a tuning pass that sized container limits / `GOMAXPROCS`, and
+this final pass — which **added the per-tile `game.evaluate` preview to the model** (the
+hottest real gameplay call, previously unmodelled) and, with it, surfaced and fixed the
+**gateway→backend connection-pool bottleneck** described below. The numbers here are from
+that final pass.
+
+## What it models
+
+The harness seeds a large account population with pre-created sessions directly in
+Postgres, then drives virtual players through the **gateway edge protocol** (h2c) in real
+games assembled via the invitation flow. Each player owns its own `edge.Client` (its own
+h2c connection, like a real client), holds a live `Subscribe` stream, and per tick polls
+`game.state`, replays `game.history`, generates a legal **mid-ranked** move with the
+embedded `scrabble-solver`, and submits it (or passes/exchanges). A fraction of ticks
+exercise nudge / chat / check-word / draft / profile / stats. A separate **gateway-hammer**
+floods `games.list` to verify the rate limiter.
+
+### The evaluate hot path (this pass)
+
+A real client previews every tentative play as the user arranges tiles: the UI fires a
+debounced `game.evaluate` (legality + score) on each placement change while it is the
+player's turn. Over a single composed word that is **several evaluate calls per turn** —
+far more than the one `submit_play` — so `game.evaluate` is the single hottest gameplay
+request at scale. The earlier passes did not model it at all (they submitted directly),
+which understated the real load.
+
+This pass models it: when a player composes a play of *K* newly-placed tiles, it fires one
+`evaluate` per landed tile (a growing prefix of the tiles), plus a small number of
+full-composition re-previews for reconsideration, spaced by a human-paced gap (the client's
+250 ms debounce), then one `draft.save`, then `submit_play`. `--eval=false` reproduces the
+pre-evaluate harness for an A/B baseline; `--eval-recon` tunes the reconsideration count.
+
+`game.check_word` is a *different*, manual "look this word up" panel (throttled, on demand)
+— not the per-tile call — and is exercised separately as a secondary op.
+
+## Final run (eval-on, after the connection-pool fix)
+
+Contour: backend / postgres capped at 2 cores / 512 MiB (`GOMAXPROCS=2`), gateway at
+3 cores / 512 MiB (`GOMAXPROCS=3`), per the tuned `deploy/docker-compose.yml`. Gradual ramp
+**50 → 200 → 500** concurrent players, 4 min/step, `--tick 800ms`, gateway-hammer on. The
+harness ran as a one-shot container on `scrabble-internal`, capped at `--cpus 3`. The DB was
+wiped before the run (`DROP SCHEMA backend CASCADE`); the seeded population was removed by
+`--cleanup` afterwards.
+
+Per-operation results at the 500-player peak (740 s, gameplay rows; the hammer row is the
+limiter probe):
+
+| operation | count | req/s | p50 | p99 | max | notes |
+|-----------|------:|------:|----:|----:|----:|-------|
+| game.evaluate | 85 721 | 115.9 | 1 ms | 200 ms | 193 ms | **the hot path** — all ok |
+| game.state | 115 926 | 156.7 | 100 ms | 200 ms | 260 ms | transport_error 86 (0.07 %) |
+| game.history | 22 258 | 30.1 | 5 ms | 100 ms | 195 ms | all ok |
+| draft.save | 23 031 | 31.1 | 2 ms | 200 ms | 194 ms | all ok |
+| game.submit_play | 21 704 | 29.3 | 1 ms | 200 ms | 274 ms | ok 3 902; not_your_turn / illegal_play are concurrent-play races (see caveat) |
+| hammer:games.list | 522 756 | 706.7 | 1 ms | 2 ms | 53 ms | **99.97 % rate_limited** — limiter holds |
+
+- **Volume:** 802 200 total edge calls (1 084 req/s incl. the hammer; ~377 req/s of real
+  gameplay). `stream errors: 0`. Live events: 11 199 `opponent_moved`, 4 153 `your_turn`.
+- **`game.evaluate` is the dominant gameplay write-path call** at ~116 req/s — second only
+  to the `game.state` poll — and it is cheap: p50 1 ms, effectively zero errors. The backend
+  serves it straight from the in-memory live-game cache; on a warm hit it skips the database
+  entirely (see *Postgres read path* below, which halved its p99 to 100 ms).
+- **Latency stayed healthy** under the heavier evaluate load: every gameplay op p99 ≤ 200 ms.
+- **The limiter holds** unchanged: 99.97 % of the hammer rejected at p99 2 ms.
+
+### Peak CPU (500 players)
+
+| container | CPU peak | cap |
+|-----------|---------:|----:|
+| scrabble-postgres | **165 %** (~1.65 cores) | 200 % |
+| scrabble-backend | 77 % (~0.77 core) | 200 % |
+| scrabble-gateway | **26 %** (~0.26 core) | 300 % |
+| scrabble-loadtest (harness) | 42 % | 300 % |
+
+Memory stayed modest everywhere (Go services ≤ ~90 MiB). **Postgres is now the busiest
+service** — it has headroom (1.65 of 2 cores) but is the scaling axis. The gateway, after
+the fix below, is near-idle.
+
+## The headline finding: gateway→backend connection churn
+
+The gateway proxies every synchronous client call to the single backend host over REST.
+Its backend HTTP client used the default transport, whose **`MaxIdleConnsPerHost` is 2**
+(`http.DefaultMaxIdleConnsPerHost`). So the gateway kept only **2** keep-alive connections
+to the backend and opened — then closed — a fresh TCP connection for almost every other
+call. Measured at the gateway's network namespace:
+
+| | gateway→backend sockets |
+|---|---|
+| before (eval-on, 500 players) | **TIME_WAIT ≈ 26 500**, ESTABLISHED 2 |
+| after (eval-on, 500 players) | TIME_WAIT ≈ 0 (steady state), **ESTABLISHED ≈ 225 (reused)** |
+
+26 500 TIME_WAIT sockets is the connection **churn**: ~440 new connections per second,
+each a full TCP handshake + teardown, the socket then lingering 60 s. That count sits right
+under the ~28 000 ephemeral-port ceiling — the latent cliff that produced the residual
+`transport_error` the earlier passes chased on the *client* side (h2c streams) but never
+eliminated, because the real cause was here, on the *backend* side.
+
+The fix is one custom `http.Transport` with a wide idle pool
+(`gateway/internal/backendclient/client.go`, `backendMaxIdleConns`). Before / after, same
+eval-on workload at 500 players:
+
+| metric | before fix | after fix |
+|--------|-----------:|----------:|
+| gateway→backend TIME_WAIT | ~26 500 | **~0** |
+| gateway CPU peak | **175 %** (~1.75 cores) | **26 %** (~0.26 core) |
+| game.state p99 | 500 ms | 200 ms |
+
+**The churn was burning ~1.5 gateway cores of pure connection setup/teardown.** Removing it
+cut peak gateway CPU ~7× and erased the port-exhaustion cliff. The backend and postgres CPU
+are unchanged — they do the real work; only the gateway's wasted overhead disappeared. The
+pool settles at ~225 live connections at 500 players; the constant is set to 512 for ~2×
+headroom.
+
+## Sizing — why the old "≈150 concurrent / 2-core" figure was a bug, not a floor
+
+The earlier tuning pass concluded the gateway was the binding constraint — "size it for
+≥ 3 cores per 500 players, scale it horizontally" — and the single-host "minimum" tier
+topped out near ~150 concurrent. **That was sizing around the connection-churn bug.** The
+gateway drew ~1.75–3 cores not from proxying work but from churning backend connections;
+the backend behind it sat near-idle the whole time.
+
+With the churn fixed, at **500 concurrent players** the app draws roughly:
+
+- **gateway ≈ 0.26 core** (was ~3) — no longer the constraint,
+- **backend ≈ 0.77 core**,
+- **postgres ≈ 1.65 cores** — now the busiest, with headroom,
+
+≈ **2.7 app cores total** (down from the ~5.5-core contour peak the tuning pass recorded,
+*and* under a heavier, more realistic workload that now includes `game.evaluate`). Postgres,
+not the gateway, is the scaling axis.
+
+Revised single-host guidance (app + co-resident observability stack on one box):
+
+| tier | CPU | RAM | handles |
+|------|-----|-----|---------|
+| **Minimum** | 2 cores | 2 GiB | comfortably the low hundreds of concurrent — the gateway no longer eats cores; postgres + the observability stack set the limit |
+| **Average** | 4 cores | 4 GiB | 500 concurrent with headroom |
+| **Maximum** | 8 cores | 8 GiB | 500+ with full burst headroom and room to grow |
+
+The gateway's compose limit can drop well below its old 3 cores; it is now connection-pool
+bound, not connection-CPU bound. Memory was never the constraint. Disk is still dominated
+by observability retention (Tempo, Prometheus) + DB growth — unchanged from before.
+
+## Postgres read path (warm-cache optimization)
+
+Following this pass, `game.evaluate` no longer reads the database on the hot path. An
+active game is already resident in the in-memory live-game cache (mutated in place across
+moves, evicted only on finish), so the preview answers its seat-membership check from the
+cached immutable seat list and scores against the cached engine game — **no `GetGame` on a
+warm hit**. `GetGame` itself was also folded from two round-trips (game, then seats) into a
+single `LEFT JOIN`. Measured at 500 players, **`game.evaluate` p99 halved (200 → 100 ms)**
+and the per-operation query count dropped.
+
+It did **not** cut postgres CPU, and the measurement says why: postgres is **write-bound**,
+not read-bound. `pg_stat_user_tables` puts the cost in the per-move `CommitMove`
+transaction (a `game_moves` insert plus `games` / `game_players` updates), the debounced
+`game_drafts` upserts (~60 k in one run), and the journal replays — not the cheap, indexed,
+fully-cached `GetGame` lookups this change removed (one re-run even committed 28 % more
+plays, whose extra writes masked the saved reads). Postgres also runs with headroom
+(~1.5 of 2 cores), and the gateway fix freed ~3 cores on the box, so the lever if postgres
+ever caps is **more cores** (it is CPU-bound, not I/O), not riskier write-path surgery. So
+this change is a latency / query-volume win, deliberately not a DB-CPU one.
+
+## Caveat — harness fidelity
+
+The harness's `not_your_turn` and `illegal_play` on `submit_play` are concurrent-play
+artifacts, not system errors: it generates a move from a locally replayed board, and a
+fast opponent (or a transport hiccup) can move between the state fetch and the submit,
+leaving the move out of turn or illegal on the now-changed board. A real client previews
+with `evaluate` and only submits a legal, in-turn play. These rejections are cheap domain
+outcomes (HTTP-ok with a stable code) and do not change the request *load*, which is what
+the run measures. The harness also shares the host CPU with the contour (capped with
+`--cpus`); a fully isolated ceiling on separate hardware remains future work.
+
+## Re-running
+
+From the repo root:
+
+```sh
+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" scrabble-loadtest run --reset --cleanup
+```
+
+`--eval=false` reproduces the pre-evaluate baseline for comparison. The authoritative hard
+reset of the contour DB remains `DROP SCHEMA backend CASCADE` + a backend restart.

loadtest/cmd/loadtest/main.go

@@ -73,6 +73,8 @@ func cmdRun(ctx context.Context, log *slog.Logger, args []string) error {
 	gpp := fs.Int("games-per-player", 0, "target concurrent games per player (0 => random 3..5)")
 	tick := fs.Duration("tick", 800*time.Millisecond, "per-player operation cadence")
 	secProb := fs.Float64("secondary-prob", 0.08, "chance per tick of a non-move operation")
+	eval := fs.Bool("eval", true, "model the per-tile evaluate preview (the realistic gameplay hot path); --eval=false reproduces the pre-evaluate harness for an A/B baseline")
+	evalRecon := fs.Int("eval-recon", 1, "extra full-composition evaluate re-previews per play (reconsideration), beyond one per placed tile")
 	hammerWorkers := fs.Int("hammer-workers", 20, "gateway-hammer concurrent callers (0 disables)")
 	hammerDur := fs.Duration("hammer-dur", 15*time.Second, "gateway-hammer duration")
 	reset := fs.Bool("reset", false, "delete prior harness rows before seeding")
@@ -117,6 +119,7 @@ func cmdRun(ctx context.Context, log *slog.Logger, args []string) error {
 	cfg := scenario.RealisticConfig{
 		Steps: steps, StepDur: *stepDur, GamesPerPlayer: *gpp,
 		Tick: *tick, SecondaryProb: *secProb,
+		Eval: *eval, EvalRecon: *evalRecon,
 	}
 	if err := drv.RunRealistic(ctx, pool, cfg); err != nil && !errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) {
 		return err
@@ -126,7 +129,7 @@ func cmdRun(ctx context.Context, log *slog.Logger, args []string) error {
 		drv.Hammer(ctx, pool.Durables[0], scenario.HammerConfig{Workers: *hammerWorkers, Duration: *hammerDur})
 	}
 
-	fmt.Println("\n==== R2 load-test report ====")
+	fmt.Println("\n==== load-test report ====")
 	fmt.Println(rec.Summary())
 
 	if *doCleanup {

loadtest/internal/edge/client.go

@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ const (
 	msgSubmitPlay = "game.submit_play"
 	msgPass       = "game.pass"
 	msgExchange   = "game.exchange"
+	msgEvaluate   = "game.evaluate"
 	msgState      = "game.state"
 	msgHistory    = "game.history"
 	msgGamesList  = "games.list"

loadtest/internal/edge/encode.go

@@ -63,6 +63,33 @@ func submitPlay(gameID string, tiles []PlayTile) []byte {
 	return b.FinishedBytes()
 }
 
+// evalReq builds an EvalRequest payload (game id plus the tentative newly-placed tiles).
+// It mirrors submitPlay's shape — the backend infers the play's orientation the same way —
+// so a preview previews exactly what submitting those tiles would score.
+func evalReq(gameID string, tiles []PlayTile) []byte {
+	b := flatbuffers.NewBuilder(256)
+	gid := b.CreateString(gameID)
+	offs := make([]flatbuffers.UOffsetT, len(tiles))
+	for i, t := range tiles {
+		fb.PlayTileStart(b)
+		fb.PlayTileAddRow(b, int32(t.Row))
+		fb.PlayTileAddCol(b, int32(t.Col))
+		fb.PlayTileAddLetter(b, t.Letter)
+		fb.PlayTileAddBlank(b, t.Blank)
+		offs[i] = fb.PlayTileEnd(b)
+	}
+	fb.EvalRequestStartTilesVector(b, len(offs))
+	for i := len(offs) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
+		b.PrependUOffsetT(offs[i])
+	}
+	tilesVec := b.EndVector(len(offs))
+	fb.EvalRequestStart(b)
+	fb.EvalRequestAddGameId(b, gid)
+	fb.EvalRequestAddTiles(b, tilesVec)
+	b.Finish(fb.EvalRequestEnd(b))
+	return b.FinishedBytes()
+}
+
 // exchange builds an ExchangeRequest payload swapping the listed rack tiles (alphabet
 // indices; 255 a blank).
 func exchange(gameID string, tiles []byte) []byte {

loadtest/internal/edge/ops.go

@@ -53,6 +53,15 @@ func (c *Client) Exchange(ctx context.Context, token, gameID string, tiles []byt
 	return decodeMoveResultGame(r.Payload), r.Code, nil
 }
 
+// Evaluate previews a tentative play's legality and score without committing it. It is
+// the per-tile composition call a real client fires (debounced) on every change while
+// arranging a word, so it is the hottest gameplay request at scale. The harness records
+// only the result code and latency; an illegal preview is a successful "ok" call.
+func (c *Client) Evaluate(ctx context.Context, token, gameID string, tiles []PlayTile) (string, error) {
+	r, err := c.execute(ctx, token, msgEvaluate, evalReq(gameID, tiles))
+	return r.Code, err
+}
+
 // Nudge prods the opponent whose turn it is.
 func (c *Client) Nudge(ctx context.Context, token, gameID string) (string, error) {
 	r, err := c.execute(ctx, token, msgNudge, gameAction(gameID))

loadtest/internal/scenario/scenario.go

@@ -42,19 +42,35 @@ type RealisticConfig struct {
 	GamesPerPlayer int           // target concurrent games per player; 0 => random 3..5
 	Tick           time.Duration // per-player operation cadence (keeps a player under the per-user limit)
 	SecondaryProb  float64       // chance per tick of a non-move operation
+	Eval           bool          // model the per-tile evaluate preview (the gameplay hot path); false reproduces the pre-evaluate harness
+	EvalRecon      int           // extra full-composition evaluate re-previews per play, beyond one per placed tile
 }
 
 // DefaultRealistic returns the moderate ramp: 50 -> 200
-// -> 500 concurrent players, ~12 minutes per step, ~1 op/s per player.
+// -> 500 concurrent players, ~12 minutes per step, ~1 op/s per player, with the
+// per-tile evaluate preview modelled (the realistic hot path).
 func DefaultRealistic() RealisticConfig {
 	return RealisticConfig{
 		Steps:         []int{50, 200, 500},
 		StepDur:       12 * time.Minute,
 		Tick:          800 * time.Millisecond,
 		SecondaryProb: 0.08,
+		Eval:          true,
+		EvalRecon:     1,
 	}
 }
 
+// evalGapBase and evalGapSpan bound the modelled pause between successive tile
+// placements: the client's 250 ms debounce coalesces faster drags into a single
+// evaluate, so a thoughtful player's previews are spaced by a gap drawn from
+// [base, base+span] — wide enough that a normal composition stays under the per-user
+// rate limit, the way a real one does (the limiter's cost is measured by the hammer,
+// not by self-inflicted rejections here).
+const (
+	evalGapBase = 250 * time.Millisecond
+	evalGapSpan = 500 * time.Millisecond
+)
+
 // RunRealistic runs the staged ramp. Each step activates more players (drawn from the
 // seeded pool), assembles a cohort of games for them and starts their turn loops; the
 // loops run until the whole ramp ends. Players from earlier steps keep playing, so
@@ -128,7 +144,7 @@ func (d *Driver) playerLoop(ctx context.Context, p seed.Account, games []*Game,
 				d.secondaryOp(ctx, c, p, g, rng)
 				continue
 			}
-			if d.playTurn(ctx, c, p, g, rng) {
+			if d.playTurn(ctx, c, p, g, cfg, rng) {
 				active = slices.DeleteFunc(active, func(x *Game) bool { return x == g })
 				gi = 0
 				if len(active) == 0 {
@@ -161,10 +177,10 @@ func (d *Driver) subscribeLoop(ctx context.Context, c *edge.Client, p seed.Accou
 }
 
 // playTurn plays one turn in g over the player's client when it is the player's
-// move: fetch state, replay history, pick a legal move and submit it (or exchange /
-// pass). It reports whether the game has finished, so the caller can drop it from the
-// rotation.
-func (d *Driver) playTurn(ctx context.Context, c *edge.Client, p seed.Account, g *Game, rng *rand.Rand) (finished bool) {
+// move: fetch state, replay history, pick a legal move, compose it (the per-tile
+// evaluate previews a real client fires) and submit it (or exchange / pass). It reports
+// whether the game has finished, so the caller can drop it from the rotation.
+func (d *Driver) playTurn(ctx context.Context, c *edge.Client, p seed.Account, g *Game, cfg RealisticConfig, rng *rand.Rand) (finished bool) {
 	seat := g.seatOf(p.ID.String())
 	if seat < 0 {
 		return false
@@ -196,6 +212,7 @@ func (d *Driver) playTurn(ctx context.Context, c *edge.Client, p seed.Account, g
 	}
 	switch action.Kind {
 	case "play":
+		d.composePlay(ctx, c, p, g, action.Tiles, cfg, rng)
 		t0 = time.Now()
 		_, code, _ := c.SubmitPlay(ctx, p.Token, g.ID, action.Tiles)
 		d.rec.Record("game.submit_play", code, time.Since(t0))
@@ -211,6 +228,59 @@ func (d *Driver) playTurn(ctx context.Context, c *edge.Client, p seed.Account, g
 	return false
 }
 
+// composePlay models a player arranging the chosen play tile by tile before committing:
+// the debounced evaluate preview the real client fires on each placement (a growing prefix
+// of the tiles), a few full-composition re-previews for reconsideration (recall a tile, try
+// another spot), and the single draft persistence the client debounces out. evaluate is the
+// hottest gameplay request at scale, so omitting it (the pre-evaluate harness) understated
+// the load; cfg.Eval false reproduces that baseline for an A/B comparison. Every step
+// honours ctx, so end-of-run cancellation never blocks on a sleep or an in-flight preview.
+func (d *Driver) composePlay(ctx context.Context, c *edge.Client, p seed.Account, g *Game, tiles []edge.PlayTile, cfg RealisticConfig, rng *rand.Rand) {
+	if !cfg.Eval || len(tiles) == 0 {
+		return
+	}
+	// One evaluate per landed tile: the growing prefix mirrors the client re-previewing
+	// after each placement (an early prefix is often illegal, which is still a successful
+	// "ok" round trip — exactly the backend work a real composition triggers).
+	for n := 1; n <= len(tiles); n++ {
+		if !jitterSleep(ctx, rng, evalGapBase, evalGapSpan) {
+			return
+		}
+		t0 := time.Now()
+		code, _ := c.Evaluate(ctx, p.Token, g.ID, tiles[:n])
+		d.rec.Record("game.evaluate", code, time.Since(t0))
+	}
+	for r := 0; r < cfg.EvalRecon; r++ {
+		if !jitterSleep(ctx, rng, evalGapBase, evalGapSpan) {
+			return
+		}
+		t0 := time.Now()
+		code, _ := c.Evaluate(ctx, p.Token, g.ID, tiles)
+		d.rec.Record("game.evaluate", code, time.Since(t0))
+	}
+	// The client persists the in-progress composition (debounced to one upsert). Its opaque
+	// JSON content does not affect the call's cost, so a minimal valid shape stands in.
+	t0 := time.Now()
+	code, _ := c.DraftSave(ctx, p.Token, g.ID, `{"rack_order":"","board_tiles":[]}`)
+	d.rec.Record("draft.save", code, time.Since(t0))
+}
+
+// jitterSleep pauses for a randomised gap in [base, base+span], modelling the human pause
+// between tile placements that the client's debounce coalesces into one evaluate. It
+// returns false if ctx is cancelled during the wait, so a composition unwinds promptly at
+// end of run.
+func jitterSleep(ctx context.Context, rng *rand.Rand, base, span time.Duration) bool {
+	d := base + time.Duration(rng.Int63n(int64(span)+1))
+	t := time.NewTimer(d)
+	defer t.Stop()
+	select {
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		return false
+	case <-t.C:
+		return true
+	}
+}
+
 // secondaryOp exercises one of the non-move edge operations the plan calls out, so
 // the run touches nudge / chat / check-word / draft / profile / stats too, over the
 // player's own client.

pkg/proto/botlink/v1/botlink.pb.go

@@ -224,6 +224,7 @@ type Command struct {
 	//	*Command_Notify
 	//	*Command_SendToUser
 	//	*Command_SendToChannel
+	//	*Command_ChatGate
 	Payload       isCommand_Payload `protobuf_oneof:"payload"`
 	unknownFields protoimpl.UnknownFields
 	sizeCache     protoimpl.SizeCache
@@ -300,6 +301,15 @@ func (x *Command) GetSendToChannel() *v1.SendToGameChannelRequest {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (x *Command) GetChatGate() *ChatGateCommand {
+	if x != nil {
+		if x, ok := x.Payload.(*Command_ChatGate); ok {
+			return x.ChatGate
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 type isCommand_Payload interface {
 	isCommand_Payload()
 }
@@ -316,12 +326,18 @@ type Command_SendToChannel struct {
 	SendToChannel *v1.SendToGameChannelRequest `protobuf:"bytes,4,opt,name=send_to_channel,json=sendToChannel,proto3,oneof"`
 }
 
+type Command_ChatGate struct {
+	ChatGate *ChatGateCommand `protobuf:"bytes,5,opt,name=chat_gate,json=chatGate,proto3,oneof"`
+}
+
 func (*Command_Notify) isCommand_Payload() {}
 
 func (*Command_SendToUser) isCommand_Payload() {}
 
 func (*Command_SendToChannel) isCommand_Payload() {}
 
+func (*Command_ChatGate) isCommand_Payload() {}
+
 // Ack reports the outcome of the Command with command_id. delivered mirrors the
 // connector delivery semantics (false when the kind is not rendered out-of-app, the
 // user never started the bot, or no channel is configured); error carries an
@@ -386,6 +402,166 @@ func (x *Ack) GetError() string {
 	return ""
 }
 
+// ChatGateCommand sets a Telegram user's write access in the moderated discussion
+// chat. external_id is the user's Telegram identity (as in the backend identities
+// table); allow grants the right to write when true and revokes it when false. The
+// bot applies it only to a user currently in the chat — it guards on getChatMember,
+// so a command for an absent user is a no-op. The gateway emits one whenever the
+// user's eligibility may have changed: an admin block or unblock, a chat_muted
+// grant or revoke, or a temporary block lapsing.
+type ChatGateCommand struct {
+	state         protoimpl.MessageState `protogen:"open.v1"`
+	ExternalId    string                 `protobuf:"bytes,1,opt,name=external_id,json=externalId,proto3" json:"external_id,omitempty"`
+	Allow         bool                   `protobuf:"varint,2,opt,name=allow,proto3" json:"allow,omitempty"`
+	unknownFields protoimpl.UnknownFields
+	sizeCache     protoimpl.SizeCache
+}
+
+func (x *ChatGateCommand) Reset() {
+	*x = ChatGateCommand{}
+	mi := &file_botlink_v1_botlink_proto_msgTypes[5]
+	ms := protoimpl.X.MessageStateOf(protoimpl.Pointer(x))
+	ms.StoreMessageInfo(mi)
+}
+
+func (x *ChatGateCommand) String() string {
+	return protoimpl.X.MessageStringOf(x)
+}
+
+func (*ChatGateCommand) ProtoMessage() {}
+
+func (x *ChatGateCommand) ProtoReflect() protoreflect.Message {
+	mi := &file_botlink_v1_botlink_proto_msgTypes[5]
+	if x != nil {
+		ms := protoimpl.X.MessageStateOf(protoimpl.Pointer(x))
+		if ms.LoadMessageInfo() == nil {
+			ms.StoreMessageInfo(mi)
+		}
+		return ms
+	}
+	return mi.MessageOf(x)
+}
+
+// Deprecated: Use ChatGateCommand.ProtoReflect.Descriptor instead.
+func (*ChatGateCommand) Descriptor() ([]byte, []int) {
+	return file_botlink_v1_botlink_proto_rawDescGZIP(), []int{5}
+}
+
+func (x *ChatGateCommand) GetExternalId() string {
+	if x != nil {
+		return x.ExternalId
+	}
+	return ""
+}
+
+func (x *ChatGateCommand) GetAllow() bool {
+	if x != nil {
+		return x.Allow
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+// ChatEligibilityRequest asks whether the Telegram user identified by external_id
+// may write in the moderated discussion chat.
+type ChatEligibilityRequest struct {
+	state         protoimpl.MessageState `protogen:"open.v1"`
+	ExternalId    string                 `protobuf:"bytes,1,opt,name=external_id,json=externalId,proto3" json:"external_id,omitempty"`
+	unknownFields protoimpl.UnknownFields
+	sizeCache     protoimpl.SizeCache
+}
+
+func (x *ChatEligibilityRequest) Reset() {
+	*x = ChatEligibilityRequest{}
+	mi := &file_botlink_v1_botlink_proto_msgTypes[6]
+	ms := protoimpl.X.MessageStateOf(protoimpl.Pointer(x))
+	ms.StoreMessageInfo(mi)
+}
+
+func (x *ChatEligibilityRequest) String() string {
+	return protoimpl.X.MessageStringOf(x)
+}
+
+func (*ChatEligibilityRequest) ProtoMessage() {}
+
+func (x *ChatEligibilityRequest) ProtoReflect() protoreflect.Message {
+	mi := &file_botlink_v1_botlink_proto_msgTypes[6]
+	if x != nil {
+		ms := protoimpl.X.MessageStateOf(protoimpl.Pointer(x))
+		if ms.LoadMessageInfo() == nil {
+			ms.StoreMessageInfo(mi)
+		}
+		return ms
+	}
+	return mi.MessageOf(x)
+}
+
+// Deprecated: Use ChatEligibilityRequest.ProtoReflect.Descriptor instead.
+func (*ChatEligibilityRequest) Descriptor() ([]byte, []int) {
+	return file_botlink_v1_botlink_proto_rawDescGZIP(), []int{6}
+}
+
+func (x *ChatEligibilityRequest) GetExternalId() string {
+	if x != nil {
+		return x.ExternalId
+	}
+	return ""
+}
+
+// ChatEligibilityResponse is the eligibility answer. registered reports whether the
+// external_id maps to an account at all; eligible is the final gate the bot acts on
+// (registered and neither admin-suspended nor chat-muted).
+type ChatEligibilityResponse struct {
+	state         protoimpl.MessageState `protogen:"open.v1"`
+	Registered    bool                   `protobuf:"varint,1,opt,name=registered,proto3" json:"registered,omitempty"`
+	Eligible      bool                   `protobuf:"varint,2,opt,name=eligible,proto3" json:"eligible,omitempty"`
+	unknownFields protoimpl.UnknownFields
+	sizeCache     protoimpl.SizeCache
+}
+
+func (x *ChatEligibilityResponse) Reset() {
+	*x = ChatEligibilityResponse{}
+	mi := &file_botlink_v1_botlink_proto_msgTypes[7]
+	ms := protoimpl.X.MessageStateOf(protoimpl.Pointer(x))
+	ms.StoreMessageInfo(mi)
+}
+
+func (x *ChatEligibilityResponse) String() string {
+	return protoimpl.X.MessageStringOf(x)
+}
+
+func (*ChatEligibilityResponse) ProtoMessage() {}
+
+func (x *ChatEligibilityResponse) ProtoReflect() protoreflect.Message {
+	mi := &file_botlink_v1_botlink_proto_msgTypes[7]
+	if x != nil {
+		ms := protoimpl.X.MessageStateOf(protoimpl.Pointer(x))
+		if ms.LoadMessageInfo() == nil {
+			ms.StoreMessageInfo(mi)
+		}
+		return ms
+	}
+	return mi.MessageOf(x)
+}
+
+// Deprecated: Use ChatEligibilityResponse.ProtoReflect.Descriptor instead.
+func (*ChatEligibilityResponse) Descriptor() ([]byte, []int) {
+	return file_botlink_v1_botlink_proto_rawDescGZIP(), []int{7}
+}
+
+func (x *ChatEligibilityResponse) GetRegistered() bool {
+	if x != nil {
+		return x.Registered
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+func (x *ChatEligibilityResponse) GetEligible() bool {
+	if x != nil {
+		return x.Eligible
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 var File_botlink_v1_botlink_proto protoreflect.FileDescriptor
 
 const file_botlink_v1_botlink_proto_rawDesc = "" +
@@ -400,22 +576,36 @@ const file_botlink_v1_botlink_proto_rawDesc = "" +
 	"\x05Hello\x12\x1f\n" +
 	"\vinstance_id\x18\x01 \x01(\tR\n" +
 	"instanceId\x12!\n" +
-	"\fowns_updates\x18\x02 \x01(\bR\vownsUpdates\"\x99\x02\n" +
+	"\fowns_updates\x18\x02 \x01(\bR\vownsUpdates\"\xde\x02\n" +
 	"\aCommand\x12\x1d\n" +
 	"\n" +
 	"command_id\x18\x01 \x01(\tR\tcommandId\x12=\n" +
 	"\x06notify\x18\x02 \x01(\v2#.scrabble.telegram.v1.NotifyRequestH\x00R\x06notify\x12K\n" +
 	"\fsend_to_user\x18\x03 \x01(\v2'.scrabble.telegram.v1.SendToUserRequestH\x00R\n" +
 	"sendToUser\x12X\n" +
-	"\x0fsend_to_channel\x18\x04 \x01(\v2..scrabble.telegram.v1.SendToGameChannelRequestH\x00R\rsendToChannelB\t\n" +
+	"\x0fsend_to_channel\x18\x04 \x01(\v2..scrabble.telegram.v1.SendToGameChannelRequestH\x00R\rsendToChannel\x12C\n" +
+	"\tchat_gate\x18\x05 \x01(\v2$.scrabble.botlink.v1.ChatGateCommandH\x00R\bchatGateB\t\n" +
 	"\apayload\"X\n" +
 	"\x03Ack\x12\x1d\n" +
 	"\n" +
 	"command_id\x18\x01 \x01(\tR\tcommandId\x12\x1c\n" +
 	"\tdelivered\x18\x02 \x01(\bR\tdelivered\x12\x14\n" +
-	"\x05error\x18\x03 \x01(\tR\x05error2O\n" +
+	"\x05error\x18\x03 \x01(\tR\x05error\"H\n" +
+	"\x0fChatGateCommand\x12\x1f\n" +
+	"\vexternal_id\x18\x01 \x01(\tR\n" +
+	"externalId\x12\x14\n" +
+	"\x05allow\x18\x02 \x01(\bR\x05allow\"9\n" +
+	"\x16ChatEligibilityRequest\x12\x1f\n" +
+	"\vexternal_id\x18\x01 \x01(\tR\n" +
+	"externalId\"U\n" +
+	"\x17ChatEligibilityResponse\x12\x1e\n" +
+	"\n" +
+	"registered\x18\x01 \x01(\bR\n" +
+	"registered\x12\x1a\n" +
+	"\beligible\x18\x02 \x01(\bR\beligible2\xc4\x01\n" +
 	"\aBotLink\x12D\n" +
-	"\x04Link\x12\x1c.scrabble.botlink.v1.FromBot\x1a\x1a.scrabble.botlink.v1.ToBot(\x010\x01B)Z'scrabble/pkg/proto/botlink/v1;botlinkv1b\x06proto3"
+	"\x04Link\x12\x1c.scrabble.botlink.v1.FromBot\x1a\x1a.scrabble.botlink.v1.ToBot(\x010\x01\x12s\n" +
+	"\x16ResolveChatEligibility\x12+.scrabble.botlink.v1.ChatEligibilityRequest\x1a,.scrabble.botlink.v1.ChatEligibilityResponseB)Z'scrabble/pkg/proto/botlink/v1;botlinkv1b\x06proto3"
 
 var (
 	file_botlink_v1_botlink_proto_rawDescOnce sync.Once
@@ -429,31 +619,37 @@ func file_botlink_v1_botlink_proto_rawDescGZIP() []byte {
 	return file_botlink_v1_botlink_proto_rawDescData
 }
 
-var file_botlink_v1_botlink_proto_msgTypes = make([]protoimpl.MessageInfo, 5)
+var file_botlink_v1_botlink_proto_msgTypes = make([]protoimpl.MessageInfo, 8)
 var file_botlink_v1_botlink_proto_goTypes = []any{
 	(*FromBot)(nil),                     // 0: scrabble.botlink.v1.FromBot
 	(*ToBot)(nil),                       // 1: scrabble.botlink.v1.ToBot
 	(*Hello)(nil),                       // 2: scrabble.botlink.v1.Hello
 	(*Command)(nil),                     // 3: scrabble.botlink.v1.Command
 	(*Ack)(nil),                         // 4: scrabble.botlink.v1.Ack
-	(*v1.NotifyRequest)(nil),            // 5: scrabble.telegram.v1.NotifyRequest
-	(*v1.SendToUserRequest)(nil),        // 6: scrabble.telegram.v1.SendToUserRequest
-	(*v1.SendToGameChannelRequest)(nil), // 7: scrabble.telegram.v1.SendToGameChannelRequest
+	(*ChatGateCommand)(nil),             // 5: scrabble.botlink.v1.ChatGateCommand
+	(*ChatEligibilityRequest)(nil),      // 6: scrabble.botlink.v1.ChatEligibilityRequest
+	(*ChatEligibilityResponse)(nil),     // 7: scrabble.botlink.v1.ChatEligibilityResponse
+	(*v1.NotifyRequest)(nil),            // 8: scrabble.telegram.v1.NotifyRequest
+	(*v1.SendToUserRequest)(nil),        // 9: scrabble.telegram.v1.SendToUserRequest
+	(*v1.SendToGameChannelRequest)(nil), // 10: scrabble.telegram.v1.SendToGameChannelRequest
 }
 var file_botlink_v1_botlink_proto_depIdxs = []int32{
 	2,  // 0: scrabble.botlink.v1.FromBot.hello:type_name -> scrabble.botlink.v1.Hello
 	4,  // 1: scrabble.botlink.v1.FromBot.ack:type_name -> scrabble.botlink.v1.Ack
 	3,  // 2: scrabble.botlink.v1.ToBot.command:type_name -> scrabble.botlink.v1.Command
-	5, // 3: scrabble.botlink.v1.Command.notify:type_name -> scrabble.telegram.v1.NotifyRequest
-	6, // 4: scrabble.botlink.v1.Command.send_to_user:type_name -> scrabble.telegram.v1.SendToUserRequest
-	7, // 5: scrabble.botlink.v1.Command.send_to_channel:type_name -> scrabble.telegram.v1.SendToGameChannelRequest
-	0, // 6: scrabble.botlink.v1.BotLink.Link:input_type -> scrabble.botlink.v1.FromBot
-	1, // 7: scrabble.botlink.v1.BotLink.Link:output_type -> scrabble.botlink.v1.ToBot
-	7, // [7:8] is the sub-list for method output_type
-	6, // [6:7] is the sub-list for method input_type
-	6, // [6:6] is the sub-list for extension type_name
-	6, // [6:6] is the sub-list for extension extendee
-	0, // [0:6] is the sub-list for field type_name
+	8,  // 3: scrabble.botlink.v1.Command.notify:type_name -> scrabble.telegram.v1.NotifyRequest
+	9,  // 4: scrabble.botlink.v1.Command.send_to_user:type_name -> scrabble.telegram.v1.SendToUserRequest
+	10, // 5: scrabble.botlink.v1.Command.send_to_channel:type_name -> scrabble.telegram.v1.SendToGameChannelRequest
+	5,  // 6: scrabble.botlink.v1.Command.chat_gate:type_name -> scrabble.botlink.v1.ChatGateCommand
+	0,  // 7: scrabble.botlink.v1.BotLink.Link:input_type -> scrabble.botlink.v1.FromBot
+	6,  // 8: scrabble.botlink.v1.BotLink.ResolveChatEligibility:input_type -> scrabble.botlink.v1.ChatEligibilityRequest
+	1,  // 9: scrabble.botlink.v1.BotLink.Link:output_type -> scrabble.botlink.v1.ToBot
+	7,  // 10: scrabble.botlink.v1.BotLink.ResolveChatEligibility:output_type -> scrabble.botlink.v1.ChatEligibilityResponse
+	9,  // [9:11] is the sub-list for method output_type
+	7,  // [7:9] is the sub-list for method input_type
+	7,  // [7:7] is the sub-list for extension type_name
+	7,  // [7:7] is the sub-list for extension extendee
+	0,  // [0:7] is the sub-list for field type_name
 }
 
 func init() { file_botlink_v1_botlink_proto_init() }
@@ -469,6 +665,7 @@ func file_botlink_v1_botlink_proto_init() {
 		(*Command_Notify)(nil),
 		(*Command_SendToUser)(nil),
 		(*Command_SendToChannel)(nil),
+		(*Command_ChatGate)(nil),
 	}
 	type x struct{}
 	out := protoimpl.TypeBuilder{
@@ -476,7 +673,7 @@ func file_botlink_v1_botlink_proto_init() {
 			GoPackagePath: reflect.TypeOf(x{}).PkgPath(),
 			RawDescriptor: unsafe.Slice(unsafe.StringData(file_botlink_v1_botlink_proto_rawDesc), len(file_botlink_v1_botlink_proto_rawDesc)),
 			NumEnums:      0,
-			NumMessages:   5,
+			NumMessages:   8,
 			NumExtensions: 0,
 			NumServices:   1,
 		},

pkg/proto/botlink/v1/botlink.proto

@@ -20,6 +20,13 @@ service BotLink {
   // Link opens the single bot <-> gateway stream. The first client message is
   // Hello; thereafter the client sends one Ack per received Command.
   rpc Link(stream FromBot) returns (stream ToBot);
+
+  // ResolveChatEligibility answers whether the Telegram user identified by
+  // external_id may write in the moderated discussion chat: registered with an
+  // account and neither admin-suspended nor chat-muted. The bot calls it over the
+  // same mTLS channel when a user joins the chat, to decide whether to grant the
+  // write permission. Delivery of the answer is request/response (not best-effort).
+  rpc ResolveChatEligibility(ChatEligibilityRequest) returns (ChatEligibilityResponse);
 }
 
 // FromBot is a message the bot sends to the gateway: the opening Hello, then one
@@ -53,6 +60,7 @@ message Command {
     scrabble.telegram.v1.NotifyRequest notify = 2;
     scrabble.telegram.v1.SendToUserRequest send_to_user = 3;
     scrabble.telegram.v1.SendToGameChannelRequest send_to_channel = 4;
+    ChatGateCommand chat_gate = 5;
   }
 }
 
@@ -65,3 +73,29 @@ message Ack {
   bool delivered = 2;
   string error = 3;
 }
+
+// ChatGateCommand sets a Telegram user's write access in the moderated discussion
+// chat. external_id is the user's Telegram identity (as in the backend identities
+// table); allow grants the right to write when true and revokes it when false. The
+// bot applies it only to a user currently in the chat — it guards on getChatMember,
+// so a command for an absent user is a no-op. The gateway emits one whenever the
+// user's eligibility may have changed: an admin block or unblock, a chat_muted
+// grant or revoke, or a temporary block lapsing.
+message ChatGateCommand {
+  string external_id = 1;
+  bool allow = 2;
+}
+
+// ChatEligibilityRequest asks whether the Telegram user identified by external_id
+// may write in the moderated discussion chat.
+message ChatEligibilityRequest {
+  string external_id = 1;
+}
+
+// ChatEligibilityResponse is the eligibility answer. registered reports whether the
+// external_id maps to an account at all; eligible is the final gate the bot acts on
+// (registered and neither admin-suspended nor chat-muted).
+message ChatEligibilityResponse {
+  bool registered = 1;
+  bool eligible = 2;
+}

pkg/proto/botlink/v1/botlink_grpc.pb.go

@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ const _ = grpc.SupportPackageIsVersion9
 
 const (
 	BotLink_Link_FullMethodName                   = "/scrabble.botlink.v1.BotLink/Link"
+	BotLink_ResolveChatEligibility_FullMethodName = "/scrabble.botlink.v1.BotLink/ResolveChatEligibility"
 )
 
 // BotLinkClient is the client API for BotLink service.
@@ -41,6 +42,12 @@ type BotLinkClient interface {
 	// Link opens the single bot <-> gateway stream. The first client message is
 	// Hello; thereafter the client sends one Ack per received Command.
 	Link(ctx context.Context, opts ...grpc.CallOption) (grpc.BidiStreamingClient[FromBot, ToBot], error)
+	// ResolveChatEligibility answers whether the Telegram user identified by
+	// external_id may write in the moderated discussion chat: registered with an
+	// account and neither admin-suspended nor chat-muted. The bot calls it over the
+	// same mTLS channel when a user joins the chat, to decide whether to grant the
+	// write permission. Delivery of the answer is request/response (not best-effort).
+	ResolveChatEligibility(ctx context.Context, in *ChatEligibilityRequest, opts ...grpc.CallOption) (*ChatEligibilityResponse, error)
 }
 
 type botLinkClient struct {
@@ -64,6 +71,16 @@ func (c *botLinkClient) Link(ctx context.Context, opts ...grpc.CallOption) (grpc
 // This type alias is provided for backwards compatibility with existing code that references the prior non-generic stream type by name.
 type BotLink_LinkClient = grpc.BidiStreamingClient[FromBot, ToBot]
 
+func (c *botLinkClient) ResolveChatEligibility(ctx context.Context, in *ChatEligibilityRequest, opts ...grpc.CallOption) (*ChatEligibilityResponse, error) {
+	cOpts := append([]grpc.CallOption{grpc.StaticMethod()}, opts...)
+	out := new(ChatEligibilityResponse)
+	err := c.cc.Invoke(ctx, BotLink_ResolveChatEligibility_FullMethodName, in, out, cOpts...)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return out, nil
+}
+
 // BotLinkServer is the server API for BotLink service.
 // All implementations must embed UnimplementedBotLinkServer
 // for forward compatibility.
@@ -76,6 +93,12 @@ type BotLinkServer interface {
 	// Link opens the single bot <-> gateway stream. The first client message is
 	// Hello; thereafter the client sends one Ack per received Command.
 	Link(grpc.BidiStreamingServer[FromBot, ToBot]) error
+	// ResolveChatEligibility answers whether the Telegram user identified by
+	// external_id may write in the moderated discussion chat: registered with an
+	// account and neither admin-suspended nor chat-muted. The bot calls it over the
+	// same mTLS channel when a user joins the chat, to decide whether to grant the
+	// write permission. Delivery of the answer is request/response (not best-effort).
+	ResolveChatEligibility(context.Context, *ChatEligibilityRequest) (*ChatEligibilityResponse, error)
 	mustEmbedUnimplementedBotLinkServer()
 }
 
@@ -89,6 +112,9 @@ type UnimplementedBotLinkServer struct{}
 func (UnimplementedBotLinkServer) Link(grpc.BidiStreamingServer[FromBot, ToBot]) error {
 	return status.Errorf(codes.Unimplemented, "method Link not implemented")
 }
+func (UnimplementedBotLinkServer) ResolveChatEligibility(context.Context, *ChatEligibilityRequest) (*ChatEligibilityResponse, error) {
+	return nil, status.Errorf(codes.Unimplemented, "method ResolveChatEligibility not implemented")
+}
 func (UnimplementedBotLinkServer) mustEmbedUnimplementedBotLinkServer() {}
 func (UnimplementedBotLinkServer) testEmbeddedByValue()                 {}
 
@@ -117,13 +143,36 @@ func _BotLink_Link_Handler(srv interface{}, stream grpc.ServerStream) error {
 // This type alias is provided for backwards compatibility with existing code that references the prior non-generic stream type by name.
 type BotLink_LinkServer = grpc.BidiStreamingServer[FromBot, ToBot]
 
+func _BotLink_ResolveChatEligibility_Handler(srv interface{}, ctx context.Context, dec func(interface{}) error, interceptor grpc.UnaryServerInterceptor) (interface{}, error) {
+	in := new(ChatEligibilityRequest)
+	if err := dec(in); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if interceptor == nil {
+		return srv.(BotLinkServer).ResolveChatEligibility(ctx, in)
+	}
+	info := &grpc.UnaryServerInfo{
+		Server:     srv,
+		FullMethod: BotLink_ResolveChatEligibility_FullMethodName,
+	}
+	handler := func(ctx context.Context, req interface{}) (interface{}, error) {
+		return srv.(BotLinkServer).ResolveChatEligibility(ctx, req.(*ChatEligibilityRequest))
+	}
+	return interceptor(ctx, in, info, handler)
+}
+
 // BotLink_ServiceDesc is the grpc.ServiceDesc for BotLink service.
 // It's only intended for direct use with grpc.RegisterService,
 // and not to be introspected or modified (even as a copy)
 var BotLink_ServiceDesc = grpc.ServiceDesc{
 	ServiceName: "scrabble.botlink.v1.BotLink",
 	HandlerType: (*BotLinkServer)(nil),
-	Methods:     []grpc.MethodDesc{},
+	Methods: []grpc.MethodDesc{
+		{
+			MethodName: "ResolveChatEligibility",
+			Handler:    _BotLink_ResolveChatEligibility_Handler,
+		},
+	},
 	Streams: []grpc.StreamDesc{
 		{
 			StreamName:    "Link",

pkg/telemetry/telemetry.go

@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ import (
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk/resource"
 	sdktrace "go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk/trace"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/trace"
+
+	"scrabble/pkg/version"
 )
 
 // Exporter selectors supported per signal.
@@ -95,9 +97,7 @@ func New(ctx context.Context, cfg Config) (*Runtime, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	res, err := resource.New(ctx, resource.WithAttributes(
-		attribute.String("service.name", cfg.ServiceName),
-	))
+	res, err := serviceResource(ctx, cfg)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("telemetry: build resource: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -122,6 +122,16 @@ func New(ctx context.Context, cfg Config) (*Runtime, error) {
 	return &Runtime{tracerProvider: tracerProvider, meterProvider: meterProvider}, nil
 }
 
+// serviceResource builds the OpenTelemetry resource describing this service: its
+// service.name and the service.version stamped into the binary at build time
+// (pkg/version, set from the git tag by the deploy).
+func serviceResource(ctx context.Context, cfg Config) (*resource.Resource, error) {
+	return resource.New(ctx, resource.WithAttributes(
+		attribute.String("service.name", cfg.ServiceName),
+		attribute.String("service.version", version.Version),
+	))
+}
+
 // TracerProvider returns the runtime tracer provider, or the global one when r is
 // not initialised.
 func (r *Runtime) TracerProvider() trace.TracerProvider {

pkg/telemetry/telemetry_test.go

@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
+
+	"scrabble/pkg/version"
 )
 
 // TestConfigValidate covers the supported and rejected exporter selections.
@@ -82,3 +84,22 @@ func TestNilRuntime(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("nil runtime Shutdown: %v", err)
 	}
 }
+
+// TestServiceResource checks the resource carries service.name and the embedded
+// service.version (pkg/version, stamped at build time).
+func TestServiceResource(t *testing.T) {
+	res, err := serviceResource(context.Background(), DefaultConfig("svc"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("serviceResource: %v", err)
+	}
+	attrs := map[string]string{}
+	for _, kv := range res.Attributes() {
+		attrs[string(kv.Key)] = kv.Value.AsString()
+	}
+	if attrs["service.name"] != "svc" {
+		t.Errorf("service.name = %q, want svc", attrs["service.name"])
+	}
+	if attrs["service.version"] != version.Version {
+		t.Errorf("service.version = %q, want %q", attrs["service.version"], version.Version)
+	}
+}

pkg/version/version.go

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+// Package version exposes the build version stamped into every Scrabble service
+// binary. The default is "dev"; release builds override it through the linker
+// (`go build -ldflags "-X scrabble/pkg/version.Version=<value>"`), wired from the
+// VERSION build-arg in each service Dockerfile, which the deploy sets to the git
+// tag (`git describe --tags`). It surfaces as the OpenTelemetry service.version
+// resource attribute (see pkg/telemetry) and the SPA About screen.
+package version
+
+// Version is the build version, "dev" unless overridden at link time.
+var Version = "dev"

platform/telegram/Dockerfile

@@ -19,8 +19,10 @@ COPY platform/telegram ./platform/telegram
 # Reduce the workspace to what the platform needs: only pkg + platform/telegram.
 RUN go work edit -dropuse=./backend -dropuse=./gateway -dropuse=./loadtest -dropreplace=scrabble/gateway@v0.0.0 -dropreplace=scrabble-solver
 
-RUN CGO_ENABLED=0 GOOS=linux go build -trimpath -o /out/validator ./platform/telegram/cmd/validator
-RUN CGO_ENABLED=0 GOOS=linux go build -trimpath -o /out/bot ./platform/telegram/cmd/bot
+# VERSION (the deploy passes the git tag) is stamped into both binaries via the linker.
+ARG VERSION=dev
+RUN CGO_ENABLED=0 GOOS=linux go build -trimpath -ldflags "-X scrabble/pkg/version.Version=${VERSION}" -o /out/validator ./platform/telegram/cmd/validator
+RUN CGO_ENABLED=0 GOOS=linux go build -trimpath -ldflags "-X scrabble/pkg/version.Version=${VERSION}" -o /out/bot ./platform/telegram/cmd/bot
 
 # --- validator (home) --------------------------------------------------------
 FROM gcr.io/distroless/static-debian12:nonroot AS validator

platform/telegram/README.md

@@ -42,6 +42,27 @@ Telegram identity to an account from a browser. Both map a rejection to gRPC
   launch button; a deep-link payload routes the launch to a game / invitation / friend
   code. This is **self-contained** — the bot never calls back into the game, so `/start`
   onboarding works even when the game is down.
+- **Moderated-chat gating.** When `TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID` names a channel's linked discussion
+  group, the bot gates who may write there. The group **allows sending by default** (a
+  human setting) and the bot only **restricts** — Telegram intersects the chat default with
+  each user's permission, so a per-user grant cannot exceed a deny-by-default group, and the
+  gate must mute the ineligible rather than grant the eligible. On a `chat_member` event the
+  bot asks the gateway (`ResolveChatEligibility`) and **mutes** a member who is not registered
+  or is admin-suspended or `chat_muted`, **un-mutes** an eligible one it had muted, and leaves
+  an already-allowed eligible member untouched (it acts only when the state differs, so it is
+  idempotent and skips its own change). When an operator blocks/unblocks an account, toggles
+  its `chat_muted` role, or a user first registers, the gateway pushes a `ChatGate` command and
+  the bot applies it — but only to a member currently in the chat (it probes one user with
+  `getChatMember`, since bots cannot list members). The bot must be an **administrator** there
+  with the **"Ban users"** right (the Bot API `can_restrict_members`), and it subscribes to
+  `chat_member` updates, which Telegram delivers only to a chat admin.
+- **Promo bot (optional).** When `TELEGRAM_PROMO_BOT_TOKEN` is set, the container also
+  runs a **second, standalone** bot whose only job is to answer `/start` with a localized
+  message and a button that opens the **main** bot's Mini App. The button is a **URL** to
+  the main bot's direct link (`TELEGRAM_BOT_LINK`, the same link the UI uses) with
+  `?startapp` — a `web_app` button would launch under the promo bot's identity (its token
+  would sign the initData), which the main bot's validator rejects. It is fully
+  self-contained: no bot-link, no gateway, no game.
 - **Rate limiting.** Outbound sends are throttled (`TELEGRAM_SEND_RATE_PER_SECOND`,
   default 25) to respect the Bot API flood limits.
 
@@ -57,7 +78,9 @@ parsing is Telegram-specific.
   gateway also implements `SendToUser` / `SendToGameChannel` as the backend's admin
   relay.
 - `pkg/proto/botlink/v1`, service `BotLink` — the reverse bidi stream the **bot** dials
-  on the gateway (`Hello` / `Command` / `Ack`). Generated Go is committed under `pkg`.
+  on the gateway (`Hello` / `Command` / `Ack`), now also carrying a `ChatGateCommand` (set
+  a user's chat write access) and a unary `ResolveChatEligibility` (the bot's join-time
+  query) over the same mTLS channel. Generated Go is committed under `pkg`.
 
 ## Deep-link scheme
 
@@ -101,6 +124,10 @@ Bot (`cmd/bot`):
 | `TELEGRAM_BOTLINK_SERVER_NAME` | — (required) | the gateway certificate's expected SNI / CN |
 | `TELEGRAM_BOTLINK_TLS_CERT` / `_KEY` / `_CA` | — (required) | the bot client cert, its key, and the CA that signs the gateway server cert |
 | `TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_ID` | — | the bot's game channel chat id for `SendToGameChannel` |
+| `TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID` | — | the moderated discussion chat id (a channel's linked group); empty disables chat gating |
+| `TELEGRAM_PROMO_BOT_TOKEN` | — | the optional standalone promo bot's token; empty disables it |
+| `TELEGRAM_BOT_USERNAME` | — | the main bot's @username without the @ (promo message); required when the promo bot runs |
+| `TELEGRAM_BOT_LINK` | — | the main bot's Mini App link for the promo button (the UI's `VITE_TELEGRAM_LINK`); required when the promo bot runs |
 | `TELEGRAM_OWNS_UPDATES` | `true` | run the exclusive `getUpdates` long-poll (one bot per token) |
 | `TELEGRAM_SEND_RATE_PER_SECOND` | `25` | outbound Bot API send cap (0 disables) |
 | `TELEGRAM_INSTANCE_ID` | hostname | bot identity reported to the gateway |
@@ -125,7 +152,7 @@ targets, `validator` and `bot`. In the test contour (`deploy/docker-compose.yml`
 for Telegram egress and dials the gateway bot-link by its internal name. The bot-link
 mTLS material is generated by `deploy/gen-certs.sh`. In prod the bot runs on a separate
 host with native Telegram access and dials the gateway's published bot-link port with
-`PROD_` certificates (the deferred final stage — see `PRERELEASE.md`).
+`PROD_` certificates in production.
 
 A real end-to-end Telegram smoke needs a BotFather bot, its token, a public HTTPS Mini
 App origin, and the bot container; the unit tests cover the wire format, templates,

platform/telegram/cmd/bot/main.go

@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"scrabble/platform/telegram/internal/bot"
 	"scrabble/platform/telegram/internal/botlink"
 	"scrabble/platform/telegram/internal/config"
+	"scrabble/platform/telegram/internal/promobot"
 )
 
 // telemetryShutdownTimeout bounds the OpenTelemetry flush during process exit.
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@ func run(ctx context.Context, cfg config.BotConfig, logger *zap.Logger) error {
 		TestEnv:           cfg.TestEnv,
 		MiniAppURL:        cfg.MiniAppURL,
 		SendRatePerSecond: cfg.SendRatePerSecond,
+		ChatID:            cfg.ChatID,
 	}, logger)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -80,19 +82,52 @@ func run(ctx context.Context, cfg config.BotConfig, logger *zap.Logger) error {
 		return err
 	}
 	exec := botlink.NewExecutor(b, cfg.GameChannelID, logger)
-	client := botlink.NewClient(botlink.ClientConfig{
+	client, err := botlink.NewClient(botlink.ClientConfig{
 		GatewayAddr:    cfg.BotLink.GatewayAddr,
 		InstanceID:     cfg.BotLink.InstanceID,
 		OwnsUpdates:    cfg.OwnsUpdates,
 		Creds:          credentials.NewTLS(tlsCfg),
 		ReconnectDelay: cfg.BotLink.ReconnectDelay,
 	}, exec, logger)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer func() { _ = client.Close() }()
+	// The chat-join eligibility query rides the same bot-link connection; wire it into
+	// the bot after the client is built — the late binding that breaks the bot <->
+	// client construction cycle.
+	b.SetEligibilityResolver(client.ResolveChatEligibility)
+
+	// The optional standalone promo bot: a second bot (its own token) that only answers
+	// /start with a button opening the main bot's Mini App. It is self-contained — no
+	// bot-link, no gateway — so onboarding works even when the game is down.
+	var promo *promobot.Bot
+	if cfg.PromoBotToken != "" {
+		// The promo bot is auxiliary and shares this process with the main bot, so its
+		// construction failure (a bad or unreachable promo token — tgbot.New validates it
+		// with getMe) is logged and the promo bot is skipped, never fatal: it must not
+		// take the main game bot down with it.
+		promo, err = promobot.New(promobot.Config{
+			Token:             cfg.PromoBotToken,
+			APIBaseURL:        cfg.APIBaseURL,
+			TestEnv:           cfg.TestEnv,
+			BotUsername:       cfg.BotUsername,
+			BotLinkURL:        cfg.BotLinkURL,
+			SendRatePerSecond: cfg.SendRatePerSecond,
+		}, logger)
+		if err != nil {
+			logger.Error("promo bot disabled: construction failed (the main bot is unaffected)", zap.Error(err))
+			promo = nil
+		}
+	}
 
 	logger.Info("telegram bot starting",
 		zap.String("gateway", cfg.BotLink.GatewayAddr),
 		zap.String("miniapp_url", cfg.MiniAppURL),
 		zap.Bool("owns_updates", cfg.OwnsUpdates),
-		zap.Bool("test_env", cfg.TestEnv))
+		zap.Bool("test_env", cfg.TestEnv),
+		zap.Bool("chat_gating", cfg.ChatID != 0),
+		zap.Bool("promo_bot", promo != nil))
 
 	var wg sync.WaitGroup
 	// The long-poll holds the exclusive getUpdates lease (one bot per token); a bot
@@ -105,6 +140,11 @@ func run(ctx context.Context, cfg config.BotConfig, logger *zap.Logger) error {
 			logger.Error("bot-link client stopped", zap.Error(err))
 		}
 	})
+	// The promo bot runs its own getUpdates long-poll on its own token (no 409 with
+	// the main bot's lease).
+	if promo != nil {
+		wg.Go(func() { promo.Run(ctx) })
+	}
 
 	<-ctx.Done()
 	wg.Wait()

platform/telegram/internal/bot/bot.go

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ package bot
 import (
 	"context"
 	"net/url"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
 	tgbot "github.com/go-telegram/bot"
@@ -30,8 +31,19 @@ type Config struct {
 	// Telegram Bot API flood limits; 0 disables the limiter. The burst equals the
 	// per-second rate.
 	SendRatePerSecond int
+	// ChatID is the moderated discussion chat the bot gates write access in; 0
+	// disables chat gating (and the chat_member long-poll subscription). Gating needs
+	// the bot to be an administrator there with the restrict-members right.
+	ChatID int64
 }
 
+// EligibilityResolver answers whether the Telegram user identified by externalID
+// (the decimal user id) may write in the moderated chat: registered and neither
+// admin-suspended nor chat-muted. The bot calls it when a user joins the chat. It is
+// late-bound (SetEligibilityResolver) because it is backed by the bot-link client,
+// which is built after the bot.
+type EligibilityResolver func(ctx context.Context, externalID string) (eligible bool, err error)
+
 // Bot wraps a Telegram Bot API client and the Mini App launch URL.
 type Bot struct {
 	api        *tgbot.Bot
@@ -40,6 +52,14 @@ type Bot struct {
 	// limiter throttles outbound sends to stay under the Bot API flood limits; nil
 	// disables throttling.
 	limiter *rate.Limiter
+	// chatID is the moderated discussion chat (0 disables gating).
+	chatID int64
+	// botID is the bot's own Telegram user id (resolved at startup); it skips the
+	// chat_member updates the bot's own restrict actions generate — the grant loop guard.
+	botID int64
+	// eligibility resolves a joining user's chat write eligibility; nil leaves a
+	// joiner muted (fail-closed) until it is wired.
+	eligibility EligibilityResolver
 }
 
 // New builds the bot wrapper, registering the /start handler and a default handler
@@ -49,15 +69,25 @@ func New(cfg Config, log *zap.Logger) (*Bot, error) {
 	if log == nil {
 		log = zap.NewNop()
 	}
-	t := &Bot{miniAppURL: cfg.MiniAppURL, log: log}
+	t := &Bot{miniAppURL: cfg.MiniAppURL, log: log, chatID: cfg.ChatID}
 	if cfg.SendRatePerSecond > 0 {
 		t.limiter = rate.NewLimiter(rate.Limit(cfg.SendRatePerSecond), cfg.SendRatePerSecond)
 	}
 
 	opts := []tgbot.Option{
-		tgbot.WithDefaultHandler(t.handleStart),
+		tgbot.WithDefaultHandler(t.handleUpdate),
 		tgbot.WithMessageTextHandler("/start", tgbot.MatchTypePrefix, t.handleStart),
 	}
+	if cfg.ChatID != 0 {
+		// chat_member updates are off by default; subscribe explicitly (alongside
+		// messages) so the bot sees joins in the moderated chat. The bot must also be an
+		// administrator there for Telegram to deliver them.
+		opts = append(opts, tgbot.WithAllowedUpdates(tgbot.AllowedUpdates{
+			models.AllowedUpdateMessage,
+			models.AllowedUpdateMyChatMember,
+			models.AllowedUpdateChatMember,
+		}))
+	}
 	if cfg.TestEnv {
 		// Route to the Bot API test environment (.../bot<token>/test/METHOD).
 		opts = append(opts, tgbot.UseTestEnvironment())
@@ -90,9 +120,39 @@ func (t *Bot) Run(ctx context.Context) {
 	}); err != nil {
 		t.log.Warn("set menu button failed", zap.Error(err))
 	}
+	if t.chatID != 0 {
+		t.logChatAdminStatus(ctx)
+	}
 	t.api.Start(ctx)
 }
 
+// logChatAdminStatus checks, at startup, whether the bot can actually gate the
+// moderated chat — it must be an administrator there with the restrict-members
+// ("Ban users") right, or Telegram delivers no chat_member updates and restricts
+// fail. It logs a prominent warning when the prerequisite is missing (the common
+// misconfiguration), so the cause is visible without reproducing a join.
+func (t *Bot) logChatAdminStatus(ctx context.Context) {
+	me, err := t.api.GetMe(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.log.Warn("chat self-check: getMe failed", zap.Error(err))
+		return
+	}
+	t.botID = me.ID
+	m, err := t.api.GetChatMember(ctx, &tgbot.GetChatMemberParams{ChatID: t.chatID, UserID: me.ID})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.log.Warn("chat gating self-check failed: the bot cannot read the chat — is it added and is TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID the discussion group id?",
+			zap.Int64("chat_id", t.chatID), zap.Error(err))
+		return
+	}
+	canRestrict := m.Type == models.ChatMemberTypeAdministrator && m.Administrator.CanRestrictMembers
+	if !canRestrict {
+		t.log.Warn(`chat gating WILL NOT WORK: the bot must be an administrator with the restrict-members ("Ban users") right`,
+			zap.Int64("chat_id", t.chatID), zap.String("bot_status", string(m.Type)))
+		return
+	}
+	t.log.Info("chat gating ready: bot is an admin with the restrict-members right", zap.Int64("chat_id", t.chatID))
+}
+
 // Notify sends a notification message with a Mini App launch button that opens the
 // app at startParam (empty opens the lobby).
 func (t *Bot) Notify(ctx context.Context, chatID int64, text, buttonText, startParam string) error {
@@ -131,6 +191,13 @@ func (t *Bot) handleStart(ctx context.Context, api *tgbot.Bot, update *models.Up
 	if update.Message == nil {
 		return
 	}
+	// Reply only in a private chat: the Mini App launch button is an inline web_app
+	// button, which Telegram permits only in private chats — replying to a group message
+	// (the bot is an admin in the moderated chat and now receives its messages) fails with
+	// BUTTON_TYPE_INVALID. In the group the bot only manages permissions, it never chats.
+	if update.Message.Chat.Type != models.ChatTypePrivate {
+		return
+	}
 	startParam := startPayload(update.Message.Text)
 	if _, err := api.SendMessage(ctx, &tgbot.SendMessageParams{
 		ChatID:      update.Message.Chat.ID,
@@ -176,3 +243,190 @@ func startPayload(text string) string {
 	}
 	return strings.TrimSpace(strings.TrimPrefix(text, cmd))
 }
+
+// handleUpdate is the default-handler dispatcher: a chat-member change in the
+// moderated chat drives the write-access gate; anything else is treated as a message
+// and gets the Mini App launch reply.
+func (t *Bot) handleUpdate(ctx context.Context, api *tgbot.Bot, update *models.Update) {
+	if update.ChatMember != nil {
+		t.handleChatMember(ctx, update.ChatMember)
+		return
+	}
+	t.handleStart(ctx, api, update)
+}
+
+// SetEligibilityResolver wires the chat-eligibility resolver after construction (the
+// bot-link client backing it is built after the bot).
+func (t *Bot) SetEligibilityResolver(resolve EligibilityResolver) {
+	t.eligibility = resolve
+}
+
+// handleChatMember keeps a chat member's write access in sync with their eligibility.
+// The chat allows sending by default, so the bot mutes an ineligible member (not
+// registered, or admin-suspended, or chat_muted) and restores an eligible one it had
+// muted; an eligible member that can already send is left untouched. It acts only when
+// the current state differs from the desired one, so it is idempotent and does not
+// re-act on its own change; a resolve failure makes no change.
+func (t *Bot) handleChatMember(ctx context.Context, cm *models.ChatMemberUpdated) {
+	user := chatMemberUser(cm.NewChatMember)
+	var uid int64
+	if user != nil {
+		uid = user.ID
+	}
+	// Log every chat_member update the bot receives: the one place to see whether
+	// Telegram delivers joins, for which chat, the transition, who performed it, and the
+	// new member's send/membership state.
+	canSend, isMember := restrictedSendState(cm.NewChatMember)
+	t.log.Debug("chat_member update",
+		zap.Int64("chat_id", cm.Chat.ID),
+		zap.Int64("configured_chat_id", t.chatID),
+		zap.Int64("user_id", uid),
+		zap.Int64("actor_id", cm.From.ID),
+		zap.String("old_status", string(cm.OldChatMember.Type)),
+		zap.String("new_status", string(cm.NewChatMember.Type)),
+		zap.Bool("new_can_send", canSend),
+		zap.Bool("new_is_member", isMember))
+
+	if t.chatID == 0 || cm.Chat.ID != t.chatID {
+		return
+	}
+	if user == nil || user.IsBot {
+		return
+	}
+	// Loop guard: the bot's own restrict re-fires a chat_member update whose performer is
+	// the bot; skip those so a grant never re-triggers itself.
+	if t.botID != 0 && cm.From.ID == t.botID {
+		return
+	}
+	// The chat allows sending by default and the bot only restricts: Telegram intersects
+	// the chat default with the per-user permission, so a per-user grant cannot exceed a
+	// deny-by-default — the gate must mute the ineligible, not grant the eligible.
+	// Determine whether the user is in the chat and can currently send: a plain member
+	// follows the permissive default; a restricted member can send only with
+	// CanSendMessages, and only while a member.
+	var inChat, currentlyCanSend bool
+	switch cm.NewChatMember.Type {
+	case models.ChatMemberTypeMember:
+		inChat, currentlyCanSend = true, true
+	case models.ChatMemberTypeRestricted:
+		inChat, currentlyCanSend = isMember, canSend
+	default:
+		return // left / kicked / administrator / owner — not a member to gate
+	}
+	if !inChat {
+		return
+	}
+	if t.eligibility == nil {
+		t.log.Warn("chat access: eligibility resolver not wired", zap.Int64("user_id", uid))
+		return
+	}
+	eligible, err := t.eligibility(ctx, strconv.FormatInt(user.ID, 10))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.log.Warn("chat access eligibility failed", zap.Int64("user_id", user.ID), zap.Error(err))
+		return
+	}
+	t.log.Debug("chat access evaluated",
+		zap.Int64("user_id", user.ID), zap.Bool("eligible", eligible), zap.Bool("can_send", currentlyCanSend))
+	// Desired: an eligible user may send, an ineligible one may not. Act only when the
+	// current state differs — idempotent, a no-op for the common eligible member, and it
+	// keeps the bot from re-acting on its own change.
+	if eligible == currentlyCanSend {
+		return
+	}
+	if err := t.setChatWrite(ctx, user.ID, eligible); err != nil {
+		t.log.Warn("set chat write failed",
+			zap.Int64("user_id", user.ID), zap.Bool("can_send", eligible), zap.Error(err))
+		return
+	}
+	t.log.Info("chat access applied", zap.Int64("user_id", user.ID), zap.Bool("can_send", eligible))
+}
+
+// ApplyChatGate applies a chat-gate command (an admin block/unblock or chat_muted
+// change relayed by the gateway): it sets the user's write access, but only when they
+// are currently in the chat. Bots cannot list members, so it probes the single user
+// with getChatMember and is a no-op when they are absent (left/kicked) or an
+// administrator (who cannot be restricted). It reports whether a restriction was
+// applied.
+func (t *Bot) ApplyChatGate(ctx context.Context, userID int64, allow bool) (bool, error) {
+	if t.chatID == 0 {
+		return false, nil
+	}
+	member, err := t.api.GetChatMember(ctx, &tgbot.GetChatMemberParams{ChatID: t.chatID, UserID: userID})
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	switch member.Type {
+	case models.ChatMemberTypeMember, models.ChatMemberTypeRestricted:
+		if err := t.setChatWrite(ctx, userID, allow); err != nil {
+			return false, err
+		}
+		t.log.Info("chat gate applied", zap.Int64("user_id", userID), zap.Bool("allow", allow))
+		return true, nil
+	default:
+		t.log.Debug("chat gate: user not in chat, skipped", zap.Int64("user_id", userID), zap.String("status", string(member.Type)))
+		return false, nil // absent, or an admin/owner who cannot be restricted
+	}
+}
+
+// setChatWrite restricts the user in the moderated chat to either the full send
+// permission set (allow) or none (mute); the non-send permissions stay at their
+// default-deny either way.
+func (t *Bot) setChatWrite(ctx context.Context, userID int64, allow bool) error {
+	perms := models.ChatPermissions{}
+	if allow {
+		perms = chatWritePerms()
+	}
+	_, err := t.api.RestrictChatMember(ctx, &tgbot.RestrictChatMemberParams{
+		ChatID:      t.chatID,
+		UserID:      userID,
+		Permissions: &perms,
+	})
+	return err
+}
+
+// chatWritePerms grants a member the ability to send every kind of message; the
+// non-send permissions stay denied.
+func chatWritePerms() models.ChatPermissions {
+	return models.ChatPermissions{
+		CanSendMessages:       true,
+		CanSendAudios:         true,
+		CanSendDocuments:      true,
+		CanSendPhotos:         true,
+		CanSendVideos:         true,
+		CanSendVideoNotes:     true,
+		CanSendVoiceNotes:     true,
+		CanSendPolls:          true,
+		CanSendOtherMessages:  true,
+		CanAddWebPagePreviews: true,
+	}
+}
+
+// restrictedSendState returns a restricted member's text-send permission and whether
+// they are currently a member of the chat; (false, false) for any non-restricted
+// status (the fields exist only on the restricted variant).
+func restrictedSendState(m models.ChatMember) (canSend, isMember bool) {
+	if m.Type == models.ChatMemberTypeRestricted && m.Restricted != nil {
+		return m.Restricted.CanSendMessages, m.Restricted.IsMember
+	}
+	return false, false
+}
+
+// chatMemberUser returns the user a ChatMember refers to across the union variants,
+// or nil for an unrecognised type.
+func chatMemberUser(m models.ChatMember) *models.User {
+	switch m.Type {
+	case models.ChatMemberTypeOwner:
+		return m.Owner.User
+	case models.ChatMemberTypeAdministrator:
+		return &m.Administrator.User
+	case models.ChatMemberTypeMember:
+		return m.Member.User
+	case models.ChatMemberTypeRestricted:
+		return m.Restricted.User
+	case models.ChatMemberTypeLeft:
+		return m.Left.User
+	case models.ChatMemberTypeBanned:
+		return m.Banned.User
+	}
+	return nil
+}

platform/telegram/internal/bot/bot_test.go

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/go-telegram/bot/models"
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 )
 
@@ -103,6 +104,29 @@ func TestTestEnvironmentRoutesGetMe(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestHandleStartRepliesPrivateOnly(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("private replies", func(t *testing.T) {
+		api := &fakeBotAPI{}
+		b := newTestBot(t, api)
+		b.handleStart(context.Background(), b.api, &models.Update{Message: &models.Message{
+			Chat: models.Chat{ID: 42, Type: models.ChatTypePrivate}, Text: "/start g7",
+		}})
+		if api.chatID != "42" || !strings.Contains(api.replyMarkup, "web_app") {
+			t.Errorf("private /start: chat=%q markup=%q, want a web_app reply", api.chatID, api.replyMarkup)
+		}
+	})
+	t.Run("group ignored", func(t *testing.T) {
+		api := &fakeBotAPI{}
+		b := newTestBot(t, api)
+		b.handleStart(context.Background(), b.api, &models.Update{Message: &models.Message{
+			Chat: models.Chat{ID: -100, Type: models.ChatTypeSupergroup}, Text: "/start",
+		}})
+		if api.chatID != "" {
+			t.Errorf("group /start got a reply (chat=%q); an inline web_app button is invalid in groups", api.chatID)
+		}
+	})
+}
+
 func TestStartPayload(t *testing.T) {
 	cases := map[string]string{
 		"/start g123":  "g123",

platform/telegram/internal/bot/chat_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,239 @@
+package bot
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"io"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/go-telegram/bot/models"
+	"go.uber.org/zap"
+)
+
+const (
+	testChatID = 555
+	botSelfID  = 111111 // the bot's own id in tests (for the loop guard)
+)
+
+// chatAPI is a fake Bot API for the chat-gating tests: it answers getMe, returns a
+// scripted getChatMember status, and records restrictChatMember calls.
+type chatAPI struct {
+	memberStatus string // the status getChatMember reports (default "left")
+	restricts    []restrictCall
+}
+
+type restrictCall struct {
+	userID  string
+	canSend bool // can_send_messages in the applied permissions
+}
+
+func (a *chatAPI) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	switch {
+	case strings.HasSuffix(r.URL.Path, "/getMe"):
+		io.WriteString(w, `{"ok":true,"result":{"id":1,"is_bot":true,"first_name":"t","username":"tb"}}`)
+	case strings.HasSuffix(r.URL.Path, "/getChatMember"):
+		status := a.memberStatus
+		if status == "" {
+			status = "left"
+		}
+		io.WriteString(w, `{"ok":true,"result":{"status":"`+status+`","user":{"id":`+r.FormValue("user_id")+`,"is_bot":false,"first_name":"u"}}}`)
+	case strings.HasSuffix(r.URL.Path, "/restrictChatMember"):
+		var perms struct {
+			CanSendMessages bool `json:"can_send_messages"`
+		}
+		_ = json.Unmarshal([]byte(r.FormValue("permissions")), &perms)
+		a.restricts = append(a.restricts, restrictCall{userID: r.FormValue("user_id"), canSend: perms.CanSendMessages})
+		io.WriteString(w, `{"ok":true,"result":true}`)
+	default:
+		io.WriteString(w, `{"ok":true,"result":true}`)
+	}
+}
+
+// newChatBot builds a gating bot (ChatID set) over the fake API, without an
+// eligibility resolver — each test wires the one it needs.
+func newChatBot(t *testing.T, api *chatAPI) *Bot {
+	t.Helper()
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(api)
+	t.Cleanup(srv.Close)
+	b, err := New(Config{Token: "123:ABC", APIBaseURL: srv.URL, MiniAppURL: "https://example.com/", ChatID: testChatID}, zap.NewNop())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("new bot: %v", err)
+	}
+	b.botID = botSelfID // normally set at startup; the chat_member updates default actor 0 != this
+	return b
+}
+
+// memberUpdate builds an oldType -> member transition for userID in chatID.
+func memberUpdate(chatID, userID int64, oldType models.ChatMemberType) *models.ChatMemberUpdated {
+	return &models.ChatMemberUpdated{
+		Chat:          models.Chat{ID: chatID},
+		OldChatMember: models.ChatMember{Type: oldType, Left: &models.ChatMemberLeft{User: &models.User{ID: userID}}},
+		NewChatMember: models.ChatMember{Type: models.ChatMemberTypeMember, Member: &models.ChatMemberMember{User: &models.User{ID: userID}}},
+	}
+}
+
+// restrictedUpdate builds an oldType -> restricted transition for userID, the new
+// member's text-send permission set to canSend and membership to isMember. A muted
+// member is restricted with canSend=false; an un-muted one with canSend=true.
+func restrictedUpdate(chatID, userID int64, oldType models.ChatMemberType, canSend, isMember bool) *models.ChatMemberUpdated {
+	return &models.ChatMemberUpdated{
+		Chat:          models.Chat{ID: chatID},
+		OldChatMember: models.ChatMember{Type: oldType, Left: &models.ChatMemberLeft{User: &models.User{ID: userID}}},
+		NewChatMember: models.ChatMember{Type: models.ChatMemberTypeRestricted, Restricted: &models.ChatMemberRestricted{User: &models.User{ID: userID}, CanSendMessages: canSend, IsMember: isMember}},
+	}
+}
+
+// leftUpdate builds a transition to left (a leave) for userID.
+func leftUpdate(chatID, userID int64) *models.ChatMemberUpdated {
+	return &models.ChatMemberUpdated{
+		Chat:          models.Chat{ID: chatID},
+		OldChatMember: models.ChatMember{Type: models.ChatMemberTypeRestricted, Restricted: &models.ChatMemberRestricted{User: &models.User{ID: userID}}},
+		NewChatMember: models.ChatMember{Type: models.ChatMemberTypeLeft, Left: &models.ChatMemberLeft{User: &models.User{ID: userID}}},
+	}
+}
+
+// eligibleBot builds a gating bot whose resolver returns (eligible, err).
+func eligibleBot(t *testing.T, api *chatAPI, eligible bool, err error) *Bot {
+	t.Helper()
+	b := newChatBot(t, api)
+	b.SetEligibilityResolver(func(context.Context, string) (bool, error) { return eligible, err })
+	return b
+}
+
+func TestHandleChatMemberMutesIneligibleMember(t *testing.T) {
+	// An unregistered/blocked member can send by the permissive default, so the bot mutes.
+	api := &chatAPI{}
+	b := eligibleBot(t, api, false, nil)
+	b.handleChatMember(context.Background(), memberUpdate(testChatID, 777, models.ChatMemberTypeLeft))
+	if len(api.restricts) != 1 || api.restricts[0].userID != "777" || api.restricts[0].canSend {
+		t.Fatalf("restricts = %+v, want one mute (can_send=false) for 777", api.restricts)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestHandleChatMemberLeavesEligibleMemberAlone(t *testing.T) {
+	// An eligible plain member already sends (the permissive default); no action needed.
+	api := &chatAPI{}
+	b := eligibleBot(t, api, true, nil)
+	b.handleChatMember(context.Background(), memberUpdate(testChatID, 777, models.ChatMemberTypeLeft))
+	if len(api.restricts) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("restricts = %+v, want none for an eligible member (already allowed)", api.restricts)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestHandleChatMemberUnmutesEligibleRestricted(t *testing.T) {
+	// An eligible member the bot had muted (restricted, can_send=false) is restored.
+	api := &chatAPI{}
+	b := eligibleBot(t, api, true, nil)
+	b.handleChatMember(context.Background(), restrictedUpdate(testChatID, 777, models.ChatMemberTypeRestricted, false, true))
+	if len(api.restricts) != 1 || !api.restricts[0].canSend {
+		t.Fatalf("restricts = %+v, want one un-mute (can_send=true)", api.restricts)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestHandleChatMemberLeavesEligibleAllowedRestrictedAlone(t *testing.T) {
+	// An eligible restricted member who can already send needs no change — the real case
+	// from the contour (restricted, can_send=true, eligible).
+	api := &chatAPI{}
+	b := eligibleBot(t, api, true, nil)
+	b.handleChatMember(context.Background(), restrictedUpdate(testChatID, 777, models.ChatMemberTypeRestricted, true, true))
+	if len(api.restricts) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("restricts = %+v, want none for an eligible already-allowed member", api.restricts)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestHandleChatMemberMutesIneligibleRestricted(t *testing.T) {
+	// An ineligible member who can still send is muted.
+	api := &chatAPI{}
+	b := eligibleBot(t, api, false, nil)
+	b.handleChatMember(context.Background(), restrictedUpdate(testChatID, 777, models.ChatMemberTypeRestricted, true, true))
+	if len(api.restricts) != 1 || api.restricts[0].canSend {
+		t.Fatalf("restricts = %+v, want one mute (can_send=false)", api.restricts)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestHandleChatMemberSkipsNonMember(t *testing.T) {
+	// A restricted record for a user no longer in the chat (is_member=false) is not acted on.
+	api := &chatAPI{}
+	b := eligibleBot(t, api, false, nil)
+	b.handleChatMember(context.Background(), restrictedUpdate(testChatID, 777, models.ChatMemberTypeRestricted, true, false))
+	if len(api.restricts) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("restricts = %+v, want none for a non-member", api.restricts)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestHandleChatMemberSkipsBotsOwnAction(t *testing.T) {
+	// The bot's own restrict re-fires a chat_member update performed by the bot; skip it
+	// so an action never loops (the resolver here would otherwise mute).
+	api := &chatAPI{}
+	b := eligibleBot(t, api, false, nil)
+	upd := memberUpdate(testChatID, 777, models.ChatMemberTypeLeft)
+	upd.From = models.User{ID: botSelfID}
+	b.handleChatMember(context.Background(), upd)
+	if len(api.restricts) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("restricts = %+v, want none for the bot's own action (no loop)", api.restricts)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestHandleChatMemberNoChangeOnResolveError(t *testing.T) {
+	api := &chatAPI{}
+	b := eligibleBot(t, api, false, context.DeadlineExceeded)
+	b.handleChatMember(context.Background(), memberUpdate(testChatID, 777, models.ChatMemberTypeLeft))
+	if len(api.restricts) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("a resolve error still changed access: %+v (want no change)", api.restricts)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestHandleChatMemberIgnoresOtherChatAndLeaves(t *testing.T) {
+	api := &chatAPI{}
+	b := eligibleBot(t, api, false, nil) // ineligible — would mute if it acted
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	b.handleChatMember(ctx, memberUpdate(999, 777, models.ChatMemberTypeLeft)) // foreign chat
+	b.handleChatMember(ctx, leftUpdate(testChatID, 777))                       // a leave
+	if len(api.restricts) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("restricts = %+v, want none for a foreign chat / a leave", api.restricts)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestApplyChatGatePresentMember(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, tc := range []struct {
+		name  string
+		allow bool
+	}{{"grant", true}, {"mute", false}} {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			api := &chatAPI{memberStatus: "member"}
+			b := newChatBot(t, api)
+			applied, err := b.ApplyChatGate(context.Background(), 777, tc.allow)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("apply: %v", err)
+			}
+			if !applied {
+				t.Fatal("applied = false, want true for a present member")
+			}
+			if len(api.restricts) != 1 || api.restricts[0].canSend != tc.allow {
+				t.Fatalf("restricts = %+v, want one with can_send=%v", api.restricts, tc.allow)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestApplyChatGateSkipsAbsentAndAdmin(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, status := range []string{"left", "kicked", "administrator", "creator"} {
+		t.Run(status, func(t *testing.T) {
+			api := &chatAPI{memberStatus: status}
+			b := newChatBot(t, api)
+			applied, err := b.ApplyChatGate(context.Background(), 777, false)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("apply: %v", err)
+			}
+			if applied {
+				t.Errorf("applied = true for status %q, want a no-op", status)
+			}
+			if len(api.restricts) != 0 {
+				t.Errorf("restricts = %+v for status %q, want none", api.restricts, status)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}

platform/telegram/internal/botlink/client.go

@@ -37,27 +37,25 @@ type ClientConfig struct {
 }
 
 // Client maintains the long-lived bot-link to the gateway, executing the commands
-// it receives and re-dialing after any break.
+// it receives and re-dialing after any break. The same mTLS connection also serves
+// the unary chat-eligibility query the bot makes on a chat join.
 type Client struct {
 	cfg    ClientConfig
 	exec   *Executor
 	log    *zap.Logger
+	conn   *grpc.ClientConn
+	client botlinkv1.BotLinkClient
 }
 
-// NewClient builds the bot-link client over the executor.
-func NewClient(cfg ClientConfig, exec *Executor, log *zap.Logger) *Client {
+// NewClient builds the bot-link client over the executor, dialing the gateway. The
+// gRPC connection is lazy, so the dial does not block on the gateway being up; the
+// caller must Close it. The bot-link command stream is opened by Run.
+func NewClient(cfg ClientConfig, exec *Executor, log *zap.Logger) (*Client, error) {
 	if log == nil {
 		log = zap.NewNop()
 	}
-	return &Client{cfg: cfg, exec: exec, log: log}
-}
-
-// Run dials the gateway and keeps the bot-link open, re-dialing after each break,
-// until ctx is cancelled. The gRPC connection auto-reconnects the transport; this
-// loop re-opens the Link stream on top of it.
-func (c *Client) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
-	conn, err := grpc.NewClient(c.cfg.GatewayAddr,
-		grpc.WithTransportCredentials(c.cfg.Creds),
+	conn, err := grpc.NewClient(cfg.GatewayAddr,
+		grpc.WithTransportCredentials(cfg.Creds),
 		grpc.WithStatsHandler(otelgrpc.NewClientHandler()),
 		grpc.WithKeepaliveParams(keepalive.ClientParameters{
 			Time:                clientKeepaliveTime,
@@ -66,13 +64,30 @@ func (c *Client) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 		}),
 	)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return &Client{cfg: cfg, exec: exec, log: log, conn: conn, client: botlinkv1.NewBotLinkClient(conn)}, nil
 }
-	defer func() { _ = conn.Close() }()
-	client := botlinkv1.NewBotLinkClient(conn)
 
+// Close releases the bot-link connection.
+func (c *Client) Close() error { return c.conn.Close() }
+
+// ResolveChatEligibility asks the gateway whether the Telegram user identified by
+// externalID may write in the moderated chat. The bot calls it on a chat join, over
+// the same mTLS connection as the command stream.
+func (c *Client) ResolveChatEligibility(ctx context.Context, externalID string) (bool, error) {
+	resp, err := c.client.ResolveChatEligibility(ctx, &botlinkv1.ChatEligibilityRequest{ExternalId: externalID})
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	return resp.GetEligible(), nil
+}
+
+// Run keeps the bot-link command stream open, re-opening it after each break, until
+// ctx is cancelled. The gRPC connection auto-reconnects the transport underneath.
+func (c *Client) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 	for ctx.Err() == nil {
-		if err := c.serve(ctx, client); err != nil && ctx.Err() == nil {
+		if err := c.serve(ctx, c.client); err != nil && ctx.Err() == nil {
 			c.log.Warn("bot-link stream ended", zap.Error(err))
 		}
 		if !sleep(ctx, c.cfg.ReconnectDelay) {

platform/telegram/internal/botlink/client_test.go

@@ -63,12 +63,16 @@ func TestClientServesCommands(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Cleanup(srv.Stop)
 
 	sender := &fakeSender{}
-	client := NewClient(ClientConfig{
+	client, err := NewClient(ClientConfig{
 		GatewayAddr:    lis.Addr().String(),
 		InstanceID:     "test",
 		Creds:          insecure.NewCredentials(),
 		ReconnectDelay: 50 * time.Millisecond,
 	}, NewExecutor(sender, 0, nil), nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("new client: %v", err)
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() { _ = client.Close() })
 
 	go func() { _ = client.Run(t.Context()) }()
 

platform/telegram/internal/botlink/executor.go

@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@ type Sender interface {
 	Notify(ctx context.Context, chatID int64, text, buttonText, startParam string) error
 	// SendText sends a plain text message to chatID.
 	SendText(ctx context.Context, chatID int64, text string) error
+	// ApplyChatGate sets the Telegram user's write access in the moderated discussion
+	// chat, but only when they are currently in it; it reports whether a restriction
+	// was applied.
+	ApplyChatGate(ctx context.Context, userID int64, allow bool) (bool, error)
 }
 
 // Executor turns a bot-link Command into a Bot API send. The delivered flag mirrors
@@ -53,11 +57,30 @@ func (e *Executor) Handle(ctx context.Context, cmd *botlinkv1.Command) (bool, er
 		return e.sendToUser(ctx, p.SendToUser)
 	case *botlinkv1.Command_SendToChannel:
 		return e.sendToChannel(ctx, p.SendToChannel)
+	case *botlinkv1.Command_ChatGate:
+		return e.chatGate(ctx, p.ChatGate)
 	default:
 		return false, fmt.Errorf("botlink: empty command")
 	}
 }
 
+// chatGate applies a chat-gate command: it parses the target Telegram user id and
+// sets their write access in the moderated chat (a no-op when they are not in it). A
+// Bot API failure is logged and reported as not-delivered, not a hard error.
+func (e *Executor) chatGate(ctx context.Context, req *botlinkv1.ChatGateCommand) (bool, error) {
+	userID, err := parseChatID(req.GetExternalId())
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	applied, err := e.sender.ApplyChatGate(ctx, userID, req.GetAllow())
+	if err != nil {
+		e.log.Warn("chat gate apply failed",
+			zap.String("external_id", req.GetExternalId()), zap.Bool("allow", req.GetAllow()), zap.Error(err))
+		return false, nil
+	}
+	return applied, nil
+}
+
 // notify renders an out-of-app push and sends it with a Mini App launch button.
 func (e *Executor) notify(ctx context.Context, req *telegramv1.NotifyRequest) (bool, error) {
 	msg, ok := render.Render(req.GetKind(), req.GetPayload(), req.GetLanguage())