Merge pull request 'Release: development → master' (#125) from development into master

Cover the reworked Settings -> Friends interactions in the mock e2e
(Chromium + WebKit): the row kebab slides open the block/remove icons and an
outside tap collapses it; blocking confirms (naming the friend) and moves them
to Blocked; removing confirms and drops the friendship.

.gitea/workflows/ci.yaml

@@ -26,6 +26,13 @@ on:
   push:
     branches: [development]
 
+# The dictionary release the test suite validates against — the current
+# scrabble-dictionary release. Centralised here so a release bump is one edit; the
+# unit/integration jobs inherit it. The deploy job overrides it per contour with
+# vars.TEST_DICT_VERSION (the seed for a fresh volume), see deploy/README.md.
+env:
+  DICT_VERSION: v1.3.0
+
 jobs:
   # changes detects which areas a PR/push touched, so the test jobs can skip when
   # irrelevant. It defaults to running everything when the diff cannot be computed.
@@ -86,7 +93,6 @@ jobs:
       # The engine consumes the published scrabble-solver module from this Gitea;
       # GOPRIVATE makes go fetch it directly (skipping the public proxy/checksum DB).
       GOPRIVATE: gitea.iliadenisov.ru/*
-      DICT_VERSION: v1.0.0
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -134,7 +140,6 @@ jobs:
       # suite's TestMain terminates its own container, so disable it.
       TESTCONTAINERS_RYUK_DISABLED: "true"
       GOPRIVATE: gitea.iliadenisov.ru/*
-      DICT_VERSION: v1.0.0
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -254,25 +259,24 @@ jobs:
           AWG_CONF: ${{ secrets.TEST_AWG_CONF }}
           GM_BASICAUTH_HASH: ${{ secrets.TEST_GM_BASICAUTH_HASH }}
           GRAFANA_ADMIN_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.TEST_GRAFANA_ADMIN_PASSWORD }}
-          TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN_EN: ${{ secrets.TEST_TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN_EN }}
+          TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.TEST_TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN }}
-          TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN_RU: ${{ secrets.TEST_TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN_RU }}
+          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_EN: ${{ vars.TEST_TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_ID_EN }}
+          TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_ID: ${{ vars.TEST_TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_ID }}
-          TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_ID_RU: ${{ vars.TEST_TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_ID_RU }}
+          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"
           VITE_TELEGRAM_BOT_ID: ${{ vars.TEST_VITE_TELEGRAM_BOT_ID }}
           VITE_TELEGRAM_LINK: ${{ vars.TEST_VITE_TELEGRAM_LINK }}
-          VITE_TELEGRAM_LINK_EN: ${{ vars.TEST_VITE_TELEGRAM_LINK_EN }}
+          VITE_TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_NAME: ${{ vars.TEST_VITE_TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_NAME }}
-          VITE_TELEGRAM_LINK_RU: ${{ vars.TEST_VITE_TELEGRAM_LINK_RU }}
-          VITE_TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_NAME_EN: ${{ vars.TEST_VITE_TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_NAME_EN }}
-          VITE_TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_NAME_RU: ${{ vars.TEST_VITE_TELEGRAM_GAME_CHANNEL_NAME_RU }}
           VITE_GATEWAY_URL: ${{ vars.TEST_VITE_GATEWAY_URL }}
-          GATEWAY_DEFAULT_SUPPORTED_LANGUAGES: ${{ vars.TEST_GATEWAY_DEFAULT_SUPPORTED_LANGUAGES }}
           # Unset vars render empty -> the compose ":-" defaults apply.
           POSTGRES_DB: ${{ vars.TEST_POSTGRES_DB }}
           POSTGRES_USER: ${{ vars.TEST_POSTGRES_USER }}
@@ -289,62 +293,82 @@ jobs:
           mkdir -p "$conf"
           cp -r caddy otelcol prometheus tempo grafana "$conf"/
           export SCRABBLE_CONFIG_DIR="$conf"
+          # Bot-link mTLS material for the test contour: a private CA + gateway/bot
+          # leaves (CN=gateway, the service name the bot dials). Prod supplies these
+          # from PROD_ secrets instead. Regenerated each deploy; both ends redeploy
+          # together so they always share the fresh CA (see deploy/gen-certs.sh).
+          bash "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/deploy/gen-certs.sh" "$conf/certs"
           # 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
+          # The telegram-local profile brings the bot + its VPN sidecar; prod runs the
-          docker compose --ansi never up -d --remove-orphans
+          # 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
           # pick up the fresh config.
           docker compose --ansi never up -d --force-recreate --no-deps caddy otelcol prometheus tempo grafana
 
-      - name: Probe the landing and the gateway through caddy
+      - name: Probe the landing, gateway and backend
         run: |
           set -u
-          # Two probes through the contour caddy: "/" is the static
+          # Three probes. "/" is the static landing container and "/app/" the
-          # landing container, "/app/" is the gateway-served SPA shell.
+          # gateway-served SPA shell (both through the contour caddy on the edge net).
+          # The backend /readyz is probed on the internal net as well: the caddy probes
+          # are blind to a crash-looping backend (the landing is static and the SPA
+          # shell is served without it), which let a bad deploy go green while the
+          # backend was down — so check it directly here.
           for i in $(seq 1 20); do
             if docker run --rm --network edge alpine:3.20 wget -q -T 5 -O /dev/null http://scrabble/ &&
-               docker run --rm --network edge alpine:3.20 wget -q -T 5 -O /dev/null http://scrabble/app/; then
+               docker run --rm --network edge alpine:3.20 wget -q -T 5 -O /dev/null http://scrabble/app/ &&
-              echo "healthy: GET http://scrabble/ (landing) + /app/ (gateway)"
+               docker run --rm --network scrabble-internal alpine:3.20 wget -q -T 5 -O /dev/null http://backend:8080/readyz; then
+              echo "healthy: GET / (landing) + /app/ (gateway) + backend /readyz"
               exit 0
             fi
             sleep 3
           done
-          echo "probe failed; recent landing + gateway logs:"
+          echo "probe failed; recent landing + gateway + backend logs:"
           docker logs --tail 50 scrabble-landing || true
           docker logs --tail 50 scrabble-gateway || true
+          docker logs --tail 50 scrabble-backend || true
           exit 1
 
-      - name: Probe the Telegram connector liveness
+      - name: Probe the Telegram validator and bot liveness
         run: |
           set -u
-          # The gateway probe cannot see a crash-looping connector (it long-polls and
+          # The gateway/backend probes cannot see a crash-looping validator or bot
-          # egresses through the VPN sidecar, with no public ingress). Inspect the
+          # (the validator answers only internal gRPC; the bot long-polls + egresses
-          # container directly: it must be running, not restarting, with a stable
+          # through the VPN sidecar with no public ingress). Inspect the containers
-          # restart count. A grace period lets the VPN handshake settle (the connector
+          # directly: each must be running, not restarting, with a stable restart
-          # may restart a few times first).
+          # count. A grace period lets the VPN handshake and the bot-link dial settle.
           sleep 20
-          for i in $(seq 1 20); do
+          for name in scrabble-telegram-validator scrabble-telegram-bot; do
-            status="$(docker inspect -f '{{.State.Status}}' scrabble-telegram 2>/dev/null || echo missing)"
+            ok=
-            restarting="$(docker inspect -f '{{.State.Restarting}}' scrabble-telegram 2>/dev/null || echo true)"
+            for i in $(seq 1 20); do
-            if [ "$status" = "running" ] && [ "$restarting" = "false" ]; then
+              status="$(docker inspect -f '{{.State.Status}}' "$name" 2>/dev/null || echo missing)"
-              c1="$(docker inspect -f '{{.RestartCount}}' scrabble-telegram)"
+              restarting="$(docker inspect -f '{{.State.Restarting}}' "$name" 2>/dev/null || echo true)"
-              sleep 5
+              if [ "$status" = "running" ] && [ "$restarting" = "false" ]; then
-              c2="$(docker inspect -f '{{.RestartCount}}' scrabble-telegram)"
+                c1="$(docker inspect -f '{{.RestartCount}}' "$name")"
-              if [ "$c1" = "$c2" ]; then
+                sleep 5
-                echo "connector healthy: status=$status restarts=$c2"
+                c2="$(docker inspect -f '{{.RestartCount}}' "$name")"
-                exit 0
+                if [ "$c1" = "$c2" ]; then
+                  echo "$name healthy: status=$status restarts=$c2"
+                  ok=1
+                  break
+                fi
+                echo "$name still restarting ($c1 -> $c2); waiting"
               fi
-              echo "connector still restarting ($c1 -> $c2); waiting"
+              sleep 3
+            done
+            if [ -z "$ok" ]; then
+              echo "$name not healthy; recent logs:"
+              docker logs --tail 80 "$name" || true
+              exit 1
             fi
-            sleep 3
           done
-          echo "connector not healthy; recent logs:"
-          docker logs --tail 80 scrabble-telegram || true
-          exit 1
 
       - name: Prune dangling images
         if: always()

.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"

.gitignore

@@ -17,5 +17,9 @@
 **/.env.local
 **/.env.*.local
 
+# Bot-link mTLS material: private keys never belong in the repo. The test contour
+# generates them with deploy/gen-certs.sh; prod supplies them from PROD_ secrets.
+deploy/certs/
+
 # Claude Code harness runtime artifacts
 .claude/scheduled_tasks.lock

CLAUDE.md

@@ -1,96 +1,97 @@
 # scrabble-game — project guide
 
-Multiplatform Scrabble game. Read this first every session. The owner drives the
+Multiplatform Scrabble game, **in production** at `https://erudit-game.ru`. Read this
-project **one stage per session** (tariff constraint), so the repository — not
+first every session. The repository — not conversation memory — is the source of
-conversation memory — is the source of continuity. Keep it that way.
+continuity; keep it that way.
 
 ## Sources of truth (read before changing behaviour)
 
-- [`PLAN.md`](PLAN.md) — staged plan + **stage tracker** + per-stage *open
+- [`docs/ARCHITECTURE.md`](docs/ARCHITECTURE.md) — architecture, transport, security,
-  details to interview*.
+  the decision record. Always describes the current state.
-- [`PRERELEASE.md`](PRERELEASE.md) — pre-release hardening tracker (phases R1–R7
+- [`docs/FUNCTIONAL.md`](docs/FUNCTIONAL.md) (+ [`_ru`](docs/FUNCTIONAL_ru.md) mirror)
-  before Stage 18); same per-phase *interview + bake-back* discipline as `PLAN.md`.
+  — per-domain user stories. English authoritative.
-- [`docs/ARCHITECTURE.md`](docs/ARCHITECTURE.md) — architecture, transport,
+- [`docs/TESTING.md`](docs/TESTING.md) — test layers + the CI gate.
-  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/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**
+- Inspect the relevant code path and the docs above before changing behaviour.
-1. Read `PLAN.md` (the stage's scope + *open details*) and the relevant `docs/`.
+- **Interview the owner on every fork** — do not silently pick borderline decisions;
-2. Analyse what the stage actually requires against the current code.
+  offer options with brief pros/cons.
-3. **Interview the owner** on every open detail and any fork not already fixed
+- Smallest correct diff. Prefer compact code; reuse before adding; do not add deps,
-   in the plan — do not silently pick borderline decisions. Offer options with
+  seams or knobs until they are needed.
-   brief pros/cons.
+- **Update or add tests for every functional change**, at the layers
-4. Only then implement, strictly within the stage's scope.
+  `docs/TESTING.md` calls out.
-
+- **Bake docs in the same PR**: update `docs/ARCHITECTURE.md`, `docs/FUNCTIONAL.md`
-**End of a stage**
+  (+`_ru`), the affected service `README` and Go Doc comments alongside the change.
-1. Bake every new agreement back into `PLAN.md`, `docs/ARCHITECTURE.md`,
+- Document added packages, types, funcs, consts and vars with Go Doc comments.
-   `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.)
 
 ## Conventions
 
 - All code, comments, identifiers, commits, docs, filenames in **English**.
-- Chat with the owner follows the user-level `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md` (Russian,
+- Chat with the owner follows the user-level `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md` (Russian, the
-  the agreed persona and translation rules).
+  agreed persona and translation rules).
-- Mirror every point edit of `docs/FUNCTIONAL.md` into `docs/FUNCTIONAL_ru.md`
+- Mirror every point edit of `docs/FUNCTIONAL.md` into `docs/FUNCTIONAL_ru.md` in the
-  in the same patch (translate only the touched paragraphs).
+  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.
 
-## Branching & CI
+## Branching, CI & production
 
-- **Two long-lived branches** (Stage 16 onward): **`development`** is the
+- **Two long-lived branches**: **`development`** is the integration branch; **`master`**
-  integration branch; **`master`** is the production trunk. Cut `feature/*`
+  is the production trunk. Cut `feature/*` from `development` and PR back into it;
-  branches **from `development`** and PR them back into it. (Stages 0–15 used
+  promote `development → master` via PR when ready to release. Both branches require
-  `master` as the trunk with `feature/* → master`; the genesis Stage 0 commit is
+  one approval + the `CI / gate` check.
-  on `master` by necessity.)
+- A commit to a `feature/*` branch triggers nothing. The single workflow
-- A commit to a `feature/*` branch triggers **nothing**. The single workflow
+  `.gitea/workflows/ci.yaml` runs the full suite (`unit` + `integration` + `ui`) on a
-  `.gitea/workflows/ci.yaml` runs the full suite (`unit` + `integration` + `ui`)
+  PR into `development` or `master`, and the gated **`deploy`** job auto-rolls the
-  on a PR into `development` or `master`, and the gated **`deploy`** job auto-rolls
+  **test contour** on a PR into — or a push to — `development`
-  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
-  (`docker compose up -d --build` on the runner host + a `GET /` probe). A PR into
+  PR into `master` is test-only.
-  `master` is test-only.
+- **Production is live on two hosts** (main + the Telegram bot host) and deploys
-- Merge `development → master` only when CI is green; the **prod** deploy is then a
+  **only manually** (`workflow_dispatch`), never automatically:
-  **manual** workflow (Stage 18), never automatic. Secrets/variables are prefixed
+  - **`.gitea/workflows/prod-deploy.yaml`** (`confirm=deploy`, from `master`) builds +
-  `TEST_` / `PROD_` per contour (Gitea 1.26 has no deployment environments).
+    pushes the images to the registry, then SSH-deploys both hosts — rolling per
-- After any push, watch the run to green before declaring a stage done — use the
+    service in dependency order, health-gated, **auto-rollback to the previous tag**;
-  ready-made watcher, never an inline poll loop:
+    a schema migration adds a maintenance window + a consistent `pg_dump`. Four visible
-  `python3 ~/.claude/bin/gitea-ci-watch.py` (background). It reads `$GITEA_URL`
+    jobs: build → deploy-main → deploy-bot → verify.
-  / `$GITEA_TOKEN`; `gitea.iliadenisov.ru` is allow-listed in
+  - **`.gitea/workflows/prod-rollback.yaml`** (`confirm=rollback`) re-deploys a prior
-  `.claude/settings.json`. Remote: `origin git@gitea.iliadenisov.ru:developer/scrabble-game.git`.
+    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
+Go 1.26.3, `go.work` monorepo, module paths `scrabble/<name>`. Backend uses `gin` +
-added **when first used** (incremental): backend uses `gin` + `zap` +
+`zap` + `pgx`/`go-jet`/`goose`/OTel. Client↔gateway is Connect-RPC + FlatBuffers
-`pgx`/`go-jet`/`goose`/OTel (added in Stage 1). Client↔gateway is Connect-RPC +
+(h2c); gateway↔backend is REST/JSON + `X-User-ID` plus a gRPC server-stream for live
-FlatBuffers (h2c); gateway↔backend is REST/JSON + `X-User-ID` plus a gRPC
+events. UI is pure HTML5/CSS on plain Svelte + Vite, packaged to native with
-server-stream for live events. UI is pure HTML5/CSS on plain Svelte + Vite,
+Capacitor. No Redis.
-packaged to native with Capacitor. Likely 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
+Embedded **in-process as a library** (`replace scrabble-solver => ../scrabble-solver`
-API to reuse (do not reimplement):
+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,
+- `scrabble.NewSolver(rs, finder)` → `GenerateMoves(b, r, mode)` (ranked, highest
-  highest score first), `ValidatePlay(b, dir, tiles)`, `ScorePlay(...)`;
+  score first), `ValidatePlay(b, dir, tiles)`, `ScorePlay(...)`; `scrabble.Apply(b, m)`;
-  `scrabble.Apply(b, m)`; types `Move/Word/Placement/Direction/Mode`
+  types `Move/Word/Placement/Direction/Mode`
   (`scrabble-solver/scrabble/{solver,move,apply}.go`).
-- `rules.English() / RussianScrabble() / Erudit()`
+- `rules.English() / RussianScrabble() / Erudit()` (`scrabble-solver/rules/rules.go`).
-  (`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
+- The solver uses published `github.com/iliadenisov/{alphabet,dafsa}` (no local replace).
-  **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).
 
 ## 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/                     # module scrabble/gateway: Connect-RPC edge, embeds the SPA
-gateway/  ui/  pkg/              # added by their stages
+ui/                          # Svelte + Vite SPA + landing (Node project, not in go.work)
-platform/telegram/               # Telegram connector side-service (Stage 9): bot + gRPC API
+pkg/                         # shared: telemetry, version, wire/FlatBuffers, proto, mtls
-loadtest/                        # module scrabble/loadtest: the pre-release stress harness (R2)
+platform/telegram/           # Telegram side-service: cmd/validator (HMAC, no VPN) + cmd/bot (Bot API; dials gateway over reverse mTLS bot-link)
-backend/Dockerfile gateway/Dockerfile platform/telegram/Dockerfile loadtest/Dockerfile  # multi-stage distroless (Stage 16; loadtest R2); gateway/Dockerfile also has the `landing` target (R3)
+loadtest/                    # module scrabble/loadtest: the load/stress harness
-deploy/                          # docker-compose (per-service limits, R7) + caddy + landing + otelcol (OTLP + docker_stats per-container metrics) + prometheus/tempo/grafana + postgres_exporter
+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 connector (Stage 9)
+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
+The `ui` module is a Node project (pnpm), **not** in `go.work`; it is the `ui` job of
-of the single `.gitea/workflows/ci.yaml` (Stage 16 folded the former go-unit /
+the single `.gitea/workflows/ci.yaml`. Committed edge codegen under `ui/src/gen/`
-integration / ui-test workflows into it). 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

@@ -1,549 +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** |
-| → | 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**.
-- **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.
-
-## 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.
+- [`docs/TESTING.md`](docs/TESTING.md) — test layers and the CI gate.
-- [`PLAN.md`](PLAN.md) — the staged implementation plan and stage tracker.
+- [`CLAUDE.md`](CLAUDE.md) — project guide and development workflow.
-- [`CLAUDE.md`](CLAUDE.md) — project guide and the mandatory per-stage 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:
+# in the Docker context. DICT_VERSION has no default — the caller supplies the
-#   docker build -f backend/Dockerfile -t scrabble-backend .
+# 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=v1.0.0
+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=v1.0.0
+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

@@ -103,9 +103,16 @@ second listener — `internal/pushgrpc`, a gRPC server (`BACKEND_GRPC_ADDR`) str
 live events (your-turn, opponent-moved, chat, nudge, match-found, notify) to the
 gateway. The gateway-only `POST /api/v1/internal/push-target` (a user's
 Telegram `external_id`, language and `notifications_in_app_only` flag) lets the gateway
-route out-of-app push to the Telegram connector; the Telegram login
+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`;
@@ -116,16 +123,15 @@ pipeline, the online **dictionary update** (upload the `scrabble-dawg-vX.Y.Z.tar
 archive, preview the per-variant word diff, then install + activate — `internal/dictadmin` +
 `engine.DiffWords` / `Registry.LoadAvailable`, written to per-version subdirectories of the
 `BACKEND_DICT_DIR` volume with the active version persisted in `dictionary_state`), and operator **broadcasts** via a
-backend Telegram-connector client (`internal/connector`, `BACKEND_CONNECTOR_ADDR`) — each
+backend client (`internal/connector`, `BACKEND_CONNECTOR_ADDR`) that calls the gateway's
-broadcast picks the delivering bot by an operator-chosen language. `accounts.service_language`
+**bot-link relay** — each broadcast renders through the bot in an operator-chosen language
-holds the language tag of the bot a Telegram
+and the relay awaits the bot's delivery ack. There is one bot,
-user last signed in through, written on every login and returned by
+so `/internal/push-target` returns the recipient's `preferred_language` as the render
-`/internal/push-target` (falling back to `preferred_language`) so out-of-app push routes
+language for out-of-app push; no per-bot routing remains. The console also manages the **advertising banner** (`/_gm/banners` +
-to the right bot. The console also manages the **advertising banner** (`/_gm/banners` +
 `/_gm/banner-settings`, `internal/ads`): operator campaigns with a percent weight, an optional
 window and bilingual messages, plus the global display timings. `GET /api/v1/user/profile` attaches
 the resolved, weighted campaign feed for an **eligible** viewer (`!paid_account && hint_balance == 0
-&& !no_banner` role, the message language picked by `service_language`); changing those inputs
+&& !no_banner` role, the message language picked by `preferred_language`); changing those inputs
 publishes a `notify` `banner` re-poll signal so the client shows/hides it in place. The shared wire
 contracts live in the sibling [`../pkg`](../pkg) module.
 
@@ -149,6 +155,13 @@ rejected calls within `BACKEND_HIGHRATE_FLAG_WINDOW` gets the soft, reversible
 `accounts.flagged_high_rate_at` marker (set-once; a badge in the user list and a
 **Clear** action on the user card; never an automatic ban).
 
+The gateway also syncs its active IP bans (prod-only — see ARCHITECTURE §11) to
+`POST /api/v1/internal/bans/sync`; `internal/banview` mirrors them for the console's
+**Throttled** page (an **Active IP bans** panel with an **Unban** action) and returns
+the operator's pending unbans in the response, which the gateway applies on its next
+sync. Like `ratewatch` it is in-memory and resets on restart — the enforced ban lives
+in the gateway, not here.
+
 ## Package layout
 
 ```
@@ -172,8 +185,9 @@ internal/lobby/      # auto-match (DB-backed open games + robot substitution) +
 internal/robot/      # human-like robot opponent: account pool, seed-derived strategy, move driver
 internal/adminconsole/ # server-rendered admin console (Go templates + embedded CSS, view models), served at /_gm
 internal/ads/        # advertising banner: campaigns + bilingual messages + display timings, weighted-rotation feed (ActiveSet)
-internal/connector/  # backend gRPC client to the Telegram connector (operator broadcasts)
+internal/connector/  # backend gRPC client to the gateway bot-link relay (operator broadcasts)
 internal/ratewatch/  # gateway rate-limit reports: episode window for the console + the high-rate auto-flag
+internal/banview/    # gateway active-ban mirror: the console's Active IP bans panel + the operator unban backchannel
 ```
 
 ## Configuration (environment)
@@ -192,7 +206,7 @@ internal/ratewatch/  # gateway rate-limit reports: episode window for the consol
 | `BACKEND_OTEL_TRACES_EXPORTER` | `none` | `none`, `stdout` or `otlp` (gRPC; endpoint from the standard `OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_*`). |
 | `BACKEND_OTEL_METRICS_EXPORTER` | `none` | `none`, `stdout` or `otlp`. |
 | `BACKEND_DICT_DIR` | — | **Required.** Directory of committed `.dawg` dictionaries. |
-| `BACKEND_DICT_VERSION` | `v1` | Dictionary version new games pin. |
+| `BACKEND_DICT_VERSION` | `v1` | Version label for the flat dictionary dir. Recorded in a `.seed_version` marker on first boot and authoritative after: on a seeded volume a changed value is ignored (it seeds only a fresh volume) — the seed-drift guard (ARCHITECTURE.md §5). |
 | `BACKEND_GAME_TIMEOUT_SWEEP_INTERVAL` | `1m` | How often the turn-timeout sweeper runs. |
 | `BACKEND_GAME_CACHE_TTL` | `24h` | Idle window before a live game is evicted from cache. |
 | `BACKEND_LOBBY_ROBOT_WAIT` | `10s` | Auto-match wait before a robot is substituted for a missing human. |
@@ -203,7 +217,7 @@ internal/ratewatch/  # gateway rate-limit reports: episode window for the consol
 | `BACKEND_SMTP_USERNAME` | — | SMTP user; empty relays without authentication. |
 | `BACKEND_SMTP_PASSWORD` | — | SMTP password. |
 | `BACKEND_SMTP_FROM` | `no-reply@localhost` | Envelope/From address for confirm-codes. |
-| `BACKEND_CONNECTOR_ADDR` | — | Telegram connector gRPC address for admin-console operator broadcasts. Empty disables broadcasts. |
+| `BACKEND_CONNECTOR_ADDR` | — | the gateway bot-link relay gRPC address for admin-console operator broadcasts. Empty disables broadcasts. |
 | `BACKEND_GUEST_REAP_INTERVAL` | `1h` | How often the abandoned-guest reaper sweeps. |
 | `BACKEND_GUEST_RETENTION` | `720h` | Account age past which a guest with no game seat is deleted. |
 | `BACKEND_HIGHRATE_FLAG_THRESHOLD` | `1000` | Gateway-reported rejected calls within the window past which an account is soft-flagged. |
@@ -214,7 +228,7 @@ internal/ratewatch/  # gateway rate-limit reports: episode window for the consol
 ```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/v1.0.0/scrabble-dawg-v1.0.0.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/*' \
@@ -253,7 +267,14 @@ local solver co-development you may add a temporary replace — see `go.work`).
 from the [`scrabble-dictionary`](https://gitea.iliadenisov.ru/developer/scrabble-dictionary)
 repo (one semver per set); the engine loads them by `(variant, dict_version)` from
 `BACKEND_DICT_DIR`. The backend loads them at startup as a hard dependency
-(a missing dictionary aborts the boot).
+(a missing dictionary aborts the boot). The flat directory is the seed version,
+labelled `BACKEND_DICT_VERSION`; uploaded versions live in `<version>/`
+subdirectories the admin console writes and a restart re-loads. Because the DAWGs
+carry no embedded version, the first boot records the seed in a `.seed_version`
+marker that is authoritative after: on a seeded volume a changed `BACKEND_DICT_VERSION`
+is ignored (it seeds only a fresh volume) — the seed-drift guard — so a live contour's
+dictionary is changed through the console, never by bumping the build seed
+(ARCHITECTURE.md §5).
 
 ## Tests
 

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
+// probes and the /api/v1 route group, behind which the domains expose their HTTP
-// with the gateway in a later stage described in PLAN.md.
+// endpoints to the gateway.
 package main
 
 import (
@@ -15,11 +15,13 @@ import (
 	"syscall"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/google/uuid"
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 
 	"scrabble/backend/internal/account"
 	"scrabble/backend/internal/accountmerge"
 	"scrabble/backend/internal/ads"
+	"scrabble/backend/internal/banview"
 	"scrabble/backend/internal/config"
 	"scrabble/backend/internal/connector"
 	"scrabble/backend/internal/engine"
@@ -159,6 +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)
@@ -211,6 +222,10 @@ func run(ctx context.Context, cfg config.Config, logger *zap.Logger) error {
 		zap.Int("flag_threshold", cfg.RateWatch.FlagThreshold),
 		zap.Duration("flag_window", cfg.RateWatch.FlagWindow))
 
+	// Ban observability: mirror the gateway's active IP bans for the admin console's
+	// active-bans panel and collect operator unban requests.
+	banView := banview.New()
+
 	// Advertising-banner domain: campaign rotation feeding the profile.get banner
 	// block and the banner admin console section.
 	adsSvc := ads.NewService(ads.NewStore(db))
@@ -233,6 +248,7 @@ func run(ctx context.Context, cfg config.Config, logger *zap.Logger) error {
 		DictDir:       cfg.Game.DictDir,
 		Connector:     conn,
 		RateWatch:     rateWatch,
+		BanView:       banView,
 		Ads:           adsSvc,
 		Notifier:      hub,
 	})

backend/internal/account/account.go

@@ -55,12 +55,12 @@ type Account struct {
 	HintBalance         int
 	BlockChat           bool
 	BlockFriendRequests bool
-	// ServiceLanguage is the language tag (en/ru) of the bot the account last
+	// VariantPreferences is the set of game variants (engine.Variant stable labels:
-	// authenticated through (its last Telegram ValidateInitData); it routes the
+	// "scrabble_en", "scrabble_ru", "erudit_ru") the player is willing to be matched
-	// account's out-of-app push back through the right bot. Empty when the account
+	// into. It gates the New Game picker, the matchmaker and the friend-invite the
-	// has never signed in through a tagged bot. Distinct from PreferredLanguage (the
+	// player creates; an invited friend may still accept any variant. A new account
-	// interface language) and from a game's variant language.
+	// defaults to Erudit only. Never empty — enforced on update and by a DB check.
-	ServiceLanguage string
+	VariantPreferences []string
 	// IsGuest marks an ephemeral guest account: a durable row with no identity,
 	// excluded from statistics, friends and history.
 	IsGuest bool
@@ -119,6 +119,16 @@ func (s *Store) ProvisionByIdentity(ctx context.Context, kind, externalID string
 	return s.provision(ctx, kind, externalID, provisionSeed{})
 }
 
+// ProvisionEmail returns the account owning the email identity externalID, creating
+// it (unconfirmed) on first contact with browserTZ — the client's detected "±HH:MM"
+// UTC offset — seeded into its time zone. Like ProvisionByIdentity it is race-safe
+// and leaves an existing account untouched, so a returning user's saved zone is never
+// overwritten. The email account is created here (the code-request step), not at the
+// later login, so this is where its zone is seeded.
+func (s *Store) ProvisionEmail(ctx context.Context, externalID, browserTZ string) (Account, error) {
+	return s.provision(ctx, KindEmail, externalID, provisionSeed{timeZone: seedZone(browserTZ)})
+}
+
 // ProvisionRobot provisions (or finds) the durable account backing a robot pool
 // member: a KindRobot identity carrying displayName, with chat blocked but friend
 // requests NOT blocked — a request to a robot is accepted as pending and, since the
@@ -151,14 +161,28 @@ func (s *Store) ProvisionRobot(ctx context.Context, externalID, displayName stri
 	return modelToAccount(row), nil
 }
 
-// ProvisionTelegram provisions (or finds) the account bound to a Telegram
+// ProvisionTelegram provisions (or finds) the account bound to a Telegram identity,
-// identity. On first contact only, it seeds the new account's preferred language
+// reporting whether this call created it (first contact). On first contact only, it
-// from the Telegram client languageCode (when it maps to a supported language) and
+// seeds the new account's preferred language from the Telegram client languageCode
-// its display name sanitized from firstName (falling back to username, then to a
+// (when it maps to a supported language) and its display name sanitized from firstName
-// generated placeholder when neither yields any letters); an already-existing
+// (falling back to username, then to a generated placeholder when neither yields any
-// account is returned unchanged, so a later profile edit is never overwritten.
+// letters); an already-existing account is returned unchanged, so a later profile edit
-func (s *Store) ProvisionTelegram(ctx context.Context, externalID, languageCode, username, firstName string) (Account, error) {
+// is never overwritten. The created flag lets the auth handler re-evaluate moderated-
-	return s.provision(ctx, KindTelegram, externalID, telegramSeed(languageCode, username, firstName))
+// 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, browserTZ 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
+	}
+	seed := telegramSeed(languageCode, username, firstName)
+	seed.timeZone = seedZone(browserTZ)
+	acc, err := s.provision(ctx, KindTelegram, externalID, seed)
+	return acc, created, err
 }
 
 // provision finds the account for (kind, externalID) or creates it with seed,
@@ -185,20 +209,33 @@ func (s *Store) provision(ctx context.Context, kind, externalID string, seed pro
 }
 
 // provisionSeed carries the optional create-time profile seed for a brand-new
-// account (Telegram first contact). Empty fields fall back to the accounts table
+// account (first contact). Empty fields fall back to the accounts table defaults,
-// defaults, so an unknown language keeps the 'en' default and an empty name keeps
+// so an unknown language keeps the 'en' default, an empty name keeps the ” default
-// the ” default.
+// and an empty time zone keeps the 'UTC' default.
 type provisionSeed struct {
 	preferredLanguage string
 	displayName       string
+	timeZone          string
+}
+
+// seedZone returns browserTZ when it is a well-formed zone to persist at account
+// creation (a "±HH:MM" offset or a loadable IANA name), else "" so the new account
+// falls back to the accounts table's 'UTC' default. The client reports the device's
+// detected offset deterministically; a bad value is dropped rather than guessed at.
+func seedZone(browserTZ string) string {
+	if validZone(browserTZ) {
+		return browserTZ
+	}
+	return ""
 }
 
 // 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,
+// region-tagged like "ru-RU"), and a display name. The name precedence is the real
-// failing that, username (sanitizeDisplayName strips disallowed characters to the
+// name (firstName, sanitized to the editable format) → the @username taken verbatim
-// editable format). When neither yields any letters, it falls back to a generated
+// (already a valid handle, only trimmed and length-capped, never character-stripped)
-// placeholder in the seeded language (placeholderDisplayName).
+// → 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 +243,13 @@ 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 +346,14 @@ 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) {
@@ -341,16 +392,22 @@ func (s *Store) create(ctx context.Context, kind, externalID string, seed provis
 
 	var created Account
 	err = withTx(ctx, s.db, func(tx *sql.Tx) error {
-		// Seed the new row's display name and language (Telegram first contact); an
+		// Seed the new row's display name, language and time zone (first contact); an
-		// empty seed reproduces the table defaults ('' and 'en') the other callers
+		// empty seed reproduces the table defaults ('', 'en' and 'UTC') the other callers
-		// relied on, so their behaviour is unchanged.
+		// relied on, so their behaviour is unchanged. time_zone is written explicitly (the
+		// detected offset, or 'UTC' equal to the column default) so a seeded zone lands at
+		// creation while an unseeded one stays UTC.
 		lang := seed.preferredLanguage
 		if lang == "" {
 			lang = "en"
 		}
+		tz := seed.timeZone
+		if tz == "" {
+			tz = "UTC"
+		}
 		insertAccount := table.Accounts.
-			INSERT(table.Accounts.AccountID, table.Accounts.DisplayName, table.Accounts.PreferredLanguage).
+			INSERT(table.Accounts.AccountID, table.Accounts.DisplayName, table.Accounts.PreferredLanguage, table.Accounts.TimeZone).
-			VALUES(accountID, seed.displayName, lang).
+			VALUES(accountID, seed.displayName, lang, tz).
 			RETURNING(table.Accounts.AllColumns)
 
 		var row model.Accounts
@@ -389,15 +446,21 @@ const guestDisplayName = "Guest"
 // ProvisionGuest creates a fresh ephemeral guest account: a durable row carrying
 // no identity, flagged is_guest, so it can hold a session and a game seat (both
 // foreign-key the accounts table) while being excluded from statistics, friends
-// and history. Guests are not reused — each bootstrap mints a new account.
+// and history. Guests are not reused — each bootstrap mints a new account. browserTZ
-func (s *Store) ProvisionGuest(ctx context.Context) (Account, error) {
+// (the client's detected "±HH:MM" UTC offset) seeds the guest's time zone, falling
+// back to the 'UTC' default when empty or malformed.
+func (s *Store) ProvisionGuest(ctx context.Context, browserTZ string) (Account, error) {
 	accountID, err := uuid.NewV7()
 	if err != nil {
 		return Account{}, fmt.Errorf("account: new guest id: %w", err)
 	}
+	tz := seedZone(browserTZ)
+	if tz == "" {
+		tz = "UTC"
+	}
 	stmt := table.Accounts.
-		INSERT(table.Accounts.AccountID, table.Accounts.DisplayName, table.Accounts.IsGuest).
+		INSERT(table.Accounts.AccountID, table.Accounts.DisplayName, table.Accounts.IsGuest, table.Accounts.TimeZone).
-		VALUES(accountID, guestDisplayName, true).
+		VALUES(accountID, guestDisplayName, true, tz).
 		RETURNING(table.Accounts.AllColumns)
 
 	var row model.Accounts
@@ -491,36 +554,12 @@ func (s *Store) ClearHighRateFlag(ctx context.Context, id uuid.UUID) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// SetServiceLanguage records the service language (en/ru) of the bot a Telegram
-// user authenticated through. It is called on every Telegram login — new and
-// existing accounts — so it tracks the bot the user last came through (last-login-
-// wins), and the out-of-app push routes by it. It is a no-op for an empty language
-// (a non-Telegram login carries none) and does not bump updated_at (an infra
-// routing field, not a user profile edit).
-func (s *Store) SetServiceLanguage(ctx context.Context, id uuid.UUID, language string) error {
-	if language == "" {
-		return nil
-	}
-	stmt := table.Accounts.
-		UPDATE(table.Accounts.ServiceLanguage).
-		SET(postgres.String(language)).
-		WHERE(table.Accounts.AccountID.EQ(postgres.UUID(id)))
-	if _, err := stmt.ExecContext(ctx, s.db); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("account: set service language %s: %w", id, err)
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
 // modelToAccount projects a generated model row into the public Account struct.
 func modelToAccount(row model.Accounts) Account {
 	var mergedInto uuid.UUID
 	if row.MergedInto != nil {
 		mergedInto = *row.MergedInto
 	}
-	var serviceLanguage string
-	if row.ServiceLanguage != nil {
-		serviceLanguage = *row.ServiceLanguage
-	}
 	var flaggedHighRateAt time.Time
 	if row.FlaggedHighRateAt != nil {
 		flaggedHighRateAt = *row.FlaggedHighRateAt
@@ -529,7 +568,7 @@ func modelToAccount(row model.Accounts) Account {
 		ID:                     row.AccountID,
 		DisplayName:            row.DisplayName,
 		PreferredLanguage:      row.PreferredLanguage,
-		ServiceLanguage:        serviceLanguage,
+		VariantPreferences:     []string(row.VariantPreferences),
 		TimeZone:               row.TimeZone,
 		AwayStart:              row.AwayStart,
 		AwayEnd:                row.AwayEnd,

backend/internal/account/email.go

@@ -131,13 +131,15 @@ func (s *EmailService) ConfirmCode(ctx context.Context, accountID uuid.UUID, ema
 // the unauthenticated email-login entry point and, unlike RequestCode,
 // does not refuse an already-confirmed email — that is the ordinary returning-user
 // login. The code is mailed to the address, so only its real owner can complete
-// the login. It returns the target account id for the subsequent LoginWithCode.
+// the login. On first contact browserTZ (the client's detected "±HH:MM" UTC offset)
-func (s *EmailService) RequestLoginCode(ctx context.Context, email string) (uuid.UUID, error) {
+// seeds the new account's time zone. It returns the target account id for the
+// subsequent LoginWithCode.
+func (s *EmailService) RequestLoginCode(ctx context.Context, email, browserTZ string) (uuid.UUID, error) {
 	addr, err := normalizeEmail(email)
 	if err != nil {
 		return uuid.UUID{}, err
 	}
-	acc, err := s.store.ProvisionByIdentity(ctx, KindEmail, addr)
+	acc, err := s.store.ProvisionEmail(ctx, addr, browserTZ)
 	if err != nil {
 		return uuid.UUID{}, err
 	}

backend/internal/account/profile.go

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/go-jet/jet/v2/postgres"
 	"github.com/go-jet/jet/v2/qrm"
 	"github.com/google/uuid"
+	"github.com/lib/pq"
 
 	"scrabble/backend/internal/postgres/jet/backend/model"
 	"scrabble/backend/internal/postgres/jet/backend/table"
@@ -58,6 +59,46 @@ type ProfileUpdate struct {
 	BlockChat              bool
 	BlockFriendRequests    bool
 	NotificationsInAppOnly bool
+	// VariantPreferences is the set of game variants the player allows themselves to
+	// be matched into (engine.Variant stable labels). UpdateProfile cleans it to a
+	// deduplicated, canonically ordered subset of the known variants and rejects an
+	// empty set.
+	VariantPreferences []string
+}
+
+// knownVariants is the closed set of game-variant labels (engine.Variant stable
+// labels) a profile's variant preferences may contain. It lives here so the store
+// does not depend on the engine package; the server handler additionally validates
+// against engine.ParseVariant, and a DB check enforces the same subset.
+var knownVariants = map[string]bool{"erudit_ru": true, "scrabble_ru": true, "scrabble_en": true}
+
+// canonicalVariantOrder is the deterministic order variant preferences are stored
+// in (Erudit, Russian Scrabble, English), independent of the client's order.
+var canonicalVariantOrder = []string{"erudit_ru", "scrabble_ru", "scrabble_en"}
+
+// validateVariantPreferences cleans a profile's variant-preference set: it drops
+// duplicates, rejects an unknown label or an empty set (ErrInvalidProfile) and
+// returns the preferences in canonicalVariantOrder so the stored value is
+// deterministic regardless of the order the client sent.
+func validateVariantPreferences(prefs []string) ([]string, error) {
+	seen := make(map[string]bool, len(prefs))
+	for _, p := range prefs {
+		p = strings.TrimSpace(p)
+		if !knownVariants[p] {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: variant preference %q", ErrInvalidProfile, p)
+		}
+		seen[p] = true
+	}
+	if len(seen) == 0 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: variant preferences must not be empty", ErrInvalidProfile)
+	}
+	out := make([]string, 0, len(seen))
+	for _, v := range canonicalVariantOrder {
+		if seen[v] {
+			out = append(out, v)
+		}
+	}
+	return out, nil
 }
 
 // UpdateProfile validates and overwrites the editable fields of the account, then
@@ -79,17 +120,26 @@ func (s *Store) UpdateProfile(ctx context.Context, id uuid.UUID, p ProfileUpdate
 	if err := validateAwayWindow(p.AwayStart, p.AwayEnd); err != nil {
 		return Account{}, err
 	}
+	prefs, err := validateVariantPreferences(p.VariantPreferences)
+	if err != nil {
+		return Account{}, err
+	}
 
 	stmt := table.Accounts.UPDATE(
 		table.Accounts.DisplayName, table.Accounts.PreferredLanguage, table.Accounts.TimeZone,
 		table.Accounts.AwayStart, table.Accounts.AwayEnd,
 		table.Accounts.BlockChat, table.Accounts.BlockFriendRequests,
-		table.Accounts.NotificationsInAppOnly, table.Accounts.UpdatedAt,
+		table.Accounts.NotificationsInAppOnly, table.Accounts.VariantPreferences,
+		table.Accounts.UpdatedAt,
 	).SET(
 		postgres.String(name), postgres.String(lang), postgres.String(tz),
 		postgres.TimeT(p.AwayStart), postgres.TimeT(p.AwayEnd),
 		postgres.Bool(p.BlockChat), postgres.Bool(p.BlockFriendRequests),
-		postgres.Bool(p.NotificationsInAppOnly), postgres.TimestampzT(time.Now().UTC()),
+		postgres.Bool(p.NotificationsInAppOnly),
+		// prefs are validated against the closed knownVariants set; bind as a text[]
+		// parameter (lib/pq encodes the array, the cast pins the column type).
+		postgres.Raw("#variant_prefs::text[]", map[string]interface{}{"#variant_prefs": pq.StringArray(prefs)}),
+		postgres.TimestampzT(time.Now().UTC()),
 	).WHERE(table.Accounts.AccountID.EQ(postgres.UUID(id))).
 		RETURNING(table.Accounts.AllColumns)
 

backend/internal/account/profile_test.go

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package account
 import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
+	"slices"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -16,7 +17,7 @@ import (
 // offset/IANA timezone), not just their unit tests in validate_test.go.
 func TestUpdateProfileValidation(t *testing.T) {
 	s := &Store{}
-	base := ProfileUpdate{DisplayName: "Kaya", PreferredLanguage: "en", TimeZone: "UTC"}
+	base := ProfileUpdate{DisplayName: "Kaya", PreferredLanguage: "en", TimeZone: "UTC", VariantPreferences: []string{"erudit_ru"}}
 	hm := func(h, m int) time.Time { return time.Date(0, 1, 1, h, m, 0, 0, time.UTC) }
 	tests := []struct {
 		name string
@@ -28,6 +29,8 @@ func TestUpdateProfileValidation(t *testing.T) {
 		{"over-long name", func(p *ProfileUpdate) { p.DisplayName = strings.Repeat("x", maxDisplayName+1) }},
 		{"bad name layout", func(p *ProfileUpdate) { p.DisplayName = "Bad__Name" }},
 		{"away over 12h", func(p *ProfileUpdate) { p.AwayStart, p.AwayEnd = hm(8, 0), hm(21, 0) }},
+		{"empty variant preferences", func(p *ProfileUpdate) { p.VariantPreferences = nil }},
+		{"unknown variant preference", func(p *ProfileUpdate) { p.VariantPreferences = []string{"chess"} }},
 	}
 	for _, tc := range tests {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -39,3 +42,22 @@ func TestUpdateProfileValidation(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+// TestValidateVariantPreferences checks the cleaning of a profile's variant set:
+// duplicates collapse, the result is canonically ordered (Erudit, Russian Scrabble,
+// English) regardless of input order, and an empty or unknown set is rejected.
+func TestValidateVariantPreferences(t *testing.T) {
+	got, err := validateVariantPreferences([]string{"scrabble_en", "erudit_ru", "scrabble_en"})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("validate: %v", err)
+	}
+	if want := []string{"erudit_ru", "scrabble_en"}; !slices.Equal(got, want) {
+		t.Fatalf("got %v, want %v", got, want)
+	}
+	if _, err := validateVariantPreferences(nil); !errors.Is(err, ErrInvalidProfile) {
+		t.Fatalf("empty err = %v, want ErrInvalidProfile", err)
+	}
+	if _, err := validateVariantPreferences([]string{"chess"}); !errors.Is(err, ErrInvalidProfile) {
+		t.Fatalf("unknown err = %v, want ErrInvalidProfile", err)
+	}
+}

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
+// the real-name → @username (verbatim) → placeholder display-name precedence, and
-// strips disallowed characters (emoji, digits, punctuation) to the editable format.
+// 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) {
@@ -49,10 +51,10 @@ func TestTelegramSeedPlaceholder(t *testing.T) {
 		languageCode, username, firstName string
 		wantRe                            string
 	}{
-		"en empty":     {"en", "", "", `^Player-\d{5}$`},
+		"en empty":                  {"en", "", "", `^Player-\d{5}$`},
-		"ru empty":     {"ru", "", "", `^Игрок-\d{5}$`},
+		"ru empty":                  {"ru", "", "", `^Игрок-\d{5}$`},
-		"default en":   {"fr", "", "", `^Player-\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/adminconsole/assets/console.css

@@ -137,3 +137,59 @@ code { background: var(--bg); padding: 0.05rem 0.3rem; border-radius: 4px; }
    an image attachment is previewed inline, bounded so it cannot dominate the page. */
 .msgbody { white-space: pre-wrap; word-break: break-word; background: var(--bg); padding: 0.6rem 0.8rem; border-radius: 6px; margin: 0.6rem 0; }
 .attach { max-width: 100%; max-height: 480px; height: auto; border: 1px solid var(--line); border-radius: 6px; }
+
+/* Game replay (admin): a script-stepped board with rack panels around it, a move log and the
+   first-move draw. A placed tile shows its value as a subscript; a 0 value (a blank) shows none. */
+.replay-stage {
+  display: grid;
+  grid-template-columns: auto minmax(0, 1fr) auto;
+  grid-template-areas: ".    top    ." "left board  right" ".    bottom .";
+  gap: 0.5rem;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-items: center;
+  margin-bottom: 0.6rem;
+}
+.rack-top { grid-area: top; }
+.rack-bottom { grid-area: bottom; }
+.rack-left { grid-area: left; }
+.rack-right { grid-area: right; }
+.replay-board { grid-area: board; overflow: auto; }
+.board-grid {
+  display: grid;
+  grid-template-columns: 1.4rem repeat(15, 1.7rem);
+  grid-auto-rows: 1.7rem;
+  gap: 1px;
+  background: var(--line);
+  border: 1px solid var(--line);
+  width: max-content;
+}
+.board-grid .bh { display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; font-size: 0.6rem; color: var(--ink-dim); background: var(--panel); }
+.board-grid .cell { position: relative; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; background: var(--panel-hi); }
+.cell .prem { font-size: 0.55rem; color: var(--ink); opacity: 0.8; }
+.cell.tw { background: #7a2230; }
+.cell.dw { background: #a8506a; }
+.cell.tl { background: #235a7a; }
+.cell.dl { background: #3f87a8; }
+.cell.centre .prem { font-size: 0.95rem; color: var(--warn); opacity: 1; }
+.tile {
+  display: inline-flex; align-items: baseline; justify-content: center;
+  min-width: 1.35rem; height: 1.35rem; padding: 0 0.12rem;
+  background: #e8d9a0; color: #1b1408; border-radius: 3px;
+  font-weight: 700; font-size: 0.8rem; line-height: 1.35rem;
+}
+.tile sub { font-size: 0.5rem; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1; align-self: flex-end; margin-left: 1px; }
+.tile.blank { background: #cdbfe0; }
+.cell.filled { background: var(--panel-hi); }
+.cell.filled .tile { width: 100%; height: 100%; border-radius: 2px; }
+.rack-slot { padding: 0.25rem; border-radius: 6px; }
+.rack-slot.active { outline: 2px solid var(--accent); background: var(--panel-hi); }
+.rack-name { font-size: 0.72rem; color: var(--ink-dim); margin-bottom: 0.2rem; text-align: center; }
+.rack-tiles { display: flex; gap: 2px; flex-wrap: wrap; justify-content: center; }
+.rack-left .rack-tiles, .rack-right .rack-tiles { flex-direction: column; }
+.replay-controls { display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 0.8rem; justify-content: center; margin: 0.6rem 0; }
+.replay-controls button { background: var(--panel-hi); color: var(--ink); border: 1px solid var(--line); font-weight: 600; }
+.replay-controls button:disabled { opacity: 0.4; cursor: default; }
+.replay-pos { color: var(--ink-dim); font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums; }
+.replay-log { margin: 0.4rem 0 0; padding-left: 1.4rem; max-height: 14rem; overflow: auto; font-size: 0.85rem; }
+.replay-log li { color: var(--ink-dim); padding: 0.1rem 0; }
+.replay-log li.cur { color: var(--ink); font-weight: 600; }

backend/internal/adminconsole/render_test.go

@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func TestRendererRendersEveryPage(t *testing.T) {
 		{"messages", MessagesView{Items: []MessageRow{{ID: "m1", SenderID: "a1", SenderName: "Kaya", Source: "telegram", Body: "good luck", GameID: "g1", Unread: true}}, UnreadOnly: true, Pager: NewPager(1, 50, 1)}, "unread only"},
 		{"chatmessage", ChatMessageDetailView{ID: "m1", GameID: "g1", SenderID: "a1", SenderName: "Kaya", Source: "telegram", Kind: "message", Body: "good luck", Unread: true, Seats: []ChatSeatStatusRow{{Seat: 0, AccountID: "a1", DisplayName: "Kaya", Role: "sender"}, {Seat: 1, AccountID: "b2", DisplayName: "Opp", Role: "unread"}}}, "Read by seat"},
 		{"feedback", FeedbackView{Items: []FeedbackRow{{ID: "f1", AccountID: "a1", SenderName: "Kaya", Source: "telegram", Channel: "web", HasAttachment: true, Replied: true}}, Status: "unread", Pager: NewPager(1, 50, 1)}, "replied"},
-		{"feedback_detail", FeedbackDetailView{ID: "f1", AccountID: "a1", SenderName: "Kaya", Channel: "telegram", InterfaceLanguage: "en", BotLanguage: "ru", Body: "please fix the board", HasAttachment: true, AttachmentName: "shot.png", IsImage: true, Banned: true}, "bot: ru"},
+		{"feedback_detail", FeedbackDetailView{ID: "f1", AccountID: "a1", SenderName: "Kaya", Channel: "telegram", InterfaceLanguage: "en", Body: "please fix the board", HasAttachment: true, AttachmentName: "shot.png", IsImage: true, Banned: true}, "Interface language"},
 		{"complaint_detail", ComplaintDetailView{ID: "c1", Word: "qi", Variant: "scrabble_en"}, "Resolve"},
 		{"dictionary", DictionaryView{ActiveVersion: "v1.0.0", Variants: []VariantVersions{{Variant: "scrabble_en", Versions: []string{"v1.0.0"}}}, Changes: []DictChangeRow{{Variant: "scrabble_en", Word: "qi", Action: "add"}}}, "Update dictionaries"},
 		{"dictionary_preview", DictionaryPreviewView{Version: "v1.1.0", Token: "0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef", ActiveVersion: "v1.0.0", Variants: []VariantDiffRow{{Variant: "scrabble_en", AddedCount: 2, RemovedCount: 1, AddedSample: []string{"qi", "za"}, RemovedSample: []string{"xqz"}, RemovedTruncated: true}}}, "v1.1.0"},

backend/internal/adminconsole/templates/pages/broadcast.gohtml

@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 {{if .ConnectorEnabled}}
 <form class="form col" method="post" action="/_gm/broadcast">
 <label>Message <textarea name="text" required></textarea></label>
-<label>Bot language <select name="language"><option value="en">en</option><option value="ru">ru</option></select></label>
 <div><button type="submit">Post to channel</button></div>
 </form>
 {{else}}<p class="note">connector not configured (set BACKEND_CONNECTOR_ADDR)</p>{{end}}

backend/internal/adminconsole/templates/pages/feedback_detail.gohtml

@@ -5,10 +5,11 @@
 <section class="panel"><h2>Message</h2>
 <ul class="kv">
 <li><b>From</b> <a href="/_gm/users/{{.AccountID}}">{{.SenderName}}</a> ({{.Source}})</li>
-<li><b>Channel</b> {{.Channel}}{{if .BotLanguage}} (bot: {{.BotLanguage}}){{end}}</li>
+<li><b>Channel</b> {{.Channel}}</li>
 <li><b>Interface language</b> {{.InterfaceLanguage}}</li>
+<li><b>App version</b> {{if .Version}}<code>{{.Version}}</code>{{else}}<span class="note">unknown</span>{{end}}</li>
 <li><b>IP</b> {{if .IP}}<code>{{.IP}}</code>{{else}}<span class="note">none</span>{{end}}</li>
-<li><b>Filed</b> {{.CreatedAt}}</li>
+<li><b>Filed</b> {{.CreatedAt}} UTC &middot; browser {{if .CreatedAtBrowser}}{{.CreatedAtBrowser}} ({{.BrowserTZ}}){{else}}<span class="note">N/A</span>{{end}} &middot; user {{if .CreatedAtUser}}{{.CreatedAtUser}} ({{.UserTZ}}){{else}}<span class="note">N/A</span>{{end}}</li>
 <li><b>State</b> {{if .Archived}}archived{{else if .Read}}read{{else}}<span class="warn">unread</span>{{end}}</li>
 {{if .Banned}}<li><b>Feedback</b> <span class="warn">sender is banned from feedback</span></li>{{end}}
 </ul>

backend/internal/adminconsole/templates/pages/game_detail.gohtml

@@ -27,5 +27,87 @@
 </table>
 {{if .HasRobot}}<p><small>Play-to-win is decided once per game from the bag seed; robots play to win in ~{{.RobotTargetPct}}% of games.</small></p>{{end}}
 </section>
+{{if .SetupDraws}}
+<section class="panel"><h2>First-move draw</h2>
+<p class="note">Each player draws a tile; the one closest to &ldquo;A&rdquo; moves first (a blank beats every letter), ties re-drawing until a single leader remains.{{if .FirstMover}} <b>{{.FirstMover}}</b> leads.{{end}}</p>
+<table class="list">
+<thead><tr><th>Round</th><th>Player</th><th>Tile</th><th>Rank</th></tr></thead>
+<tbody>
+{{range .SetupDraws}}
+<tr><td>{{.Round}}</td><td>{{if .AccountID}}<a href="/_gm/users/{{.AccountID}}">{{.Name}}</a>{{else}}{{.Name}}{{end}}</td><td>{{.Letter}}{{if .Blank}} <small>(blank)</small>{{end}}</td><td>{{.Rank}}</td></tr>
+{{end}}
+</tbody>
+</table>
+</section>
+{{end}}
+{{if .HasReplay}}
+<section class="panel"><h2>Replay</h2>
+<div class="replay-stage">
+  <div class="rack-slot rack-top" data-seat="0"></div>
+  <div class="rack-slot rack-left" data-seat="2"></div>
+  <div class="replay-board" id="replay-board"></div>
+  <div class="rack-slot rack-right" data-seat="3"></div>
+  <div class="rack-slot rack-bottom" data-seat="1"></div>
+</div>
+<div class="replay-controls">
+  <button type="button" id="replay-prev">&#9664; prev</button>
+  <span class="replay-pos" id="replay-pos"></span>
+  <button type="button" id="replay-next">next &#9654;</button>
+</div>
+<ol class="replay-log" id="replay-log"></ol>
+<script>
+const REPLAY = {{.ReplayJSON}};
+(function(){
+  if(!REPLAY||!REPLAY.steps){return;}
+  const N=15, COLS="ABCDEFGHIJKLMNO", PREM={tw:"3W",dw:"2W",tl:"3L",dl:"2L"};
+  const boardEl=document.getElementById("replay-board"), logEl=document.getElementById("replay-log");
+  const posEl=document.getElementById("replay-pos"), prevBtn=document.getElementById("replay-prev"), nextBtn=document.getElementById("replay-next");
+  let step=0;
+  function esc(s){const d=document.createElement("div");d.textContent=s==null?"":s;return d.innerHTML;}
+  function tileHTML(t){const sub=(t.v&&t.v>0)?"<sub>"+t.v+"<\/sub>":"";return "<span class=\"tile"+(t.b?" blank":"")+"\">"+esc(t.l)+sub+"<\/span>";}
+  function placedAt(k){const m={};for(let s=1;s<=k;s++){const mv=REPLAY.steps[s]&&REPLAY.steps[s].move;if(mv&&mv.placements){for(const p of mv.placements){m[p.r+","+p.c]=p;}}}return m;}
+  function renderBoard(){
+    const placed=placedAt(step);let h="<div class=\"board-grid\"><div class=\"bh corner\"><\/div>";
+    for(let c=0;c<N;c++){h+="<div class=\"bh\">"+COLS[c]+"<\/div>";}
+    for(let r=0;r<N;r++){h+="<div class=\"bh\">"+(r+1)+"<\/div>";
+      for(let c=0;c<N;c++){const p=placed[r+","+c];
+        if(p){h+="<div class=\"cell filled\">"+tileHTML(p)+"<\/div>";continue;}
+        const prem=REPLAY.premium[r][c], centre=(r===REPLAY.centre[0]&&c===REPLAY.centre[1]);
+        const label=centre?"&#9733;":(prem?PREM[prem]:"");
+        h+="<div class=\"cell "+(prem||"")+(centre?" centre":"")+"\">"+(label?"<span class=\"prem\">"+label+"<\/span>":"")+"<\/div>";}}
+    h+="<\/div>";boardEl.innerHTML=h;
+  }
+  function renderRacks(){
+    const st=REPLAY.steps[step];
+    document.querySelectorAll(".rack-slot").forEach(function(slot){
+      const seat=parseInt(slot.dataset.seat,10), info=REPLAY.seats.find(function(s){return s.seat===seat;}), rack=st.racks[seat];
+      if(!info||!rack){slot.style.display="none";slot.innerHTML="";return;}
+      slot.style.display="";slot.classList.toggle("active",st.toMove===seat);
+      const nm=info.accountId?"<a href=\"/_gm/users/"+info.accountId+"\">"+esc(info.name)+"<\/a>":esc(info.name||("seat "+seat));
+      slot.innerHTML="<div class=\"rack-name\">"+nm+" &middot; "+(st.scores[seat]||0)+"<\/div><div class=\"rack-tiles\">"+rack.map(tileHTML).join("")+"<\/div>";
+    });
+  }
+  function renderLog(){
+    let h="";
+    for(let s=1;s<=step;s++){const st=REPLAY.steps[s], m=st.move;if(!m){continue;}
+      const who=((REPLAY.seats.find(function(x){return x.seat===m.seat;})||{}).name)||("seat "+m.seat);
+      let desc;
+      if(m.action==="play"){desc="played "+((m.words&&m.words.length)?m.words.join(", "):"")+" for "+m.score;}
+      else if(m.action==="exchange"){desc="exchanged "+((m.exchanged&&m.exchanged.length)||0)+" tiles";}
+      else if(m.action==="pass"){desc="passed";}
+      else{desc=m.action;}
+      const drew=(st.drawn&&st.drawn.length)?" &middot; drew "+st.drawn.map(function(t){return t.l;}).join(""):"";
+      h+="<li class=\""+(s===step?"cur":"")+"\">"+esc(who)+" "+esc(desc)+drew+" &middot; bag "+st.bagLen+"<\/li>";}
+    logEl.innerHTML=h||"<li class=\"note\">opening position<\/li>";
+  }
+  function render(){renderBoard();renderRacks();renderLog();posEl.textContent=step+" / "+(REPLAY.steps.length-1);prevBtn.disabled=step<=0;nextBtn.disabled=step>=REPLAY.steps.length-1;}
+  prevBtn.onclick=function(){if(step>0){step--;render();}};
+  nextBtn.onclick=function(){if(step<REPLAY.steps.length-1){step++;render();}};
+  document.addEventListener("keydown",function(e){if(e.key==="ArrowLeft"){prevBtn.click();}else if(e.key==="ArrowRight"){nextBtn.click();}});
+  render();
+})();
+</script>
+</section>
+{{end}}
 {{end}}
 {{- end}}

backend/internal/adminconsole/templates/pages/throttled.gohtml

@@ -5,6 +5,26 @@
 list is in-memory and resets on a backend restart. An account sustaining
 {{.FlagThreshold}}+ rejected calls within {{.FlagWindow}} is soft-flagged for review
 below — never banned automatically; clear the flag on the user card.</p>
+<section class="panel"><h2>Active IP bans</h2>
+<p class="note">Temporary IP bans the gateway is currently enforcing (in-memory, prod-only;
+reset on a gateway restart). Unban applies on the gateway's next sync.</p>
+<table class="list">
+<thead><tr><th>IP</th><th>Reason</th><th>Since</th><th>Expires</th><th></th></tr></thead>
+<tbody>
+{{range .Bans}}
+<tr>
+<td><code>{{.IP}}</code></td>
+<td>{{.Reason}}</td>
+<td>{{.Since}}</td>
+<td>{{.Expires}}</td>
+<td><form class="form" method="post" action="/_gm/bans/unban"><input type="hidden" name="ip" value="{{.IP}}"><button type="submit">Unban</button></form></td>
+</tr>
+{{else}}
+<tr><td colspan="5"><span class="note">no active bans</span></td></tr>
+{{end}}
+</tbody>
+</table>
+</section>
 <section class="panel"><h2>Recent episodes</h2>
 <table class="list">
 <thead><tr><th>Class</th><th>Key</th><th class="num">Rejected</th><th>First seen</th><th>Last seen</th></tr></thead>

backend/internal/adminconsole/templates/pages/user_detail.gohtml

@@ -137,7 +137,6 @@
 {{if .ConnectorEnabled}}
 <form class="form col" method="post" action="/_gm/users/{{.ID}}/message">
 <label>Message <textarea name="text" required></textarea></label>
-<label>Bot language <select name="language"><option value="en">en</option><option value="ru">ru</option></select></label>
 <div><button type="submit">Send to user</button></div>
 </form>
 {{else}}<p class="note">connector not configured (set BACKEND_CONNECTOR_ADDR)</p>{{end}}

backend/internal/adminconsole/views.go

@@ -268,6 +268,27 @@ type GameDetailView struct {
 	// RobotTargetPct is the configured global play-to-win rate, in percent.
 	HasRobot       bool
 	RobotTargetPct int
+	// ReplayJSON is the game-replay payload (board, seats, per-step racks/scores/bag) the
+	// game_detail page feeds to its vanilla-JS stepper; HasReplay gates the replay section.
+	ReplayJSON template.JS
+	HasReplay  bool
+	// SetupDraws is the first-move draw — one row per tile drawn (docs/ARCHITECTURE.md §6) —
+	// and FirstMover is the resolved name of the seat-0 player the draw elected.
+	SetupDraws []SetupDrawRow
+	FirstMover string
+}
+
+// SetupDrawRow is one tile drawn in the first-move seeding (docs/ARCHITECTURE.md §6): the
+// round, the player (Name/AccountID, or "(opponent)" with an empty AccountID for an
+// auto-match synthetic draw not yet back-filled), the drawn letter (upper-cased; "?" for a
+// blank) and its draw rank.
+type SetupDrawRow struct {
+	Round     int
+	Name      string
+	AccountID string
+	Letter    string
+	Blank     bool
+	Rank      int
 }
 
 // SeatRow is one seat of a game. For a robot seat (IsRobot) RobotIntent is the game's
@@ -368,17 +389,27 @@ type BroadcastView struct {
 	ConnectorEnabled bool
 }
 
-// ThrottledView is the rate-limit observability page: the recent gateway-reported
+// ThrottledView is the rate-limit observability page: the temporary IP bans the
-// throttle episodes (in-memory, reset on restart) and the accounts currently
+// gateway is currently enforcing, the recent gateway-reported throttle episodes
-// carrying the high-rate flag. FlagThreshold and FlagWindow caption the active
+// (in-memory, reset on restart) and the accounts currently carrying the high-rate
-// auto-flag tuning.
+// flag. FlagThreshold and FlagWindow caption the active auto-flag tuning.
 type ThrottledView struct {
+	Bans          []BanRow
 	Episodes      []ThrottleEpisodeRow
 	Flagged       []FlaggedAccountRow
 	FlagThreshold int
 	FlagWindow    string
 }
 
+// BanRow is one temporary IP ban the gateway is enforcing, with its reason and its
+// since/expiry timestamps; the row carries an unban action.
+type BanRow struct {
+	IP      string
+	Reason  string
+	Since   string
+	Expires string
+}
+
 // ThrottleEpisodeRow is one recently throttled limiter key. UserID links to the
 // user card and is set only for the user class (the other classes key by IP).
 type ThrottleEpisodeRow struct {
@@ -510,11 +541,8 @@ type FeedbackDetailView struct {
 	SenderName string
 	Source     string
 	Channel    string
-	// InterfaceLanguage is the sender's interface language (account preference);
+	// InterfaceLanguage is the sender's interface language (account preference).
-	// BotLanguage is the connector bot they last used (en/ru), set only for a
-	// message that arrived through an external connector (Telegram).
 	InterfaceLanguage string
-	BotLanguage       string
 	IP                string
 	Body              string
 	HasAttachment     bool
@@ -526,5 +554,17 @@ type FeedbackDetailView struct {
 	ReplyBody         string
 	RepliedAt         string
 	CreatedAt         string
-	Banned            bool
+	// Version is the client app build the report was sent from (empty for rows that predate it).
+	Version string
+	// The Filed time is shown in three zones so the operator can tell what is certainly known from
+	// what is merely defaulted. CreatedAt is the authoritative UTC time. CreatedAtBrowser is that
+	// instant in the client's UTC offset detected at submit (BrowserTZ its "±HH:MM" label), empty
+	// when the client reported none (an older build). CreatedAtUser is that instant in the sender's
+	// saved profile zone (UserTZ its label), empty when the account has no zone beyond the UTC
+	// default — the template then shows "N/A" so the missing datum is explicit.
+	CreatedAtBrowser string
+	BrowserTZ        string
+	CreatedAtUser    string
+	UserTZ           string
+	Banned           bool
 }

backend/internal/banview/banview.go

@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+// Package banview mirrors the gateway's active IP bans for the admin console and
+// collects operator unban requests for the gateway to apply. Like ratewatch it is
+// in-memory, single-instance and resets on a backend restart by design — the
+// gateway re-reports its active set on the next sync, and the durable effect (the
+// ban itself) lives in the gateway, not here.
+package banview
+
+import (
+	"sort"
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// Ban is one active IP ban as reported by the gateway.
+type Ban struct {
+	IP      string
+	Reason  string
+	Since   time.Time
+	Expires time.Time
+}
+
+// View holds the last-reported active bans and the operator's pending unbans.
+type View struct {
+	now func() time.Time
+
+	mu    sync.Mutex
+	bans  map[string]Ban      // last reported active set, keyed by IP
+	unban map[string]struct{} // IPs an operator marked for unban
+}
+
+// New constructs an empty View.
+func New() *View {
+	return &View{now: time.Now, bans: make(map[string]Ban), unban: make(map[string]struct{})}
+}
+
+// Ingest replaces the mirrored active set with the gateway's latest report,
+// skipping entries with an empty IP or one that has already expired.
+func (v *View) Ingest(active []Ban) {
+	now := v.now()
+	v.mu.Lock()
+	defer v.mu.Unlock()
+	v.bans = make(map[string]Ban, len(active))
+	for _, b := range active {
+		if b.IP == "" || !now.Before(b.Expires) {
+			continue
+		}
+		v.bans[b.IP] = b
+	}
+}
+
+// Recent returns the mirrored active bans, most recently banned first.
+func (v *View) Recent() []Ban {
+	now := v.now()
+	v.mu.Lock()
+	defer v.mu.Unlock()
+	out := make([]Ban, 0, len(v.bans))
+	for _, b := range v.bans {
+		if now.Before(b.Expires) {
+			out = append(out, b)
+		}
+	}
+	sort.Slice(out, func(i, j int) bool { return out[i].Since.After(out[j].Since) })
+	return out
+}
+
+// RequestUnban records an operator request to lift the ban on ip; the gateway
+// applies it on its next sync (so the console reflects it within the sync
+// interval). An empty ip is ignored.
+func (v *View) RequestUnban(ip string) {
+	if ip == "" {
+		return
+	}
+	v.mu.Lock()
+	defer v.mu.Unlock()
+	v.unban[ip] = struct{}{}
+}
+
+// DrainUnbans returns and clears the IPs operators have marked for unban since the
+// previous drain. It returns nil when there are none.
+func (v *View) DrainUnbans() []string {
+	v.mu.Lock()
+	defer v.mu.Unlock()
+	if len(v.unban) == 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+	out := make([]string, 0, len(v.unban))
+	for ip := range v.unban {
+		out = append(out, ip)
+	}
+	clear(v.unban)
+	return out
+}

backend/internal/banview/banview_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+package banview
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+func viewAt(clk *time.Time) *View {
+	v := New()
+	v.now = func() time.Time { return *clk }
+	return v
+}
+
+func TestIngestRecentDropsExpired(t *testing.T) {
+	clk := time.Date(2026, 6, 21, 12, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+	v := viewAt(&clk)
+	v.Ingest([]Ban{
+		{IP: "1.1.1.1", Reason: "tripwire", Since: clk, Expires: clk.Add(time.Hour)},
+		{IP: "2.2.2.2", Reason: "rejections", Since: clk.Add(-2 * time.Hour), Expires: clk.Add(-time.Hour)}, // expired
+		{IP: "", Reason: "x", Since: clk, Expires: clk.Add(time.Hour)},                                      // empty IP
+	})
+	got := v.Recent()
+	if len(got) != 1 || got[0].IP != "1.1.1.1" || got[0].Reason != "tripwire" {
+		t.Fatalf("Recent = %+v, want one live ban for 1.1.1.1", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestIngestReplaces(t *testing.T) {
+	clk := time.Date(2026, 6, 21, 12, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+	v := viewAt(&clk)
+	v.Ingest([]Ban{{IP: "1.1.1.1", Since: clk, Expires: clk.Add(time.Hour)}})
+	v.Ingest([]Ban{{IP: "2.2.2.2", Since: clk, Expires: clk.Add(time.Hour)}})
+	got := v.Recent()
+	if len(got) != 1 || got[0].IP != "2.2.2.2" {
+		t.Fatalf("Recent = %+v, want only the latest report (2.2.2.2)", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRecentOrdersBySince(t *testing.T) {
+	clk := time.Date(2026, 6, 21, 12, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+	v := viewAt(&clk)
+	v.Ingest([]Ban{
+		{IP: "old", Since: clk.Add(-10 * time.Minute), Expires: clk.Add(time.Hour)},
+		{IP: "new", Since: clk.Add(-1 * time.Minute), Expires: clk.Add(time.Hour)},
+	})
+	got := v.Recent()
+	if len(got) != 2 || got[0].IP != "new" || got[1].IP != "old" {
+		t.Fatalf("Recent order = %+v, want most recent first", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestUnbanRoundTrip(t *testing.T) {
+	clk := time.Date(2026, 6, 21, 12, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+	v := viewAt(&clk)
+	v.RequestUnban("3.3.3.3")
+	v.RequestUnban("") // ignored
+	drained := v.DrainUnbans()
+	if len(drained) != 1 || drained[0] != "3.3.3.3" {
+		t.Fatalf("DrainUnbans = %v, want [3.3.3.3]", drained)
+	}
+	if again := v.DrainUnbans(); again != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("second DrainUnbans = %v, want nil (cleared)", again)
+	}
+}

backend/internal/connector/client.go

@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
-// Package connector is the backend's gRPC client for the Telegram platform
+// Package connector is the backend's gRPC client for operator broadcasts: a direct
-// connector side-service. The admin console uses it to send operator broadcasts:
+// message to one user, or a post to the game channel. It calls the gateway's
-// a direct message to one user, or a post to a game channel. Each broadcast
+// bot-link relay (which forwards the send to the remote bot over the reverse mTLS
-// selects the delivering bot by language (an operator choice, since the connector
+// link and reports back whether it was delivered). The relay lives on the trusted
-// hosts one bot per service language). The connector lives on the trusted internal
+// internal network, so the connection uses insecure (plaintext) transport
-// network, so the connection uses insecure (plaintext) transport credentials
+// credentials (docs/ARCHITECTURE.md §12). It speaks the Telegram service contract,
-// (docs/ARCHITECTURE.md §12). It mirrors gateway/internal/connector, narrowed to
+// narrowed to the two broadcast methods the admin surface needs.
-// the two broadcast methods the admin surface needs.
 package connector
 
 import (
@@ -37,22 +36,21 @@ func New(addr string) (*Client, error) {
 func (c *Client) Close() error { return c.conn.Close() }
 
 // SendToUser sends an operator text message to one user, addressed by their
-// platform external_id, through the bot for the given language. delivered reports
+// platform external_id, through the bot. delivered reports whether the connector
-// whether the connector actually sent it (false when the user has not started that
+// actually sent it (false when the user has not started the bot).
-// bot).
+func (c *Client) SendToUser(ctx context.Context, externalID, text string) (bool, error) {
-func (c *Client) SendToUser(ctx context.Context, externalID, text, language string) (bool, error) {
+	resp, err := c.c.SendToUser(ctx, &telegramv1.SendToUserRequest{ExternalId: externalID, Text: text})
-	resp, err := c.c.SendToUser(ctx, &telegramv1.SendToUserRequest{ExternalId: externalID, Text: text, Language: language})
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, err
 	}
 	return resp.GetDelivered(), nil
 }
 
-// SendToGameChannel posts an operator text message to the game channel of the bot
+// SendToGameChannel posts an operator text message to the bot's game channel.
-// for the given language. delivered reports whether the connector sent it (false
+// delivered reports whether the connector sent it (false when the bot has no
-// when that bot has no channel configured).
+// channel configured).
-func (c *Client) SendToGameChannel(ctx context.Context, text, language string) (bool, error) {
+func (c *Client) SendToGameChannel(ctx context.Context, text string) (bool, error) {
-	resp, err := c.c.SendToGameChannel(ctx, &telegramv1.SendToGameChannelRequest{Text: text, Language: language})
+	resp, err := c.c.SendToGameChannel(ctx, &telegramv1.SendToGameChannelRequest{Text: text})
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, err
 	}

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
@@ -70,11 +70,21 @@ func Open(dir, version string, variants ...Variant) (*Registry, error) {
 // immediate subdirectory of dir: a subdirectory named V contributes, under
 // version V, the variants whose committed DAWG it carries. This is the
 // restart-side of the admin dictionary reload — a version reloaded into dir/<V>/
-// at runtime is resident again after a restart. A subdirectory named like the
+// at runtime is resident again after a restart. The flat dir's version is resolved
-// boot version is skipped (the flat dir already is the boot version). A partially
+// from its .seed_version marker (see resolveSeedVersion): a fresh dir records
-// loaded registry is closed before any error is returned.
+// bootVersion, an already-seeded dir keeps its recorded label and ignores bootVersion,
+// so a bumped build seed never relabels live bytes. A subdirectory named like the
+// resolved seed version is skipped (the flat dir already is it). A partially loaded
+// registry is closed before any error is returned.
 func OpenWithVersions(dir, bootVersion string) (*Registry, error) {
-	r, err := Open(dir, bootVersion)
+	// Resolve the flat dir's version from its seed marker first: on an already-seeded
+	// volume the marker wins and bootVersion is ignored, so a bumped build seed cannot
+	// relabel live bytes (see resolveSeedVersion).
+	seed, err := resolveSeedVersion(dir, bootVersion)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	r, err := Open(dir, seed)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -84,9 +94,9 @@ func OpenWithVersions(dir, bootVersion string) (*Registry, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("engine: scan dictionary dir %s: %w", dir, err)
 	}
 	for _, e := range entries {
-		// Skip non-directories, the boot version (already loaded as the flat dir)
+		// Skip non-directories, the resolved seed version (already loaded as the flat
-		// and dot-prefixed directories (the upload staging area, dir/.staging/).
+		// dir) and dot-prefixed directories (the upload staging area, dir/.staging/).
-		if !e.IsDir() || e.Name() == bootVersion || strings.HasPrefix(e.Name(), ".") {
+		if !e.IsDir() || e.Name() == seed || strings.HasPrefix(e.Name(), ".") {
 			continue
 		}
 		if _, err := r.LoadAvailable(filepath.Join(dir, e.Name()), e.Name()); err != nil {

backend/internal/engine/reload_test.go

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 )
 
@@ -112,6 +113,103 @@ func TestOpenWithVersionsSkipsDotDirs(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestOpenWithVersionsRecordsSeedMarker verifies the first boot records the seed
+// version in the flat dir's marker, the marker is not mistaken for a version, and a
+// reboot at the same seed version succeeds.
+func TestOpenWithVersionsRecordsSeedMarker(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	for _, v := range Variants() {
+		copyDawg(t, testDictDir(), dir, v)
+	}
+
+	reg, err := OpenWithVersions(dir, "v1")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("first open: %v", err)
+	}
+	if got := reg.Versions(VariantEnglish); len(got) != 1 || got[0] != "v1" {
+		t.Errorf("versions = %v, want only [v1] (marker not a version)", got)
+	}
+	_ = reg.Close()
+
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(dir, seedMarkerFile))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("read seed marker: %v", err)
+	}
+	if got := strings.TrimSpace(string(data)); got != "v1" {
+		t.Fatalf("seed marker = %q, want v1", got)
+	}
+
+	reg2, err := OpenWithVersions(dir, "v1")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("reboot at same seed: %v", err)
+	}
+	_ = reg2.Close()
+}
+
+// TestOpenWithVersionsMarkerWinsOverBoot verifies the recorded .seed_version marker
+// is authoritative: once a directory is seeded, a different bootVersion
+// (BACKEND_DICT_VERSION) is ignored — the flat dir keeps its recorded label — so a
+// bumped build seed on a live volume cannot relabel the already-seeded bytes.
+func TestOpenWithVersionsMarkerWinsOverBoot(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	for _, v := range Variants() {
+		copyDawg(t, testDictDir(), dir, v)
+	}
+
+	reg, err := OpenWithVersions(dir, "v1") // seeds the marker = v1
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("seed open: %v", err)
+	}
+	_ = reg.Close()
+
+	// Reboot with a bumped boot version: the marker (v1) wins, no error, v2 ignored.
+	reg2, err := OpenWithVersions(dir, "v2")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("reboot with bumped boot version: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer func() { _ = reg2.Close() }()
+	if got := reg2.Versions(VariantEnglish); len(got) != 1 || got[0] != "v1" {
+		t.Errorf("versions = %v, want [v1] (marker wins, v2 ignored)", got)
+	}
+	if _, err := reg2.Solver(VariantEnglish, "v2"); !errors.Is(err, ErrUnknownVersion) {
+		t.Errorf("v2 must not be resident: got %v", err)
+	}
+	data, _ := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(dir, seedMarkerFile))
+	if got := strings.TrimSpace(string(data)); got != "v1" {
+		t.Errorf("marker = %q, want v1 (unchanged)", got)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestOpenWithVersionsBumpedBootKeepsSubdir mirrors the live-contour case: a volume
+// seeded as v1 with a v2 subdirectory (uploaded via the console), booted with a bumped
+// build seed bootVersion=v2. The marker (v1) wins for the flat dir, and the v2
+// subdirectory is still loaded — not skipped as "the boot version" — so both versions
+// stay resident. (Skipping it would silently leave only the flat v1 bytes under v2.)
+func TestOpenWithVersionsBumpedBootKeepsSubdir(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	for _, v := range Variants() {
+		copyDawg(t, testDictDir(), dir, v)
+	}
+	reg0, err := OpenWithVersions(dir, "v1") // seed marker = v1
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("seed: %v", err)
+	}
+	_ = reg0.Close()
+	copyDawg(t, testDictDir(), filepath.Join(dir, "v2"), VariantEnglish) // console upload
+
+	reg, err := OpenWithVersions(dir, "v2") // bumped build seed
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("boot v2: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer func() { _ = reg.Close() }()
+	if _, err := reg.Solver(VariantEnglish, "v1"); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("flat v1 must stay resident: %v", err)
+	}
+	if _, err := reg.Solver(VariantEnglish, "v2"); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("v2 subdir must be resident (not skipped): %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
 // TestReloadRegistersNewVersion verifies Load adds a second version to a variant
 // already resident, moves the latest pointer and keeps the earlier version.
 func TestReloadRegistersNewVersion(t *testing.T) {

backend/internal/engine/seedmarker.go

@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+package engine
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+// seedMarkerFile names the file, in the flat dictionary directory, that records the
+// version the directory was first seeded as. It is dot-prefixed so OpenWithVersions'
+// version scan skips it (like the .staging upload area).
+const seedMarkerFile = ".seed_version"
+
+// resolveSeedVersion returns the version label the flat dictionary directory is
+// addressed by, recording it on first use.
+//
+// The contour's dictionary lives on a named volume seeded from the image once and
+// never re-seeded (deploy/docker-compose.yml). The flat DAWGs carry no embedded
+// version, so the version a volume was first seeded as is recorded in a
+// .seed_version marker and is **authoritative** from then on:
+//
+//   - fresh directory (no marker): record bootVersion (the build's
+//     BACKEND_DICT_VERSION) and return it — the seed of a fresh volume;
+//   - already-seeded directory: return the recorded marker and ignore bootVersion.
+//
+// So bumping the build seed on a live volume is a harmless no-op (it only takes
+// effect on a future fresh volume) instead of relabelling the already-seeded bytes —
+// which would void games pinned to the prior label and mis-serve new ones. New games
+// still pin the active version (DB-persisted, set by the admin console), which is the
+// real way a running contour moves to a new release.
+//
+// A directory that cannot be written makes the first record fail; that also breaks
+// the admin console (which writes version subdirectories here), so the error is
+// returned rather than swallowed, matching the package's fail-loud dictionary setup.
+func resolveSeedVersion(dir, bootVersion string) (string, error) {
+	path := filepath.Join(dir, seedMarkerFile)
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(path)
+	if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("engine: read dictionary seed marker %s: %w", path, err)
+	}
+	if err == nil {
+		if recorded := strings.TrimSpace(string(data)); recorded != "" {
+			return recorded, nil
+		}
+		// An empty/corrupt marker falls through and is rewritten from bootVersion.
+	}
+	if werr := os.WriteFile(path, []byte(bootVersion+"\n"), 0o644); werr != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("engine: record dictionary seed marker %s: %w", path, werr)
+	}
+	return bootVersion, nil
+}

backend/internal/engine/setup.go

@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+package engine
+
+import "fmt"
+
+// SetupTile is one tile of a variant's full bag, decoded for the first-move draw
+// (docs/ARCHITECTURE.md §6): its concrete letter (or the blank marker), a blank
+// flag, and its draw rank. Lower rank wins the draw — a blank ranks above every
+// letter, and letters rank by alphabet index, so the tile closest to the start of
+// the alphabet ("A") wins. It is dictionary-independent, built from the variant's
+// solver ruleset alone.
+type SetupTile struct {
+	// Letter is the concrete character (the case the solver ruleset emits), or
+	// the blank marker "?" for a blank.
+	Letter string
+	// Blank reports whether the tile is a blank.
+	Blank bool
+	// Rank orders the draw: BlankRank for a blank (best), else the letter's
+	// alphabet index (0 = closest to "A").
+	Rank int
+}
+
+// BlankRank is the first-move draw rank of a blank: below every letter index, so a
+// blank always beats a lettered tile, matching the official rule that a blank
+// supersedes all letters.
+const BlankRank = -1
+
+// SetupBag returns variant's full tile bag — every lettered tile expanded by its
+// count, plus one entry per blank — decoded for the first-move seeding draw. The
+// order is deterministic (alphabet order, blanks last); callers shuffle it with
+// their own entropy. It needs no dictionary, so it is built from the variant's
+// ruleset alone and reports ErrUnknownVariant for an unrecognised variant.
+func SetupBag(v Variant) ([]SetupTile, error) {
+	rs, ok := v.ruleset()
+	if !ok {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: %d", ErrUnknownVariant, v)
+	}
+	bag := make([]SetupTile, 0, 128)
+	for i, n := range rs.Counts {
+		ch, err := rs.Alphabet.Character(byte(i))
+		if err != nil {
+			// An offered variant's alphabet never yields a bad index; skip defensively.
+			continue
+		}
+		for range n {
+			bag = append(bag, SetupTile{Letter: ch, Rank: i})
+		}
+	}
+	for range rs.Blanks {
+		bag = append(bag, SetupTile{Letter: blankLetter, Blank: true, Rank: BlankRank})
+	}
+	return bag, nil
+}

backend/internal/engine/setup_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+package engine
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestSetupBagEnglish(t *testing.T) {
+	bag, err := SetupBag(VariantEnglish)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("SetupBag: %v", err)
+	}
+	// English Scrabble: 98 lettered tiles + 2 blanks = 100.
+	if len(bag) != 100 {
+		t.Fatalf("bag size = %d, want 100", len(bag))
+	}
+	blanks, aCount := 0, 0
+	for _, tl := range bag {
+		switch {
+		case tl.Blank:
+			blanks++
+			if tl.Rank != BlankRank {
+				t.Errorf("blank rank = %d, want %d", tl.Rank, BlankRank)
+			}
+			if tl.Letter != blankLetter {
+				t.Errorf("blank letter = %q, want %q", tl.Letter, blankLetter)
+			}
+		case tl.Letter == "a":
+			aCount++
+			if tl.Rank != 0 {
+				t.Errorf("'a' rank = %d, want 0 (closest to A)", tl.Rank)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	if blanks != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("blanks = %d, want 2", blanks)
+	}
+	if aCount != 9 {
+		t.Errorf("'a' count = %d, want 9", aCount)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSetupBagUnknownVariant(t *testing.T) {
+	if _, err := SetupBag(Variant(99)); !errors.Is(err, ErrUnknownVariant) {
+		t.Fatalf("err = %v, want ErrUnknownVariant", err)
+	}
+}

backend/internal/feedback/service.go

@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func (svc *Service) SetNotifier(p notify.Publisher) {
 // validates the body (non-empty, within the rune limit) and the optional
 // attachment (size and extension allow-list). senderIP is the gateway-forwarded
 // client IP (validated); channel is the submitting platform.
-func (svc *Service) Submit(ctx context.Context, accountID uuid.UUID, body string, attachment []byte, attachmentName, channel, senderIP string) error {
+func (svc *Service) Submit(ctx context.Context, accountID uuid.UUID, body string, attachment []byte, attachmentName, channel, version, browserTZ, senderIP string) error {
 	acc, err := svc.accounts.GetByID(ctx, accountID)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -112,14 +112,10 @@ func (svc *Service) Submit(ctx context.Context, accountID uuid.UUID, body string
 		attachmentName = "" // a name without bytes carries no attachment
 	}
 	ch := normalizeChannel(channel)
-	// Snapshot the languages at submit time (acc is already loaded for the guest check):
+	// Snapshot the sender's interface language, the client app version and the client's
-	// the sender's interface language, and the connector bot language when the message
+	// detected UTC offset at submit time (acc is already loaded for the guest check) so the
-	// came through an external connector (currently Telegram).
+	// operator later sees the state as it was.
-	var channelLang string
+	_, err = svc.store.Insert(ctx, accountID, body, attachment, attachmentName, ch, acc.PreferredLanguage, version, browserTZ, parseIP(senderIP))
-	if ch == "telegram" {
-		channelLang = acc.ServiceLanguage
-	}
-	_, err = svc.store.Insert(ctx, accountID, body, attachment, attachmentName, ch, acc.PreferredLanguage, channelLang, parseIP(senderIP))
 	return err
 }
 

backend/internal/feedback/store.go

@@ -34,11 +34,10 @@ func NewStore(db *sql.DB) *Store {
 
 // Insert stores one feedback message from accountID and returns its id. attachment
 // is the raw file bytes (nil for none); attachmentName, ip and a non-default
-// channel are stored as given. lang (the sender's interface language) and channelLang
+// channel are stored as given. lang (interface language), version (client app build) and
-// (the connector bot language, empty for a non-connector channel) are snapshots taken
+// browserTZ (the client's detected "±HH:MM" UTC offset) are snapshots taken now, so the operator
-// now, so the operator later sees the state at submit time. created_at defaults to
+// later sees the state at submit time. created_at defaults to now() in the database.
-// now() in the database.
+func (s *Store) Insert(ctx context.Context, accountID uuid.UUID, body string, attachment []byte, attachmentName, channel, lang, version, browserTZ string, ip *string) (uuid.UUID, error) {
-func (s *Store) Insert(ctx context.Context, accountID uuid.UUID, body string, attachment []byte, attachmentName, channel, lang, channelLang string, ip *string) (uuid.UUID, error) {
 	id, err := uuid.NewV7()
 	if err != nil {
 		return uuid.Nil, fmt.Errorf("feedback: new message id: %w", err)
@@ -49,9 +48,9 @@ func (s *Store) Insert(ctx context.Context, accountID uuid.UUID, body string, at
 	}
 	if _, err := s.db.ExecContext(ctx,
 		`INSERT INTO backend.feedback_messages
-		   (message_id, account_id, body, attachment, attachment_name, channel, lang, channel_lang, sender_ip)
+		   (message_id, account_id, body, attachment, attachment_name, channel, lang, app_version, browser_tz, sender_ip)
-		 VALUES ($1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $6, $7, $8, $9)`,
+		 VALUES ($1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $6, $7, $8, $9, $10)`,
-		id, accountID, body, att, nullStr(attachmentName), channel, nullStr(lang), nullStr(channelLang), ip); err != nil {
+		id, accountID, body, att, nullStr(attachmentName), channel, nullStr(lang), nullStr(version), nullStr(browserTZ), ip); err != nil {
 		return uuid.Nil, fmt.Errorf("feedback: insert: %w", err)
 	}
 	return id, nil
@@ -228,10 +227,16 @@ type AdminMessage struct {
 	Source     string
 	Body       string
 	Channel    string
-	// Lang is the sender's interface language and ChannelLang the connector bot language
+	// Lang is the sender's interface language, snapshotted at submit time.
-	// (en/ru, empty for a non-connector channel) — both snapshotted at submit time.
+	Lang string
-	Lang           string
+	// Version is the client app build the report was sent from, snapshotted at submit time.
-	ChannelLang    string
+	Version string
+	// BrowserTZ is the client's detected "±HH:MM" UTC offset at submit time, snapshotted so the
+	// filed time can be shown in the sender's browser-local zone even before they save a profile.
+	BrowserTZ string
+	// TimeZone is the sender account's stored zone ("±HH:MM" offset, IANA name, or ""), for
+	// rendering CreatedAt in the sender's own configured time alongside UTC.
+	TimeZone       string
 	SenderIP       string
 	HasAttachment  bool
 	AttachmentName string
@@ -346,7 +351,7 @@ func (s *Store) AdminGet(ctx context.Context, id uuid.UUID) (AdminMessage, error
 	var m AdminMessage
 	var repliedAt sql.NullTime
 	q := `SELECT m.message_id, m.account_id, a.display_name, ` + feedbackSource + ` AS source, m.body, m.channel,
-		COALESCE(m.lang, ''), COALESCE(m.channel_lang, ''),
+		COALESCE(m.lang, ''), COALESCE(m.app_version, ''), COALESCE(m.browser_tz, ''), a.time_zone,
 		COALESCE(m.sender_ip, ''), (m.attachment IS NOT NULL), COALESCE(m.attachment_name, ''),
 		(m.read_at IS NOT NULL), (m.archived_at IS NOT NULL), (m.reply_body IS NOT NULL),
 		COALESCE(m.reply_body, ''), m.replied_at, m.created_at
@@ -355,7 +360,7 @@ func (s *Store) AdminGet(ctx context.Context, id uuid.UUID) (AdminMessage, error
 	WHERE m.message_id = $1`
 	err := s.db.QueryRowContext(ctx, q, id).Scan(
 		&m.ID, &m.AccountID, &m.SenderName, &m.Source, &m.Body, &m.Channel,
-		&m.Lang, &m.ChannelLang,
+		&m.Lang, &m.Version, &m.BrowserTZ, &m.TimeZone,
 		&m.SenderIP, &m.HasAttachment, &m.AttachmentName,
 		&m.Read, &m.Archived, &m.Replied, &m.ReplyBody, &repliedAt, &m.CreatedAt)
 	if errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows) {

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).
+// get returns the live game and its immutable seat list for id and refreshes its idle
-func (c *gameCache) get(id uuid.UUID) (*engine.Game, bool) {
+// 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-
+// put stores g as the live game for id together with its seat list. variant labels the
-// games gauge can report counts by variant without inspecting engine internals.
+// entry so the active-games gauge can report counts by variant without inspecting engine
-func (c *gameCache) put(id uuid.UUID, g *engine.Game, variant string) {
+// 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/emit_test.go

@@ -68,10 +68,6 @@ func TestEmitMoveNotifiesActor(t *testing.T) {
 	if got := string(yt.ScoreLine()); got != "13:19" { // seat 1 (recipient) first, then seat 0
 		t.Errorf("your_turn score_line = %q, want 13:19", got)
 	}
-	// Routed out-of-app by the game's language (the default Variant is English).
-	if yourTurn.Language != "en" {
-		t.Errorf("your_turn language = %q, want en", yourTurn.Language)
-	}
 }
 
 // TestEmitMoveAnnouncesGameOver checks the closing move sends a game_over push to every seat,
@@ -106,7 +102,4 @@ func TestEmitMoveAnnouncesGameOver(t *testing.T) {
 	if string(l.Result()) != "lost" || string(l.ScoreLine()) != "95:120" {
 		t.Errorf("loser game_over = %q / %q, want lost / 95:120", l.Result(), l.ScoreLine())
 	}
-	if over[winner].Language != "en" || over[loser].Language != "en" {
-		t.Errorf("game_over languages = %q/%q, want en/en", over[winner].Language, over[loser].Language)
-	}
 }

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")
+	cache.put(id, nil, "scrabble_en", nil)
-	if _, ok := cache.get(id); !ok {
+	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/replay_timeline.go

@@ -0,0 +1,144 @@
+package game
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/google/uuid"
+
+	"scrabble/backend/internal/engine"
+)
+
+// ReplayStep is one step of an admin game replay: the move that produced it (nil for the
+// initial dealt state, step 0) and the resulting position — every seat's rack, the running
+// scores, whose turn it is and the bag remainder. Step k's board is the union of every
+// play's placements through step k, which the renderer accumulates onto an empty grid
+// (docs/ARCHITECTURE.md §9.1 visual replay).
+type ReplayStep struct {
+	// Move is the journalled move that produced this state, or nil for the initial deal.
+	Move *HistoryMove
+	// Drawn lists the tiles the mover drew from the bag after this move ("?" for a blank);
+	// empty for the initial deal, a pass or a resignation.
+	Drawn []string
+	// Racks holds every seat's rack at this step, indexed by seat ("?" for a blank).
+	Racks [][]string
+	// Scores holds every seat's running score, indexed by seat.
+	Scores []int
+	// ToMove is the seat to move at this step.
+	ToMove int
+	// BagLen is the number of tiles left in the bag at this step.
+	BagLen int
+}
+
+// ReplayTimelineView is the admin replay of a game: the persisted game plus the ordered
+// replay steps (the initial deal followed by one step per journalled move).
+type ReplayTimelineView struct {
+	Game  Game
+	Steps []ReplayStep
+}
+
+// ReplayTimeline rebuilds a game from its pinned seed and journal and returns the ordered
+// replay steps for the admin console: the initial deal (step 0) then one step per
+// journalled move, each carrying the resulting racks, scores, turn cursor, bag size and the
+// tiles the mover drew. The deterministic bag makes the reconstruction exact. It needs no
+// dictionary beyond the engine the seed deals, and — like the live replay — stops early if a
+// committed move became illegal under tightened rules rather than failing.
+func (svc *Service) ReplayTimeline(ctx context.Context, gameID uuid.UUID) (ReplayTimelineView, error) {
+	pre, err := svc.store.GetGame(ctx, gameID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return ReplayTimelineView{}, err
+	}
+	seed, err := svc.store.GameSeed(ctx, gameID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return ReplayTimelineView{}, err
+	}
+	g, err := engine.New(svc.registry, engine.Options{
+		Variant:              pre.Variant,
+		Version:              pre.DictVersion,
+		Players:              pre.Players,
+		Seed:                 seed,
+		DropoutTiles:         pre.DropoutTiles,
+		MultipleWordsPerTurn: pre.MultipleWordsPerTurn,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return ReplayTimelineView{}, err
+	}
+	moves, err := svc.store.GetJournal(ctx, gameID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return ReplayTimelineView{}, err
+	}
+	steps := make([]ReplayStep, 0, len(moves)+1)
+	steps = append(steps, snapshotStep(g, nil, nil))
+	for i := range moves {
+		mv := moves[i]
+		before := g.Hand(mv.Seat)
+		if err := replayMove(g, mv); err != nil {
+			if errors.Is(err, engine.ErrIllegalPlay) {
+				g.Abort()
+				break
+			}
+			return ReplayTimelineView{}, fmt.Errorf("game: replay-timeline %s move %d: %w", gameID, mv.Seq, err)
+		}
+		moveCopy := mv
+		steps = append(steps, snapshotStep(g, &moveCopy, drawnTiles(before, g.Hand(mv.Seat), usedTiles(mv))))
+	}
+	return ReplayTimelineView{Game: pre, Steps: steps}, nil
+}
+
+// snapshotStep captures the position after applying move (nil for the initial deal): every
+// seat's rack and score, the turn cursor and the bag size, with the supplied drawn tiles.
+func snapshotStep(g *engine.Game, move *HistoryMove, drawn []string) ReplayStep {
+	n := g.Players()
+	racks := make([][]string, n)
+	scores := make([]int, n)
+	for i := 0; i < n; i++ {
+		racks[i] = g.Hand(i)
+		scores[i] = g.Score(i)
+	}
+	return ReplayStep{Move: move, Drawn: drawn, Racks: racks, Scores: scores, ToMove: g.ToMove(), BagLen: g.BagLen()}
+}
+
+// usedTiles returns the rack tiles a move consumed ("?" for a blank): the placed tiles of a
+// play or the swapped tiles of an exchange; a pass or resignation consumes none.
+func usedTiles(mv HistoryMove) []string {
+	switch mv.Action {
+	case "play":
+		used := make([]string, len(mv.Tiles))
+		for i, t := range mv.Tiles {
+			if t.Blank {
+				used[i] = "?" // a placed blank leaves the rack as the blank marker
+			} else {
+				used[i] = t.Letter
+			}
+		}
+		return used
+	case "exchange":
+		return mv.Exchanged
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// drawnTiles returns the tiles the mover drew from the bag: the post-move rack (after) minus
+// the tiles kept (before minus used). It compares the racks as multisets, so duplicate
+// letters are counted correctly.
+func drawnTiles(before, after, used []string) []string {
+	kept := make(map[string]int, len(before))
+	for _, t := range before {
+		kept[t]++
+	}
+	for _, t := range used {
+		if kept[t] > 0 {
+			kept[t]--
+		}
+	}
+	var drawn []string
+	for _, t := range after {
+		if kept[t] > 0 {
+			kept[t]--
+			continue
+		}
+		drawn = append(drawn, t)
+	}
+	return drawn
+}

backend/internal/game/replay_timeline_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+package game
+
+import (
+	"reflect"
+	"testing"
+
+	"scrabble/backend/internal/engine"
+)
+
+func TestUsedTiles(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		mv   HistoryMove
+		want []string
+	}{
+		{"pass", HistoryMove{Action: "pass"}, nil},
+		{"resign", HistoryMove{Action: "resign"}, nil},
+		{"play with blank", HistoryMove{Action: "play", Tiles: []engine.TileRecord{{Letter: "a"}, {Letter: "b", Blank: true}}}, []string{"a", "?"}},
+		{"exchange", HistoryMove{Action: "exchange", Exchanged: []string{"a", "?"}}, []string{"a", "?"}},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			if got := usedTiles(tt.mv); !reflect.DeepEqual(got, tt.want) {
+				t.Fatalf("usedTiles = %v, want %v", got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDrawnTiles(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name         string
+		before, used []string
+		after        []string
+		want         []string
+	}{
+		{"play refill", []string{"a", "b", "c", "d"}, []string{"a", "b"}, []string{"c", "d", "e", "f"}, []string{"e", "f"}},
+		{"blank played", []string{"?", "a"}, []string{"?"}, []string{"a", "x"}, []string{"x"}},
+		{"pass keeps rack", []string{"a", "b"}, nil, []string{"a", "b"}, nil},
+		{"duplicate letters", []string{"e", "e", "e"}, []string{"e"}, []string{"e", "e", "q"}, []string{"q"}},
+		{"empty bag no refill", []string{"a", "b"}, []string{"a"}, []string{"b"}, nil},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			if got := drawnTiles(tt.before, tt.after, tt.used); !reflect.DeepEqual(got, tt.want) {
+				t.Fatalf("drawnTiles = %v, want %v", got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}

backend/internal/game/seating.go

@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+package game
+
+import (
+	"crypto/rand"
+	"fmt"
+	"math/big"
+
+	"github.com/google/uuid"
+
+	"scrabble/backend/internal/engine"
+)
+
+// maxSeedingRounds caps the first-move draw's tie re-draws. With a real bag a tie
+// breaks with positive probability each round, so this is reached only by a
+// degenerate (e.g. test) entropy source that ties forever; the cap turns that into
+// an error instead of an infinite loop.
+const maxSeedingRounds = 1000
+
+// SetupDraw is one recorded tile draw of the first-move seeding — one row of
+// game_setup_draws (docs/ARCHITECTURE.md §6, §9): the round, the draw order within
+// it, the seated account that drew, and the decoded tile with its rank. It is
+// dictionary-independent: the letter, the blank flag and the numeric rank describe
+// the draw without any alphabet table.
+type SetupDraw struct {
+	Round   int
+	PickNo  int
+	Account uuid.UUID
+	Letter  string
+	Blank   bool
+	Rank    int
+}
+
+// seedingResult is the outcome of the first-move seeding: the winning account, the
+// seated accounts rotated so the winner leads (seat 0), and the full draw log to
+// persist.
+type seedingResult struct {
+	winner uuid.UUID
+	order  []uuid.UUID
+	draws  []SetupDraw
+}
+
+// drawIntn returns a uniformly random integer in [0, n) for n > 0. It is the
+// entropy seam of the first-move seeding: production uses crypto/rand (cryptoIntn),
+// so every draw is honestly random with no single seed; tests inject a
+// deterministic source.
+type drawIntn func(n int) (int, error)
+
+// cryptoIntn draws a uniform integer in [0, n) from crypto/rand — the honest,
+// seedless entropy the first-move draw requires.
+func cryptoIntn(n int) (int, error) {
+	v, err := rand.Int(rand.Reader, big.NewInt(int64(n)))
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("game: first-move draw entropy: %w", err)
+	}
+	return int(v.Int64()), nil
+}
+
+// seedFirstMove runs the official first-move draw over accounts for variant v,
+// drawing tiles with the entropy source intn. Each round every contender draws one
+// tile (without replacement) from a fresh full bag; the tile closest to "A" wins, a
+// blank beating every letter; contenders tied for the best tile re-draw in the next
+// round until a single leader remains. It returns the leader, the rotation that
+// seats the leader first (preserving the others' seating order), and every draw for
+// the record. It performs no I/O beyond calling intn.
+func seedFirstMove(v engine.Variant, accounts []uuid.UUID, intn drawIntn) (seedingResult, error) {
+	if len(accounts) < 2 {
+		return seedingResult{}, fmt.Errorf("game: first-move seeding needs at least 2 accounts, got %d", len(accounts))
+	}
+	full, err := engine.SetupBag(v)
+	if err != nil {
+		return seedingResult{}, err
+	}
+	contenders := append([]uuid.UUID(nil), accounts...)
+	var draws []SetupDraw
+	for round := 1; ; round++ {
+		if round > maxSeedingRounds {
+			return seedingResult{}, fmt.Errorf("game: first-move seeding unresolved after %d rounds", maxSeedingRounds)
+		}
+		bag := append([]engine.SetupTile(nil), full...)
+		picks := make([]engine.SetupTile, len(contenders))
+		for i, acc := range contenders {
+			tile, rest, err := drawSetupTile(bag, intn)
+			if err != nil {
+				return seedingResult{}, err
+			}
+			bag = rest
+			picks[i] = tile
+			draws = append(draws, SetupDraw{
+				Round: round, PickNo: i, Account: acc,
+				Letter: tile.Letter, Blank: tile.Blank, Rank: tile.Rank,
+			})
+		}
+		winners := bestContenders(contenders, picks)
+		if len(winners) == 1 {
+			return seedingResult{winner: winners[0], order: rotateToFirst(accounts, winners[0]), draws: draws}, nil
+		}
+		contenders = winners
+	}
+}
+
+// drawSetupTile removes one uniformly random tile from bag using the entropy source
+// intn and returns it with the shrunk bag (a fresh slice, leaving bag untouched).
+// It is the per-tile draw primitive — the seam a future manual "player N draws a
+// tile" tournament API will drive, one call per external request.
+func drawSetupTile(bag []engine.SetupTile, intn drawIntn) (engine.SetupTile, []engine.SetupTile, error) {
+	if len(bag) == 0 {
+		return engine.SetupTile{}, nil, fmt.Errorf("game: first-move draw from an empty bag")
+	}
+	i, err := intn(len(bag))
+	if err != nil {
+		return engine.SetupTile{}, nil, err
+	}
+	if i < 0 || i >= len(bag) {
+		return engine.SetupTile{}, nil, fmt.Errorf("game: first-move draw index %d out of range %d", i, len(bag))
+	}
+	tile := bag[i]
+	rest := make([]engine.SetupTile, 0, len(bag)-1)
+	rest = append(rest, bag[:i]...)
+	rest = append(rest, bag[i+1:]...)
+	return tile, rest, nil
+}
+
+// bestContenders returns the contenders whose drawn tile has the lowest (best)
+// rank — the sole winner if one, else the tied set that re-draws. picks is aligned
+// with contenders by index.
+func bestContenders(contenders []uuid.UUID, picks []engine.SetupTile) []uuid.UUID {
+	best := picks[0].Rank
+	for _, p := range picks[1:] {
+		if p.Rank < best {
+			best = p.Rank
+		}
+	}
+	var winners []uuid.UUID
+	for i, p := range picks {
+		if p.Rank == best {
+			winners = append(winners, contenders[i])
+		}
+	}
+	return winners
+}
+
+// rotateToFirst returns accounts rotated cyclically so winner sits first (seat 0),
+// preserving the seating order of the rest (docs/ARCHITECTURE.md §6). winner must be
+// present in accounts.
+func rotateToFirst(accounts []uuid.UUID, winner uuid.UUID) []uuid.UUID {
+	i := 0
+	for ; i < len(accounts); i++ {
+		if accounts[i] == winner {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	out := make([]uuid.UUID, 0, len(accounts))
+	out = append(out, accounts[i:]...)
+	out = append(out, accounts[:i]...)
+	return out
+}

backend/internal/game/seating_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+package game
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/google/uuid"
+
+	"scrabble/backend/internal/engine"
+)
+
+// scriptIntn returns a drawIntn that yields the scripted indices in order, failing
+// the test if the script is exhausted or an index is out of range. It lets a test
+// drive the first-move draw deterministically (English SetupBag order: 9 'a' at
+// 0..8, then 'b' …, blanks last).
+func scriptIntn(t *testing.T, seq ...int) drawIntn {
+	t.Helper()
+	i := 0
+	return func(n int) (int, error) {
+		if i >= len(seq) {
+			t.Fatalf("intn script exhausted (asked for [0,%d))", n)
+		}
+		v := seq[i]
+		i++
+		if v < 0 || v >= n {
+			t.Fatalf("intn script value %d out of range [0,%d)", v, n)
+		}
+		return v, nil
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSeedFirstMoveDirectWinner(t *testing.T) {
+	a, b := uuid.New(), uuid.New()
+	// a draws bag[0]='a' (rank 0); b draws bag[8]='b' (rank 1) → a wins, no tie.
+	res, err := seedFirstMove(engine.VariantEnglish, []uuid.UUID{a, b}, scriptIntn(t, 0, 8))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("seedFirstMove: %v", err)
+	}
+	if res.winner != a {
+		t.Fatalf("winner = %v, want %v", res.winner, a)
+	}
+	if got := res.order; len(got) != 2 || got[0] != a || got[1] != b {
+		t.Fatalf("order = %v, want [a b]", got)
+	}
+	if len(res.draws) != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("draws = %d, want 2", len(res.draws))
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSeedFirstMoveBlankSupersedes(t *testing.T) {
+	a, b := uuid.New(), uuid.New()
+	// a draws 'a' (rank 0); after the draw the two blanks sit at 97,98 — b draws
+	// bag[97], a blank, which beats every letter.
+	res, err := seedFirstMove(engine.VariantEnglish, []uuid.UUID{a, b}, scriptIntn(t, 0, 97))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("seedFirstMove: %v", err)
+	}
+	if res.winner != b {
+		t.Fatalf("winner = %v, want %v (blank supersedes)", res.winner, b)
+	}
+	last := res.draws[len(res.draws)-1]
+	if !last.Blank || last.Rank != engine.BlankRank || last.Letter != "?" {
+		t.Fatalf("winning draw = %+v, want a blank (rank %d, '?')", last, engine.BlankRank)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSeedFirstMoveTieRedraw(t *testing.T) {
+	a, b, c := uuid.New(), uuid.New(), uuid.New()
+	// Round 1: a→bag[0]='a'(0), b→bag[0]='a'(0), c→bag[7]='b'(1) → a,b tie best.
+	// Round 2 (a,b only): a→bag[0]='a'(0), b→bag[8]='b'(1) → a wins.
+	res, err := seedFirstMove(engine.VariantEnglish, []uuid.UUID{a, b, c}, scriptIntn(t, 0, 0, 7, 0, 8))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("seedFirstMove: %v", err)
+	}
+	if res.winner != a {
+		t.Fatalf("winner = %v, want %v", res.winner, a)
+	}
+	if len(res.draws) != 5 {
+		t.Fatalf("draws = %d, want 5 (3 in round 1, 2 in round 2)", len(res.draws))
+	}
+	if res.draws[2].Round != 1 || res.draws[3].Round != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("round boundaries wrong: %+v", res.draws)
+	}
+	// The full table keeps every account's seating order, winner first.
+	if got := res.order; got[0] != a || got[1] != b || got[2] != c {
+		t.Fatalf("order = %v, want [a b c]", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSeedFirstMoveTooFewAccounts(t *testing.T) {
+	if _, err := seedFirstMove(engine.VariantEnglish, []uuid.UUID{uuid.New()}, scriptIntn(t)); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("want error for a single account")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSeedFirstMovePerpetualTieCapped(t *testing.T) {
+	a, b := uuid.New(), uuid.New()
+	// Always drawing bag[0] gives both players an 'a' every round — a tie that never
+	// resolves; the round cap must turn it into an error, not an infinite loop.
+	alwaysZero := drawIntn(func(int) (int, error) { return 0, nil })
+	if _, err := seedFirstMove(engine.VariantEnglish, []uuid.UUID{a, b}, alwaysZero); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("want error when ties never resolve")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRotateToFirst(t *testing.T) {
+	a, b, c, d := uuid.New(), uuid.New(), uuid.New(), uuid.New()
+	tests := []struct {
+		name     string
+		accounts []uuid.UUID
+		winner   uuid.UUID
+		want     []uuid.UUID
+	}{
+		{"two winner second", []uuid.UUID{a, b}, b, []uuid.UUID{b, a}},
+		{"three winner first", []uuid.UUID{a, b, c}, a, []uuid.UUID{a, b, c}},
+		{"four winner third", []uuid.UUID{a, b, c, d}, c, []uuid.UUID{c, d, a, b}},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := rotateToFirst(tt.accounts, tt.winner)
+			if len(got) != len(tt.want) {
+				t.Fatalf("len = %d, want %d", len(got), len(tt.want))
+			}
+			for i := range got {
+				if got[i] != tt.want[i] {
+					t.Fatalf("rotate = %v, want %v", got, tt.want)
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}

backend/internal/game/service.go

@@ -38,7 +38,12 @@ type Service struct {
 	version string
 	clock   func() time.Time
 	rng     func() int64
-	pub     notify.Publisher
+	// firstMoveEntropy returns the entropy source for one game's first-move draw
+	// (docs/ARCHITECTURE.md §6). The default is crypto/rand — an honest, seedless draw;
+	// tests override it via SetFirstMoveEntropy for a deterministic turn order. It is a
+	// factory so a stateful test source restarts cleanly per game.
+	firstMoveEntropy func() drawIntn
+	pub              notify.Publisher
 	// aiTrigger, when set, is called after an honest-AI game is created or advanced and
 	// is still on a robot's potential turn, so the robot replies at once instead of
 	// waiting for the next driver scan. It is fire-and-forget (the robot package wires
@@ -59,17 +64,18 @@ type Service struct {
 func NewService(store *Store, accounts *account.Store, registry *engine.Registry, cfg Config, log *zap.Logger) *Service {
 	clock := func() time.Time { return time.Now().UTC() }
 	return &Service{
-		store:    store,
+		store:            store,
-		accounts: accounts,
+		accounts:         accounts,
-		registry: registry,
+		registry:         registry,
-		cache:    newGameCache(cfg.CacheTTL, clock),
+		cache:            newGameCache(cfg.CacheTTL, clock),
-		locks:    newKeyedMutex(),
+		locks:            newKeyedMutex(),
-		version:  cfg.DictVersion,
+		version:          cfg.DictVersion,
-		clock:    clock,
+		clock:            clock,
-		rng:      randomSeed,
+		rng:              randomSeed,
-		pub:      notify.Nop{},
+		firstMoveEntropy: func() drawIntn { return cryptoIntn },
-		metrics:  defaultGameMetrics(),
+		pub:              notify.Nop{},
-		log:      log,
+		metrics:          defaultGameMetrics(),
+		log:              log,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -101,6 +107,18 @@ func (svc *Service) SetNudgeClearer(fn func(ctx context.Context, gameID, account
 	svc.clearNudges = fn
 }
 
+// SetFirstMoveEntropy overrides the entropy source for the first-move draw
+// (docs/ARCHITECTURE.md §6). It must be called during wiring or test setup before any
+// game is created; the production default is crypto/rand and is never overridden.
+// factory returns a fresh draw function per game, so a stateful deterministic test
+// source restarts cleanly for each game. It exists for deterministic tests.
+func (svc *Service) SetFirstMoveEntropy(factory func() func(n int) (int, error)) {
+	if factory == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	svc.firstMoveEntropy = func() drawIntn { return drawIntn(factory()) }
+}
+
 // triggerAI fires the honest-AI fast-move hook for an active vs_ai game (best-effort,
 // fire-and-forget). It is a no-op for non-AI games, finished games and when no hook is
 // installed, so callers can invoke it unconditionally after a create or commit.
@@ -191,15 +209,32 @@ func (svc *Service) Create(ctx context.Context, params CreateParams) (Game, erro
 		}
 	}
 	seen := make(map[uuid.UUID]bool, len(params.Seats))
-	seats := make([]seatInsert, len(params.Seats))
+	for _, id := range params.Seats {
-	for i, id := range params.Seats {
 		if seen[id] {
 			return Game{}, fmt.Errorf("%w: account %s seated twice", ErrInvalidConfig, id)
 		}
 		seen[id] = true
-		// Snapshot each seat's display name at creation. For a vs-AI game this stamps the
+	}
-		// robot's seeded account name (unchanged behaviour); a disguised auto-match robot
+
-		// instead gets a fresh per-game name when the reaper attaches it (AttachRobot).
+	// Decide who moves first by the official draw (docs/ARCHITECTURE.md §6): each seated
+	// account draws a tile, the one closest to "A" leads (a blank supersedes all letters),
+	// ties re-drawing until a single leader remains. Each draw uses fresh entropy, not the
+	// game seed, so the recorded draws — persisted with the game — are the only account of
+	// the outcome. The winner takes seat 0; the rest keep their order.
+	seeding, err := seedFirstMove(params.Variant, params.Seats, svc.firstMoveEntropy())
+	if err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, engine.ErrUnknownVariant) {
+			return Game{}, fmt.Errorf("%w: %v", ErrInvalidConfig, err)
+		}
+		return Game{}, err
+	}
+
+	// Build the seats in the drawn turn order, snapshotting each seat's display name. For a
+	// vs-AI game this stamps the robot's seeded account name (unchanged behaviour); a
+	// disguised auto-match robot instead gets a fresh per-game name when the reaper attaches
+	// it (AttachRobot).
+	seats := make([]seatInsert, len(seeding.order))
+	for i, id := range seeding.order {
 		acc, err := svc.accounts.GetByID(ctx, id)
 		if err != nil {
 			if errors.Is(err, account.ErrNotFound) {
@@ -249,15 +284,15 @@ func (svc *Service) Create(ctx context.Context, params CreateParams) (Game, erro
 		multipleWordsPerTurn: params.MultipleWordsPerTurn,
 		vsAI:                 params.VsAI,
 	}
-	if err := svc.store.CreateGame(ctx, ins, seats); err != nil {
+	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)
@@ -312,14 +347,27 @@ func (svc *Service) OpenOrJoin(ctx context.Context, accountID uuid.UUID, params
 		status:               StatusOpen,
 		openDeadline:         &deadline,
 	}
-	// Seat the caller at seat 0 or seat 1 (seat 0 always moves first), snapshotting their
+	// Decide the first move now by the official draw, with the not-yet-arrived opponent as a
-	// display name; the other seat is left empty (a zero seatInsert) for the opponent.
+	// synthetic placeholder (uuid.Nil): the draw fixes who sits at seat 0 — and so moves
-	caller := seatInsert{accountID: accountID, displayName: acc.DisplayName}
+	// first — before either player acts (docs/ARCHITECTURE.md §6). The caller takes their
-	seats := []seatInsert{caller, {}}
+	// drawn seat; the opponent seat is left empty. The opponent's draw rows are recorded with
-	if seed&1 == 1 {
+	// a NULL account and back-filled when a real opponent joins. Each draw uses fresh entropy,
-		seats = []seatInsert{{}, caller}
+	// not the game seed. seats/draws are used only when a fresh game is opened.
+	seeding, err := seedFirstMove(params.Variant, []uuid.UUID{accountID, uuid.Nil}, svc.firstMoveEntropy())
+	if err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, engine.ErrUnknownVariant) {
+			return Game{}, false, fmt.Errorf("%w: %v", ErrInvalidConfig, err)
+		}
+		return Game{}, false, err
 	}
-	gameID, joined, created, err := svc.store.OpenOrJoin(ctx, accountID, acc.DisplayName, ins, seats, exclude)
+	caller := seatInsert{accountID: accountID, displayName: acc.DisplayName}
+	seats := make([]seatInsert, len(seeding.order))
+	for seat, who := range seeding.order {
+		if who == accountID {
+			seats[seat] = caller // the empty opponent seat stays a zero seatInsert
+		}
+	}
+	gameID, joined, created, err := svc.store.OpenOrJoin(ctx, accountID, acc.DisplayName, ins, seats, exclude, seeding.draws)
 	if err != nil {
 		return Game{}, false, err
 	}
@@ -506,16 +554,6 @@ func (svc *Service) GameVariant(ctx context.Context, gameID uuid.UUID) (engine.V
 	return svc.store.GetGameVariant(ctx, gameID)
 }
 
-// GameLanguage returns the game's language tag ("en"/"ru"), derived from its variant, so a
-// game push routes out-of-app to the game's own bot rather than the recipient's last-login bot.
-func (svc *Service) GameLanguage(ctx context.Context, gameID uuid.UUID) (string, error) {
-	v, err := svc.GameVariant(ctx, gameID)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-	return v.Language(), nil
-}
-
 // RobotSchedule returns a game's bag seed and turn-start time, for the admin console's
 // robot-schedule panel (the deterministic play-to-win intent and next-move ETA).
 func (svc *Service) RobotSchedule(ctx context.Context, gameID uuid.UUID) (seed int64, turnStartedAt time.Time, err error) {
@@ -547,8 +585,9 @@ func (svc *Service) transition(ctx context.Context, gameID, accountID uuid.UUID,
 		return MoveResult{}, ErrNotAPlayer
 	}
 	// A move is allowed while the game is active or still open (the starter may move on
-	// their turn before an opponent joins); only a finished game rejects it. The turn
+	// their turn before an opponent joins; the first-move draw ran when the game opened, so
-	// check below keeps the starter off the still-empty opponent seat.
+	// the seats are already fixed); only a finished game rejects it. The turn check below
+	// keeps the starter off the still-empty opponent seat.
 	if pre.Status == StatusFinished {
 		return MoveResult{}, ErrFinished
 	}
@@ -691,9 +730,6 @@ func (svc *Service) emitMove(ctx context.Context, post Game, rec engine.MoveReco
 		}
 		intents = append(intents, notify.OpponentMoved(s.AccountID, post.ID, rec, summary, bagLen))
 	}
-	// Game pushes are routed out-of-app by the game's own language, not the recipient's
-	// last-login bot.
-	lang := post.Variant.Language()
 	switch post.Status {
 	case StatusActive:
 		// Honest-AI games suppress your_turn: the robot replies instantly, so a "your turn"
@@ -708,7 +744,6 @@ func (svc *Service) emitMove(ctx context.Context, post Game, rec engine.MoveReco
 			}
 			opponent := svc.displayName(ctx, post.Seats, rec.Player)
 			yourTurn := notify.YourTurn(next, post.ID, deadline, opponent, action, word, scoreLine(post, post.ToMove), post.MoveCount)
-			yourTurn.Language = lang
 			intents = append(intents, yourTurn)
 		}
 	case StatusFinished:
@@ -720,7 +755,6 @@ func (svc *Service) emitMove(ctx context.Context, post Game, rec engine.MoveReco
 				continue
 			}
 			over := notify.GameOver(s.AccountID, post.ID, seatResult(post.Seats, s.Seat), scoreLine(post, s.Seat), summary)
-			over.Language = lang
 			intents = append(intents, over)
 		}
 	}
@@ -856,26 +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) {
-	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 {
+	// Hot path: an active game stays cached — the engine game is mutated in place across
-		return EvalResult{}, err
+	// 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 pre.Status == StatusFinished {
+			return EvalResult{}, ErrFinished
+		}
+		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
@@ -1287,6 +1330,14 @@ func (svc *Service) History(ctx context.Context, gameID uuid.UUID) (HistoryView,
 	return HistoryView{Game: g, Moves: moves}, nil
 }
 
+// SetupDraws returns a game's recorded first-move draws (docs/ARCHITECTURE.md §6), ordered by
+// round then pick. It backs the admin console's first-move section. An auto-match opponent's
+// draws carry uuid.Nil until a real opponent joins and back-fills them; an empty slice means
+// the game predates the draw record.
+func (svc *Service) SetupDraws(ctx context.Context, gameID uuid.UUID) ([]SetupDraw, error) {
+	return svc.store.SetupDraws(ctx, gameID)
+}
+
 // ExportGCG renders a game as GCG text from the journal alone (no dictionary). It
 // is allowed only on a finished game: exporting an in-progress game would leak the
 // full move journal mid-play, so an active game yields ErrGameActive.
@@ -1317,7 +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)
@@ -1332,7 +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

@@ -127,11 +127,14 @@ type seatInsert struct {
 	displayName string
 }
 
-// CreateGame inserts the games row and one game_players row per seat (seat 0
+// CreateGame inserts the games row, one game_players row per seat (seat 0 first) and
-// first) inside a single transaction.
+// the first-move seeding draws inside a single transaction.
-func (s *Store) CreateGame(ctx context.Context, ins gameInsert, seats []seatInsert) error {
+func (s *Store) CreateGame(ctx context.Context, ins gameInsert, seats []seatInsert, draws []SetupDraw) error {
 	return withTx(ctx, s.db, func(tx *sql.Tx) error {
-		return insertGameTx(ctx, tx, ins, seats)
+		if err := insertGameTx(ctx, tx, ins, seats); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		return insertSetupDrawsTx(ctx, tx, ins.id, draws)
 	})
 }
 
@@ -173,6 +176,30 @@ func insertGameTx(ctx context.Context, tx *sql.Tx, ins gameInsert, seats []seatI
 	return nil
 }
 
+// insertSetupDrawsTx appends the first-move seeding draws for game gameID on tx —
+// the dictionary-independent record of how the first player was chosen
+// (docs/ARCHITECTURE.md §6). The games row must already exist on tx (the foreign
+// key), so it runs after insertGameTx. An empty draws slice is a no-op.
+func insertSetupDrawsTx(ctx context.Context, tx *sql.Tx, gameID uuid.UUID, draws []SetupDraw) error {
+	for _, d := range draws {
+		// A uuid.Nil account marks the synthetic opponent of an auto-match draw, persisted as
+		// a NULL account_id and back-filled when a real opponent joins.
+		var acc any = d.Account
+		if d.Account == uuid.Nil {
+			acc = postgres.NULL
+		}
+		di := table.GameSetupDraws.INSERT(
+			table.GameSetupDraws.GameID, table.GameSetupDraws.Round, table.GameSetupDraws.PickNo,
+			table.GameSetupDraws.AccountID, table.GameSetupDraws.Letter, table.GameSetupDraws.IsBlank,
+			table.GameSetupDraws.DrawRank,
+		).VALUES(gameID, d.Round, d.PickNo, acc, d.Letter, d.Blank, d.Rank)
+		if _, err := di.ExecContext(ctx, tx); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("insert setup draw round %d pick %d: %w", d.Round, d.PickNo, err)
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // openMatchKey hashes an auto-match bucket (variant + per-turn word rule) into the
 // advisory-lock key that serialises concurrent enqueues for that bucket, so two
 // players never both open a game instead of pairing.
@@ -199,8 +226,9 @@ func openMatchKey(variant string, multipleWords bool) int64 {
 // arrangement (the caller and uuid.Nil for the still-empty opponent, in the chosen
 // order) used only when a game is created; callerName is the caller's display-name
 // snapshot, stamped on their seat whether they open a fresh game or fill another
-// player's open one.
+// player's open one. seats and draws (the first-move draw recorded against the synthetic
-func (s *Store) OpenOrJoin(ctx context.Context, accountID uuid.UUID, callerName string, ins gameInsert, seats []seatInsert, exclude []uuid.UUID) (gameID uuid.UUID, joined, created bool, err error) {
+// opponent, docs/ARCHITECTURE.md §6) are used only when a game is created.
+func (s *Store) OpenOrJoin(ctx context.Context, accountID uuid.UUID, callerName string, ins gameInsert, seats []seatInsert, exclude []uuid.UUID, draws []SetupDraw) (gameID uuid.UUID, joined, created bool, err error) {
 	err = withTx(ctx, s.db, func(tx *sql.Tx) error {
 		if _, e := tx.ExecContext(ctx, `SELECT pg_advisory_xact_lock($1)`,
 			openMatchKey(ins.variant, ins.multipleWordsPerTurn)); e != nil {
@@ -222,7 +250,7 @@ func (s *Store) OpenOrJoin(ctx context.Context, accountID uuid.UUID, callerName
 			  LIMIT 1 FOR UPDATE SKIP LOCKED`,
 			ins.variant, ins.multipleWordsPerTurn, accountID, uuidArrayLiteral(exclude)).Scan(&other); {
 		case e == nil:
-			if er := fillOpenSeat(ctx, tx, other, accountID, callerName); er != nil {
+			if er := fillAndActivate(ctx, tx, other, accountID, callerName); er != nil {
 				return er
 			}
 			gameID, joined = other, true
@@ -230,10 +258,15 @@ func (s *Store) OpenOrJoin(ctx context.Context, accountID uuid.UUID, callerName
 		case !errors.Is(e, sql.ErrNoRows):
 			return fmt.Errorf("find open game: %w", e)
 		}
-		// 2. None waiting — open a fresh game seating the caller (the other seat empty).
+		// 2. None waiting — open a fresh game seating the caller (the other seat empty) and
+		// recording the first-move draw; the synthetic opponent's rows carry a NULL account
+		// until a real opponent joins and back-fills them.
 		if e := insertGameTx(ctx, tx, ins, seats); e != nil {
 			return e
 		}
+		if e := insertSetupDrawsTx(ctx, tx, ins.id, draws); e != nil {
+			return e
+		}
 		gameID, created = ins.id, true
 		return nil
 	})
@@ -258,7 +291,7 @@ func (s *Store) AttachRobot(ctx context.Context, gameID, robotID uuid.UUID, disp
 		if status != StatusOpen {
 			return nil
 		}
-		if e := fillOpenSeat(ctx, tx, gameID, robotID, displayName); e != nil {
+		if e := fillAndActivate(ctx, tx, gameID, robotID, displayName); e != nil {
 			return e
 		}
 		attached = true
@@ -267,15 +300,23 @@ func (s *Store) AttachRobot(ctx context.Context, gameID, robotID uuid.UUID, disp
 	return attached, err
 }
 
-// fillOpenSeat seats accountID in an open game's empty opponent seat — stamping
+// fillAndActivate seats accountID in an open game's empty opponent seat — stamping
-// displayName as the seat's display-name snapshot — and flips the game to active with a
+// displayName as the seat's snapshot — back-fills the first-move draw rows the open game
-// fresh turn clock. The caller holds the game row.
+// recorded for the then-unknown opponent (docs/ARCHITECTURE.md §6), and flips the game to
-func fillOpenSeat(ctx context.Context, tx *sql.Tx, gameID, accountID uuid.UUID, displayName string) error {
+// active with a fresh turn clock. The seat the joiner takes was already fixed by the draw at
+// open time, so the journal (any opening move the starter made while waiting) is never
+// disturbed. The caller holds the game row.
+func fillAndActivate(ctx context.Context, tx *sql.Tx, gameID, accountID uuid.UUID, displayName string) error {
 	if _, err := tx.ExecContext(ctx,
 		`UPDATE backend.game_players SET account_id = $2, display_name = $3 WHERE game_id = $1 AND account_id IS NULL`,
 		gameID, accountID, displayName); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("fill opponent seat: %w", err)
 	}
+	if _, err := tx.ExecContext(ctx,
+		`UPDATE backend.game_setup_draws SET account_id = $2 WHERE game_id = $1 AND account_id IS NULL`,
+		gameID, accountID); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("back-fill opponent draws: %w", err)
+	}
 	if _, err := tx.ExecContext(ctx,
 		`UPDATE backend.games SET status = 'active', open_deadline_at = NULL, turn_started_at = now(), updated_at = now()
 		  WHERE game_id = $1`, gameID); err != nil {
@@ -314,27 +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).
+	// One round-trip: the game joined with its seats. A LEFT JOIN keeps a (would-be)
-		FROM(table.Games).
+	// 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)
+		ORDER_BY(table.GamePlayers.Seat.ASC())
-	var grow model.Games
+	var rows []struct {
-	if err := gstmt.QueryContext(ctx, s.db, &grow); err != nil {
+		model.Games
-		if errors.Is(err, qrm.ErrNoRows) {
+		model.GamePlayers
-			return Game{}, ErrNotFound
+	}
-		}
+	if err := stmt.QueryContext(ctx, s.db, &rows); err != nil {
 		return Game{}, fmt.Errorf("game: get %s: %w", id, err)
 	}
-
+	if len(rows) == 0 {
-	sstmt := postgres.SELECT(table.GamePlayers.AllColumns).
+		return Game{}, ErrNotFound
-		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)
 	}
-	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
@@ -587,6 +634,37 @@ func (s *Store) GetJournal(ctx context.Context, id uuid.UUID) ([]HistoryMove, er
 	return out, nil
 }
 
+// SetupDraws loads the ordered first-move seeding draws for a game (round then pick
+// order), or an empty slice for a game created before the draw was recorded. It
+// backs the admin console's first-move section.
+func (s *Store) SetupDraws(ctx context.Context, id uuid.UUID) ([]SetupDraw, error) {
+	stmt := postgres.SELECT(table.GameSetupDraws.AllColumns).
+		FROM(table.GameSetupDraws).
+		WHERE(table.GameSetupDraws.GameID.EQ(postgres.UUID(id))).
+		ORDER_BY(table.GameSetupDraws.Round.ASC(), table.GameSetupDraws.PickNo.ASC())
+	var rows []model.GameSetupDraws
+	if err := stmt.QueryContext(ctx, s.db, &rows); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("game: get setup draws %s: %w", id, err)
+	}
+	out := make([]SetupDraw, len(rows))
+	for i, r := range rows {
+		// A NULL account is the synthetic opponent of an auto-match draw not yet back-filled.
+		acc := uuid.Nil
+		if r.AccountID != nil {
+			acc = *r.AccountID
+		}
+		out[i] = SetupDraw{
+			Round:   int(r.Round),
+			PickNo:  int(r.PickNo),
+			Account: acc,
+			Letter:  r.Letter,
+			Blank:   r.IsBlank,
+			Rank:    int(r.DrawRank),
+		}
+	}
+	return out, nil
+}
+
 // CommitMove appends the move and applies the post-move game state — the turn
 // cursor and per-seat scores, plus the finish stamp and statistics when the move
 // ended the game — in one transaction.

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

@@ -110,38 +110,92 @@ func identityConfirmed(t *testing.T, kind, externalID string) bool {
 }
 
 // TestProvisionTelegramSeedsNewAccountOnly checks that Telegram first contact
-// seeds the new account's language and display name from the launch fields,
+// seeds the new account's language, display name and time zone from the launch
-// defaults the in-app-only flag on, and never overwrites an existing account on a
+// fields / detected offset, defaults the in-app-only flag on, and never overwrites
-// later login (language seeding).
+// an existing account on a later login (language and zone seeding).
 func TestProvisionTelegramSeedsNewAccountOnly(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	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", "+03:00")
 	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)
 	}
 	if acc.DisplayName != "Иван" {
 		t.Errorf("DisplayName = %q, want Иван", acc.DisplayName)
 	}
+	if acc.TimeZone != "+03:00" {
+		t.Errorf("TimeZone = %q, want the seeded +03:00", acc.TimeZone)
+	}
 	if !acc.NotificationsInAppOnly {
 		t.Error("NotificationsInAppOnly should default to true")
 	}
 
 	// 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", "+09:00")
 	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)
 	}
-	if again.PreferredLanguage != "ru" || again.DisplayName != "Иван" {
+	if again.PreferredLanguage != "ru" || again.DisplayName != "Иван" || again.TimeZone != "+03:00" {
-		t.Errorf("existing account overwritten: lang=%q name=%q", again.PreferredLanguage, again.DisplayName)
+		t.Errorf("existing account overwritten: lang=%q name=%q tz=%q", again.PreferredLanguage, again.DisplayName, again.TimeZone)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestProvisionSeedsTimeZone checks the create-time time-zone seed across paths: a
+// valid detected offset is stored verbatim (even "+00:00", which is deliberately
+// distinct from the unset "UTC" default), a guest is seeded the same way, and a
+// missing or malformed offset falls back to the "UTC" column default rather than
+// being guessed at.
+func TestProvisionSeedsTimeZone(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	store := account.NewStore(testDB)
+
+	// A detected zero offset is written as "+00:00" — we record that the zone was
+	// detected (and equals UTC), distinct from the "UTC" default meaning "unknown".
+	utcDetected, _, err := store.ProvisionTelegram(ctx, "tg-"+uuid.NewString(), "en", "", "Zero", "+00:00")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("provision telegram +00:00: %v", err)
+	}
+	if utcDetected.TimeZone != "+00:00" {
+		t.Errorf("TimeZone = %q, want the seeded +00:00", utcDetected.TimeZone)
+	}
+
+	// A malformed offset is dropped: the account keeps the UTC default.
+	bad, _, err := store.ProvisionTelegram(ctx, "tg-"+uuid.NewString(), "en", "", "Bad", "not-a-zone")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("provision telegram bad tz: %v", err)
+	}
+	if bad.TimeZone != "UTC" {
+		t.Errorf("TimeZone = %q, want UTC fallback for a malformed offset", bad.TimeZone)
+	}
+
+	// A guest is seeded its detected offset; an empty one keeps the UTC default.
+	guest, err := store.ProvisionGuest(ctx, "-05:30")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("provision guest: %v", err)
+	}
+	if guest.TimeZone != "-05:30" {
+		t.Errorf("guest TimeZone = %q, want the seeded -05:30", guest.TimeZone)
+	}
+	plainGuest, err := store.ProvisionGuest(ctx, "")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("provision plain guest: %v", err)
+	}
+	if plainGuest.TimeZone != "UTC" {
+		t.Errorf("plain guest TimeZone = %q, want UTC default", plainGuest.TimeZone)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -150,7 +204,7 @@ 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)
 	}
@@ -159,46 +213,6 @@ func TestProvisionTelegramUnknownLanguageDefaults(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// TestServiceLanguageRoundTrip checks SetServiceLanguage persists the push-routing
-// language (the bot a Telegram user last signed in through): a fresh account has
-// none, a set value reads back, a later login overwrites it (last-login-wins), and
-// an empty value is a no-op. The push-target route coalesces it with the preferred
-// language.
-func TestServiceLanguageRoundTrip(t *testing.T) {
-	ctx := context.Background()
-	store := account.NewStore(testDB)
-	acc, err := store.ProvisionTelegram(ctx, "tg-"+uuid.NewString(), "en", "", "Player")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("provision telegram: %v", err)
-	}
-	if acc.ServiceLanguage != "" {
-		t.Errorf("fresh ServiceLanguage = %q, want empty", acc.ServiceLanguage)
-	}
-
-	if err := store.SetServiceLanguage(ctx, acc.ID, "ru"); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("set service language: %v", err)
-	}
-	if got, err := store.GetByID(ctx, acc.ID); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("get by id: %v", err)
-	} else if got.ServiceLanguage != "ru" {
-		t.Errorf("ServiceLanguage = %q, want ru", got.ServiceLanguage)
-	}
-
-	// A later login through the other bot updates it; a subsequent empty value
-	// (a non-Telegram login) leaves it unchanged.
-	if err := store.SetServiceLanguage(ctx, acc.ID, "en"); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("update service language: %v", err)
-	}
-	if err := store.SetServiceLanguage(ctx, acc.ID, ""); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("noop service language: %v", err)
-	}
-	if got, err := store.GetByID(ctx, acc.ID); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("get by id: %v", err)
-	} else if got.ServiceLanguage != "en" {
-		t.Errorf("ServiceLanguage after update+noop = %q, want en", got.ServiceLanguage)
-	}
-}
-
 // TestHighRateFlagRoundTrip covers the soft high-rate marker: a fresh account
 // is unflagged, FlagHighRate stamps it exactly once (a second sustained episode
 // never moves the timestamp), ClearHighRateFlag reverses it, and a re-flag after
@@ -206,7 +220,7 @@ func TestServiceLanguageRoundTrip(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)
 	}
@@ -262,7 +276,7 @@ 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)
 	}
@@ -287,7 +301,7 @@ 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)
 	}
@@ -299,6 +313,7 @@ func TestNotificationsInAppOnlyRoundTrip(t *testing.T) {
 		PreferredLanguage:      "en",
 		TimeZone:               "UTC",
 		NotificationsInAppOnly: false,
+		VariantPreferences:     []string{"erudit_ru"},
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("update profile: %v", err)

backend/internal/inttest/admin_test.go

@@ -206,6 +206,12 @@ func TestConsoleGameDetailRobotSchedule(t *testing.T) {
 	if !strings.Contains(body, "~40%") {
 		t.Error("robot play-to-win target caption missing")
 	}
+	if !strings.Contains(body, "First-move draw") {
+		t.Error("first-move draw section missing from the game detail")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(body, `id="replay-board"`) {
+		t.Error("replay board container missing from the game detail")
+	}
 }
 
 // TestConsoleThrottledViewAndFlagClear drives the rate-limit surface end to
@@ -216,7 +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/banner_console_test.go

@@ -256,7 +256,8 @@ func TestBannerSurvivesProfileUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 	id := provisionAccount(t)
 
 	body := `{"display_name":"Tester","preferred_language":"ru","time_zone":"UTC","away_start":"00:00",` +
-		`"away_end":"00:00","block_chat":false,"block_friend_requests":false,"notifications_in_app_only":true}`
+		`"away_end":"00:00","block_chat":false,"block_friend_requests":false,"notifications_in_app_only":true,` +
+		`"variant_preferences":["erudit_ru"]}`
 	rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
 	req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodPut, "/api/v1/user/profile", strings.NewReader(body))
 	req.Header.Set("X-User-ID", id.String())

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/dictionary_update_test.go

@@ -134,11 +134,13 @@ func TestDictionaryUpdateFlow(t *testing.T) {
 // newGameServiceOn builds a game service over the shared pool but a caller-supplied
 // dictionary directory, version and registry, for the isolated dictionary tests.
 func newGameServiceOn(dir, version string, reg *engine.Registry) *game.Service {
-	return game.NewService(
+	svc := game.NewService(
 		game.NewStore(testDB), account.NewStore(testDB), reg,
 		game.Config{DictDir: dir, DictVersion: version, TimeoutSweepInterval: time.Minute, CacheTTL: time.Hour},
 		zap.NewNop(),
 	)
+	svc.SetFirstMoveEntropy(seatZeroFirstMove)
+	return svc
 }
 
 // seedDawgs copies the committed DAWG of every variant from src into dst (flat).

backend/internal/inttest/email_test.go

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"regexp"
+	"slices"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -61,7 +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)
@@ -134,12 +135,20 @@ func TestUpdateProfilePersists(t *testing.T) {
 	store := account.NewStore(testDB)
 	acc := provisionAccount(t)
 
+	// A fresh account defaults to Erudit only (the DB-level column default).
+	if def, err := store.GetByID(ctx, acc); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("get default: %v", err)
+	} else if want := []string{"erudit_ru"}; !slices.Equal(def.VariantPreferences, want) {
+		t.Errorf("default variant preferences = %v, want %v", def.VariantPreferences, want)
+	}
+
 	updated, err := store.UpdateProfile(ctx, acc, account.ProfileUpdate{
 		DisplayName:         "Kaya",
 		PreferredLanguage:   "ru",
 		TimeZone:            "Europe/Moscow",
 		BlockChat:           true,
 		BlockFriendRequests: true,
+		VariantPreferences:  []string{"scrabble_en", "erudit_ru"},
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("update profile: %v", err)
@@ -157,6 +166,10 @@ func TestUpdateProfilePersists(t *testing.T) {
 	if reloaded.TimeZone != "Europe/Moscow" || !reloaded.BlockChat {
 		t.Errorf("profile did not persist: %+v", reloaded)
 	}
+	// The text[] column round-trips and is stored canonically (Erudit-first).
+	if want := []string{"erudit_ru", "scrabble_en"}; !slices.Equal(reloaded.VariantPreferences, want) {
+		t.Errorf("variant preferences = %v, want %v", reloaded.VariantPreferences, want)
+	}
 }
 
 // TestUpdateProfileOffsetTimezone checks the UTC-offset timezone: it is
@@ -167,9 +180,10 @@ func TestUpdateProfileOffsetTimezone(t *testing.T) {
 	acc := provisionAccount(t)
 
 	updated, err := store.UpdateProfile(ctx, acc, account.ProfileUpdate{
-		DisplayName:       "Kaya",
+		DisplayName:        "Kaya",
-		PreferredLanguage: "en",
+		PreferredLanguage:  "en",
-		TimeZone:          "+03:00",
+		TimeZone:           "+03:00",
+		VariantPreferences: []string{"erudit_ru"},
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("update with offset timezone: %v", err)
@@ -192,7 +206,7 @@ func TestEmailLoginFlow(t *testing.T) {
 	svc := account.NewEmailService(account.NewStore(testDB), mailer)
 	email := "login-" + uuid.NewString() + "@example.com"
 
-	accountID, err := svc.RequestLoginCode(ctx, email)
+	accountID, err := svc.RequestLoginCode(ctx, email, "+02:00")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("request login code: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -211,12 +225,15 @@ func TestEmailLoginFlow(t *testing.T) {
 	if acc.IsGuest {
 		t.Error("an email account must be durable, not a guest")
 	}
+	if acc.TimeZone != "+02:00" {
+		t.Errorf("TimeZone = %q, want the +02:00 seeded at the request step", acc.TimeZone)
+	}
 	if !identityConfirmed(t, account.KindEmail, email) {
 		t.Error("the email identity must be confirmed after login")
 	}
 
 	// A second login for the same email is the returning user: same account.
-	if _, err := svc.RequestLoginCode(ctx, email); err != nil {
+	if _, err := svc.RequestLoginCode(ctx, email, ""); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("second request: %v", err)
 	}
 	acc2, err := svc.LoginWithCode(ctx, email, sixDigit.FindString(mailer.lastBody))

backend/internal/inttest/feedback_test.go

@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ func latestFeedbackID(t *testing.T, svc *feedback.Service, acc uuid.UUID) uuid.U
 func TestFeedbackGuestRejected(t *testing.T) {
 	svc := newFeedbackService()
 	guest := provisionGuest(t)
-	if err := svc.Submit(context.Background(), guest, "hi", nil, "", "web", "1.2.3.4"); !errors.Is(err, feedback.ErrGuestForbidden) {
+	if err := svc.Submit(context.Background(), guest, "hi", nil, "", "web", "v1", "+05:00", "1.2.3.4"); !errors.Is(err, feedback.ErrGuestForbidden) {
 		t.Fatalf("guest submit err = %v, want ErrGuestForbidden", err)
 	}
 }
@@ -48,11 +48,11 @@ func TestFeedbackSubmitGateAndReplyLifecycle(t *testing.T) {
 	svc := newFeedbackService()
 	acc := provisionAccount(t)
 
-	if err := svc.Submit(ctx, acc, "  please fix the board  ", []byte("PNGDATA"), "shot.png", "ios", "9.9.9.9"); err != nil {
+	if err := svc.Submit(ctx, acc, "  please fix the board  ", []byte("PNGDATA"), "shot.png", "ios", "v1.2.0", "+03:00", "9.9.9.9"); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("submit: %v", err)
 	}
 	// Anti-spam gate: a second message is refused while the first is unreviewed.
-	if err := svc.Submit(ctx, acc, "again", nil, "", "web", ""); !errors.Is(err, feedback.ErrPendingReview) {
+	if err := svc.Submit(ctx, acc, "again", nil, "", "web", "", "", ""); !errors.Is(err, feedback.ErrPendingReview) {
 		t.Fatalf("second submit err = %v, want ErrPendingReview", err)
 	}
 	if st, err := svc.State(ctx, acc); err != nil {
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ func TestFeedbackSubmitGateAndReplyLifecycle(t *testing.T) {
 	if m.Body != "please fix the board" { // trimmed
 		t.Fatalf("body = %q, want trimmed", m.Body)
 	}
-	if !m.HasAttachment || m.AttachmentName != "shot.png" || m.Channel != "ios" || m.SenderIP != "9.9.9.9" {
+	if !m.HasAttachment || m.AttachmentName != "shot.png" || m.Channel != "ios" || m.SenderIP != "9.9.9.9" || m.Version != "v1.2.0" || m.BrowserTZ != "+03:00" {
 		t.Fatalf("admin message = %+v", m)
 	}
 	if name, data, ok, err := svc.Attachment(ctx, id); err != nil || !ok || name != "shot.png" || string(data) != "PNGDATA" {
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ func TestFeedbackReplyHiddenAfterNewMessage(t *testing.T) {
 	acc := provisionAccount(t)
 
 	// msg1, replied → the player can send again and currently sees the reply.
-	if err := svc.Submit(ctx, acc, "first", nil, "", "web", ""); err != nil {
+	if err := svc.Submit(ctx, acc, "first", nil, "", "web", "", "", ""); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("submit msg1: %v", err)
 	}
 	if err := svc.Reply(ctx, latestFeedbackID(t, svc, acc), "the answer"); err != nil {
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ func TestFeedbackReplyHiddenAfterNewMessage(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Sending a new message immediately drops the previous reply (it now belongs to an
 	// older message), even though it is well within the one-week window.
-	if err := svc.Submit(ctx, acc, "second", nil, "", "web", ""); err != nil {
+	if err := svc.Submit(ctx, acc, "second", nil, "", "web", "", "", ""); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("submit msg2: %v", err)
 	}
 	st, err := svc.State(ctx, acc)
@@ -145,48 +145,33 @@ func TestFeedbackReplyHiddenAfterNewMessage(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestFeedbackSnapshotsLanguages(t *testing.T) {
+func TestFeedbackSnapshotsLanguage(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	svc := newFeedbackService()
 	acc := provisionAccount(t)
 	if _, err := testDB.ExecContext(ctx,
-		`UPDATE backend.accounts SET preferred_language = 'en', service_language = 'ru' WHERE account_id = $1`, acc); err != nil {
+		`UPDATE backend.accounts SET preferred_language = 'en' WHERE account_id = $1`, acc); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("set languages: %v", err)
+		t.Fatalf("set language: %v", err)
 	}
-	// A Telegram (connector) message snapshots both the interface language and the bot.
+	// A message snapshots the sender's interface language at submit time.
-	if err := svc.Submit(ctx, acc, "from telegram", nil, "", "telegram", ""); err != nil {
+	if err := svc.Submit(ctx, acc, "from telegram", nil, "", "telegram", "", "", ""); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("submit: %v", err)
 	}
 	id := latestFeedbackID(t, svc, acc)
 	if m, err := svc.AdminGet(ctx, id); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("admin get: %v", err)
-	} else if m.Lang != "en" || m.ChannelLang != "ru" {
+	} else if m.Lang != "en" {
-		t.Fatalf("snapshot = lang %q / channel_lang %q, want en / ru", m.Lang, m.ChannelLang)
+		t.Fatalf("snapshot = lang %q, want en", m.Lang)
 	}
 	// Changing the account afterwards must not change the stored snapshot.
 	if _, err := testDB.ExecContext(ctx,
-		`UPDATE backend.accounts SET preferred_language = 'ru', service_language = 'en' WHERE account_id = $1`, acc); err != nil {
+		`UPDATE backend.accounts SET preferred_language = 'ru' WHERE account_id = $1`, acc); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("change languages: %v", err)
+		t.Fatalf("change language: %v", err)
 	}
 	if m, err := svc.AdminGet(ctx, id); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
-	} else if m.Lang != "en" || m.ChannelLang != "ru" {
+	} else if m.Lang != "en" {
-		t.Fatalf("snapshot drifted after account change = lang %q / channel_lang %q", m.Lang, m.ChannelLang)
+		t.Fatalf("snapshot drifted after account change = lang %q, want en", m.Lang)
-	}
-
-	// A non-connector channel records no bot language even when the account has one.
-	acc2 := provisionAccount(t)
-	if _, err := testDB.ExecContext(ctx,
-		`UPDATE backend.accounts SET preferred_language = 'en', service_language = 'ru' WHERE account_id = $1`, acc2); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("set languages 2: %v", err)
-	}
-	if err := svc.Submit(ctx, acc2, "from web", nil, "", "web", ""); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("submit web: %v", err)
-	}
-	if m, err := svc.AdminGet(ctx, latestFeedbackID(t, svc, acc2)); err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	} else if m.Lang != "en" || m.ChannelLang != "" {
-		t.Fatalf("web snapshot = lang %q / channel_lang %q, want en / empty", m.Lang, m.ChannelLang)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -199,7 +184,7 @@ func TestFeedbackBanRole(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := accounts.GrantRole(ctx, acc, account.RoleFeedbackBanned); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("grant role: %v", err)
 	}
-	if err := svc.Submit(ctx, acc, "hi", nil, "", "web", ""); !errors.Is(err, feedback.ErrBanned) {
+	if err := svc.Submit(ctx, acc, "hi", nil, "", "web", "", "", ""); !errors.Is(err, feedback.ErrBanned) {
 		t.Fatalf("banned submit err = %v, want ErrBanned", err)
 	}
 	if st, err := svc.State(ctx, acc); err != nil {
@@ -211,7 +196,7 @@ func TestFeedbackBanRole(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := accounts.RevokeRole(ctx, acc, account.RoleFeedbackBanned); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("revoke role: %v", err)
 	}
-	if err := svc.Submit(ctx, acc, "hi again", nil, "", "web", ""); err != nil {
+	if err := svc.Submit(ctx, acc, "hi again", nil, "", "web", "", "", ""); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("submit after unban: %v", err)
 	}
 }
@@ -234,7 +219,7 @@ func TestFeedbackValidation(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			acc := provisionAccount(t) // fresh account so the pending gate never fires first
-			if err := svc.Submit(ctx, acc, tt.body, tt.attachment, tt.attachmentName, "web", ""); !errors.Is(err, tt.want) {
+			if err := svc.Submit(ctx, acc, tt.body, tt.attachment, tt.attachmentName, "web", "", "", ""); !errors.Is(err, tt.want) {
 				t.Fatalf("submit err = %v, want %v", err, tt.want)
 			}
 		})
@@ -246,7 +231,7 @@ func TestFeedbackAdminLifecycle(t *testing.T) {
 	svc := newFeedbackService()
 	acc := provisionAccount(t)
 
-	if err := svc.Submit(ctx, acc, "first report", nil, "", "web", ""); err != nil {
+	if err := svc.Submit(ctx, acc, "first report", nil, "", "web", "", "", ""); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("submit: %v", err)
 	}
 	id := latestFeedbackID(t, svc, acc)
@@ -291,7 +276,7 @@ func TestFeedbackDeleteAllByAccount(t *testing.T) {
 	svc := newFeedbackService()
 	acc := provisionAccount(t)
 
-	if err := svc.Submit(ctx, acc, "one", nil, "", "web", ""); err != nil {
+	if err := svc.Submit(ctx, acc, "one", nil, "", "web", "", "", ""); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("submit: %v", err)
 	}
 	if err := svc.DeleteAllByAccount(ctx, acc); err != nil {
@@ -301,7 +286,7 @@ func TestFeedbackDeleteAllByAccount(t *testing.T) {
 	if has, err := svc.ReplyUnread(ctx, acc); err != nil || has {
 		t.Fatalf("reply unread after delete-all = %v (err %v)", has, err)
 	}
-	if err := svc.Submit(ctx, acc, "fresh", nil, "", "web", ""); err != nil {
+	if err := svc.Submit(ctx, acc, "fresh", nil, "", "web", "", "", ""); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("submit after delete-all: %v", err)
 	}
 }

backend/internal/inttest/first_move_draw_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,154 @@
+//go:build integration
+
+package inttest
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/google/uuid"
+
+	"scrabble/backend/internal/engine"
+	"scrabble/backend/internal/game"
+)
+
+// The first-move-draw suite covers the official seeding (docs/ARCHITECTURE.md §6): the draw is
+// recorded with the game, decides seat 0 (the first mover), and — in auto-match — runs against
+// a synthetic opponent at open time whose draw rows are back-filled when a real opponent joins.
+
+// TestCreateRecordsFirstMoveDraws checks a directly-seated game records the draw against the
+// real seated accounts and seats the drawn leader (the suite's deterministic draw elects the
+// first-listed account) at seat 0.
+func TestCreateRecordsFirstMoveDraws(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	svc := newGameService()
+	a := provisionAccount(t)
+	b := provisionAccount(t)
+	g, err := svc.Create(ctx, game.CreateParams{Variant: engine.VariantEnglish, Seats: []uuid.UUID{a, b}, TurnTimeout: 24 * time.Hour, Seed: 1})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("create: %v", err)
+	}
+	if g.Seats[0].AccountID != a || g.Seats[1].AccountID != b {
+		t.Fatalf("seats = [%s %s], want [a b]", g.Seats[0].AccountID, g.Seats[1].AccountID)
+	}
+	draws, err := svc.SetupDraws(ctx, g.ID)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("setup draws: %v", err)
+	}
+	// seatZeroFirstMove resolves in one round: the first contender (a) draws a blank and wins.
+	if len(draws) != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("draws = %d, want 2 (one round, two players)", len(draws))
+	}
+	if draws[0].Account != a || !draws[0].Blank {
+		t.Fatalf("draw[0] = %+v, want a having drawn a blank", draws[0])
+	}
+	if draws[1].Account != b {
+		t.Fatalf("draw[1] account = %s, want b", draws[1].Account)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestAutoMatchDrawBackfilledOnJoin checks an open auto-match game records the draw at open
+// time against the synthetic opponent (a NULL account) and back-fills those rows to the real
+// opponent when they join.
+func TestAutoMatchDrawBackfilledOnJoin(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	clearOpenGames(t)
+	svc := newGameService()
+	starter := provisionAccount(t)
+	g := openGame(t, svc, starter, evenOpeningSeed(t))
+
+	draws, err := svc.SetupDraws(ctx, g.ID)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("setup draws: %v", err)
+	}
+	if len(draws) != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("open draws = %d, want 2", len(draws))
+	}
+	var nullSeen, starterSeen bool
+	for _, d := range draws {
+		switch d.Account {
+		case uuid.Nil:
+			nullSeen = true
+		case starter:
+			starterSeen = true
+		}
+	}
+	if !nullSeen || !starterSeen {
+		t.Fatalf("open draws = %+v, want the starter and a NULL synthetic opponent", draws)
+	}
+
+	joiner := provisionAccount(t)
+	if _, joined, err := svc.OpenOrJoin(ctx, joiner, openParams(0), time.Now().Add(time.Minute), nil); err != nil || !joined {
+		t.Fatalf("join = (joined %v, err %v), want joined", joined, err)
+	}
+	after, err := svc.SetupDraws(ctx, g.ID)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("setup draws after join: %v", err)
+	}
+	for _, d := range after {
+		if d.Account == uuid.Nil {
+			t.Fatalf("draw still NULL after join: %+v", d)
+		}
+		if d.Account != starter && d.Account != joiner {
+			t.Fatalf("draw account %s is neither player", d.Account)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// TestReplayTimeline checks the admin replay timeline reconstructs the dealt racks and one
+// played move: the step count, the drawn tiles, the bag remainder, the running score and the
+// turn cursor.
+func TestReplayTimeline(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	svc := newGameService()
+	a := provisionAccount(t)
+	b := provisionAccount(t)
+	seed := evenOpeningSeed(t)
+	g, err := svc.Create(ctx, game.CreateParams{Variant: engine.VariantEnglish, Seats: []uuid.UUID{a, b}, TurnTimeout: 24 * time.Hour, Seed: seed})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("create: %v", err)
+	}
+	hint, ok := newMirror(t, seed, 2).HintView()
+	if !ok || len(hint.Tiles) == 0 {
+		t.Fatal("no opening move for the seed")
+	}
+	if _, err := svc.SubmitPlay(ctx, g.ID, a, hint.Tiles); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("play: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	tl, err := svc.ReplayTimeline(ctx, g.ID)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("replay timeline: %v", err)
+	}
+	if len(tl.Steps) != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("steps = %d, want 2 (deal + one move)", len(tl.Steps))
+	}
+	deal := tl.Steps[0]
+	if deal.Move != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("step 0 must be the deal, got move %+v", deal.Move)
+	}
+	rackSize := len(deal.Racks[0])
+	if rackSize == 0 || len(deal.Racks) != 2 || len(deal.Racks[1]) != rackSize {
+		t.Fatalf("deal racks = %v, want two equal full racks", deal.Racks)
+	}
+	move := tl.Steps[1]
+	if move.Move == nil || move.Move.Action != "play" {
+		t.Fatalf("step 1 move = %+v, want a play", move.Move)
+	}
+	if len(move.Drawn) != len(hint.Tiles) {
+		t.Fatalf("drawn = %v, want %d refilled tiles", move.Drawn, len(hint.Tiles))
+	}
+	if move.BagLen != deal.BagLen-len(hint.Tiles) {
+		t.Fatalf("bag after play = %d, want %d", move.BagLen, deal.BagLen-len(hint.Tiles))
+	}
+	if len(move.Racks[0]) != rackSize {
+		t.Fatalf("mover rack after refill = %d, want %d", len(move.Racks[0]), rackSize)
+	}
+	if move.Scores[0] <= 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("seat 0 score after play = %d, want > 0", move.Scores[0])
+	}
+	if move.ToMove != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("to_move after seat 0 play = %d, want 1", move.ToMove)
+	}
+}

backend/internal/inttest/game_limit_test.go

@@ -97,10 +97,12 @@ func TestGameLimitGate(t *testing.T) {
 	if !gamesListAtLimit(t, srv, human) {
 		t.Fatalf("at %d games at_game_limit must be true", game.MaxActiveQuickGames)
 	}
-	if rec := userPost(t, srv, "/api/v1/user/lobby/enqueue", human, `{"variant":"scrabble_en"}`); rec.Code != http.StatusConflict || errorCode(t, rec) != "game_limit_reached" {
+	// erudit_ru is in the default variant preferences, so the variant gate passes and the
+	// game-limit gate is what fires here.
+	if rec := userPost(t, srv, "/api/v1/user/lobby/enqueue", human, `{"variant":"erudit_ru"}`); rec.Code != http.StatusConflict || errorCode(t, rec) != "game_limit_reached" {
 		t.Fatalf("enqueue at limit = (%d, %q), want (409, game_limit_reached)", rec.Code, errorCode(t, rec))
 	}
-	invBody := fmt.Sprintf(`{"variant":"scrabble_en","invitee_ids":[%q]}`, opp.String())
+	invBody := fmt.Sprintf(`{"variant":"erudit_ru","invitee_ids":[%q]}`, opp.String())
 	if rec := userPost(t, srv, "/api/v1/user/invitations", human, invBody); rec.Code != http.StatusConflict || errorCode(t, rec) != "game_limit_reached" {
 		t.Fatalf("invitation at limit = (%d, %q), want (409, game_limit_reached)", rec.Code, errorCode(t, rec))
 	}

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/helpers.go

@@ -26,9 +26,10 @@ import (
 // assembly, and the stats reader. Helpers used by a single test file stay in
 // that file; everything reused across files lives here.
 
-// newGameService builds a game service over the shared pool and registry.
+// newGameService builds a game service over the shared pool and registry, with a
+// deterministic first-move draw so the suite keeps a stable turn order.
 func newGameService() *game.Service {
-	return game.NewService(
+	svc := game.NewService(
 		game.NewStore(testDB),
 		account.NewStore(testDB),
 		testRegistry,
@@ -40,6 +41,39 @@ func newGameService() *game.Service {
 		},
 		zap.NewNop(),
 	)
+	svc.SetFirstMoveEntropy(seatZeroFirstMove)
+	return svc
+}
+
+// seatZeroFirstMove is a first-move-draw entropy factory that always elects the first
+// listed account as the leader, keeping the integration suite's turn order stable
+// despite the real draw's randomness: the first contender draws a blank — the best
+// possible tile — and wins outright, the rest draw the first remaining tile. It is a
+// factory so each game restarts the one-shot "blank" pick.
+func seatZeroFirstMove() func(n int) (int, error) {
+	first := true
+	return func(n int) (int, error) {
+		if first {
+			first = false
+			return n - 1, nil // a blank sits last in the bag → best rank
+		}
+		return 0, nil
+	}
+}
+
+// seatOneFirstMove is a first-move-draw entropy factory that elects the second contender (in
+// auto-match, the synthetic opponent) as the leader, so the caller is seated at seat 1: the
+// first contender draws the first remaining tile and the second draws a blank, winning.
+func seatOneFirstMove() func(n int) (int, error) {
+	pick := 0
+	return func(n int) (int, error) {
+		i := 0
+		if pick == 1 {
+			i = n - 1 // the second contender draws a blank → best rank
+		}
+		pick++
+		return i, nil
+	}
 }
 
 // newSocialService builds a social service over the shared pool, reading game
@@ -86,7 +120,7 @@ func provisionAccount(t *testing.T) uuid.UUID {
 // provisionGuest creates a fresh ephemeral guest account and returns its id.
 func provisionGuest(t *testing.T) uuid.UUID {
 	t.Helper()
-	acc, err := account.NewStore(testDB).ProvisionGuest(context.Background())
+	acc, err := account.NewStore(testDB).ProvisionGuest(context.Background(), "")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("provision guest: %v", err)
 	}

backend/internal/inttest/open_match_test.go

@@ -18,8 +18,9 @@ import (
 // The open-game suite covers an auto-match game that a player enters immediately and
 // waits inside (status 'open', the opponent seat empty) until a human or a robot joins.
 
-// evenOpeningSeed returns an even seed (so OpenOrJoin seats the starter at seat 0, which
+// evenOpeningSeed returns a seed whose fresh two-player English opening rack (seat 0) has a
-// moves first) whose fresh two-player English opening rack has a legal move.
+// legal move, for tests that drive or attempt an opening play. It scans even seeds; seat
+// order no longer depends on the seed — the first-move draw decides it (docs/ARCHITECTURE.md §6).
 func evenOpeningSeed(t *testing.T) int64 {
 	t.Helper()
 	for seed := int64(2); seed <= 400; seed += 2 {
@@ -59,9 +60,9 @@ func openGame(t *testing.T, svc *game.Service, starter uuid.UUID, seed int64) ga
 	return g
 }
 
-// TestOpenGameStarterMovesThenWaits checks the starter (seat 0) may move on their turn
+// TestOpenGameStarterMovesThenWaits checks the starter may move on their turn while the game
-// while the game is open, after which it is the empty opponent seat's turn and the
+// is open (the first-move draw, run when the game opened, put them at seat 0), after which it
-// starter just waits.
+// is the empty opponent seat's turn and the starter just waits.
 func TestOpenGameStarterMovesThenWaits(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	clearOpenGames(t)
@@ -89,28 +90,30 @@ func TestOpenGameStarterMovesThenWaits(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// TestOpenGameStarterWaitsWhenOpponentMovesFirst checks that when the starter is seated
+// TestOpenGameStarterWaitsWhenOpponentMovesFirst checks that when the first-move draw seats
-// at seat 1 (odd seed), the still-empty seat 0 is to move, so the starter cannot act.
+// the starter at seat 1 (the synthetic opponent won the open draw), the still-empty seat 0 is
+// to move, so the starter cannot act until an opponent fills it.
 func TestOpenGameStarterWaitsWhenOpponentMovesFirst(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	clearOpenGames(t)
 	svc := newGameService()
+	svc.SetFirstMoveEntropy(seatOneFirstMove) // the synthetic opponent wins → the caller sits at seat 1
 	starter := provisionAccount(t)
 	g, _, err := svc.OpenOrJoin(ctx, starter, openParams(1), time.Now().Add(time.Minute), nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("open: %v", err)
 	}
 	if g.ToMove != 0 || g.Seats[0].AccountID != uuid.Nil {
-		t.Fatalf("odd-seed open game: to_move %d seat0 %s, want the empty seat 0 to move", g.ToMove, g.Seats[0].AccountID)
+		t.Fatalf("opponent-won open draw: to_move %d seat0 %s, want the empty seat 0 to move", g.ToMove, g.Seats[0].AccountID)
 	}
 	if _, err := svc.Pass(ctx, g.ID, starter); !errors.Is(err, game.ErrNotYourTurn) {
 		t.Fatalf("starter acting on the empty seat's turn = %v, want ErrNotYourTurn", err)
 	}
 }
 
-// TestOpenGameJoinAfterStarterMoved checks a second human joins an open game even after
+// TestOpenGameJoinAfterStarterMoved checks a second human joins an open game even after the
-// the starter has already made their first move, landing on the board mid-opening and
+// starter has already made their first move: the seats were fixed by the draw at open, so the
-// able to act on their turn.
+// joiner takes the empty seat without disturbing the journal, and can act on their turn.
 func TestOpenGameJoinAfterStarterMoved(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	clearOpenGames(t)

backend/internal/inttest/seat_display_name_test.go

@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ func TestSeatNameFrozenAfterRename(t *testing.T) {
 
 	starter := provisionAccount(t)
 	if _, err := accounts.UpdateProfile(ctx, starter, account.ProfileUpdate{
-		DisplayName: "Original Name", PreferredLanguage: "en", TimeZone: "UTC",
+		DisplayName: "Original Name", PreferredLanguage: "en", TimeZone: "UTC", VariantPreferences: []string{"erudit_ru"},
 	}); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("set name: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ func TestSeatNameFrozenAfterRename(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Rename the account; the snapshot on the already-taken seat must not follow.
 	if _, err := accounts.UpdateProfile(ctx, starter, account.ProfileUpdate{
-		DisplayName: "Renamed Player99", PreferredLanguage: "en", TimeZone: "UTC",
+		DisplayName: "Renamed Player99", PreferredLanguage: "en", TimeZone: "UTC", VariantPreferences: []string{"erudit_ru"},
 	}); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("rename: %v", err)
 	}

backend/internal/inttest/social_test.go

@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ func TestFriendRequestRefusedByToggleAndBlock(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Toggle: the addressee does not accept friend requests.
 	a, b := provisionAccount(t), provisionAccount(t)
-	if _, err := store.UpdateProfile(ctx, b, account.ProfileUpdate{DisplayName: "Player", PreferredLanguage: "en", TimeZone: "UTC", BlockFriendRequests: true}); err != nil {
+	if _, err := store.UpdateProfile(ctx, b, account.ProfileUpdate{DisplayName: "Player", PreferredLanguage: "en", TimeZone: "UTC", BlockFriendRequests: true, VariantPreferences: []string{"erudit_ru"}}); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("set toggle: %v", err)
 	}
 	if err := svc.SendFriendRequest(ctx, a, b); !errors.Is(err, social.ErrRequestBlocked) {
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ func TestChatPostListAndBlocks(t *testing.T) {
 	if _, err := svc.PostMessage(ctx, other, seats2[0], "hi", ""); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("post 2: %v", err)
 	}
-	if _, err := store.UpdateProfile(ctx, seats2[1], account.ProfileUpdate{DisplayName: "Player", PreferredLanguage: "en", TimeZone: "UTC", BlockChat: true}); err != nil {
+	if _, err := store.UpdateProfile(ctx, seats2[1], account.ProfileUpdate{DisplayName: "Player", PreferredLanguage: "en", TimeZone: "UTC", BlockChat: true, VariantPreferences: []string{"erudit_ru"}}); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("set block_chat: %v", err)
 	}
 	if msgs, _ := svc.Messages(ctx, other, seats2[1]); len(msgs) != 0 {
@@ -588,32 +588,6 @@ func TestRespondPublishesToRequester(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// TestNudgeRoutedByGameLanguage checks a nudge's out-of-app push carries the game's language, so
-// it is delivered by the game's bot rather than the recipient's last-login bot.
-func TestNudgeRoutedByGameLanguage(t *testing.T) {
-	ctx := context.Background()
-	svc := newSocialService()
-	pub := &capturePublisher{}
-	svc.SetNotifier(pub)
-
-	gameID, seats := newGameWithSeats(t, 2) // an English game; seat 0 is to move
-	if _, err := svc.Nudge(ctx, gameID, seats[1]); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("nudge: %v", err)
-	}
-	found := false
-	for _, in := range pub.intents {
-		if in.Kind == notify.KindNudge {
-			found = true
-			if in.Language != "en" {
-				t.Errorf("nudge language = %q, want en (the game's language)", in.Language)
-			}
-		}
-	}
-	if !found {
-		t.Fatal("no nudge intent published")
-	}
-}
-
 // TestAdminListMessages checks the admin moderation list: real messages only
 // (nudges excluded), the game / sender pins, the sender glob masks, and the source label.
 func TestAdminListMessages(t *testing.T) {

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)
 	}
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ func TestUserListFilter(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("provision robot: %v", err)
 	}
-	guest, err := st.ProvisionGuest(ctx)
+	guest, err := st.ProvisionGuest(ctx, "")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("provision guest: %v", err)
 	}

backend/internal/inttest/variant_preference_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+//go:build integration
+
+package inttest
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"net/http"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"go.uber.org/zap/zaptest"
+
+	"scrabble/backend/internal/account"
+	"scrabble/backend/internal/server"
+)
+
+// TestVariantPreferenceGate covers the New Game gate: a player may start a quick game
+// or create a friend invitation only in a variant they have enabled in their profile
+// (a fresh account defaults to Erudit only), and any other variant is refused with 400.
+// The complementary case — an invited friend accepting an invitation in a variant they
+// have NOT enabled — is exercised by TestGameLimitGate, where a default-Erudit human
+// accepts an English invitation over HTTP.
+func TestVariantPreferenceGate(t *testing.T) {
+	clearOpenGames(t)
+	srv := server.New(":0", server.Deps{
+		Logger:      zaptest.NewLogger(t),
+		DB:          testDB,
+		Accounts:    account.NewStore(testDB),
+		Games:       newGameService(),
+		Matchmaker:  newMatchmaker(t, newRobotService(t, newGameService()), time.Minute, 0),
+		Invitations: newInvitationService(),
+	})
+
+	human := provisionAccount(t) // default preferences: erudit_ru only
+	opp := provisionAccount(t)
+
+	// A variant outside the player's preferences is refused on both create paths.
+	if rec := userPost(t, srv, "/api/v1/user/lobby/enqueue", human, `{"variant":"scrabble_en"}`); rec.Code != http.StatusBadRequest {
+		t.Fatalf("enqueue non-preferred variant = %d (%s), want 400", rec.Code, rec.Body.String())
+	}
+	invBody := fmt.Sprintf(`{"variant":"scrabble_en","invitee_ids":[%q]}`, opp.String())
+	if rec := userPost(t, srv, "/api/v1/user/invitations", human, invBody); rec.Code != http.StatusBadRequest {
+		t.Fatalf("invitation non-preferred variant = %d (%s), want 400", rec.Code, rec.Body.String())
+	}
+
+	// The default-enabled variant (Erudit) is allowed: the quick enqueue opens a game.
+	if rec := userPost(t, srv, "/api/v1/user/lobby/enqueue", human, `{"variant":"erudit_ru"}`); rec.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("enqueue preferred variant = %d (%s), want 200", rec.Code, rec.Body.String())
+	}
+	clearOpenGames(t)
+}

backend/internal/lobby/matchmaker.go

@@ -206,7 +206,6 @@ func (m *Matchmaker) announceOpponent(ctx context.Context, g game.Game, joinerID
 		return
 	}
 	intent := notify.OpponentJoined(starter, g.ID, state)
-	intent.Language = g.Variant.Language()
 	m.pub.Publish(intent)
 }
 

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
@@ -82,11 +89,6 @@ type Intent struct {
 	Kind    string
 	Payload []byte
 	EventID string
-	// Language routes an out-of-app push to a specific per-language bot: for a
-	// game event it is the game's language ("en"/"ru"), so the notification comes from the
-	// game's bot rather than the recipient's last-login bot. Empty falls back to the
-	// recipient's service language at the gateway.
-	Language string
 }
 
 // Publisher accepts live-event intents. Implementations must be safe for

backend/internal/postgres/jet/backend/model/accounts.go

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ package model
 
 import (
 	"github.com/google/uuid"
+	"github.com/lib/pq"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -29,6 +30,6 @@ type Accounts struct {
 	PaidAccount            bool
 	MergedInto             *uuid.UUID
 	MergedAt               *time.Time
-	ServiceLanguage        *string
 	FlaggedHighRateAt      *time.Time
+	VariantPreferences     pq.StringArray
 }

backend/internal/postgres/jet/backend/model/feedback_messages.go

@@ -20,12 +20,11 @@ type FeedbackMessages struct {
 	AttachmentName *string
 	SenderIP       *string
 	Channel        string
-	Lang           *string
-	ChannelLang    *string
 	ReadAt         *time.Time
 	ArchivedAt     *time.Time
 	ReplyBody      *string
 	RepliedAt      *time.Time
 	ReplyReadAt    *time.Time
 	CreatedAt      time.Time
+	Lang           *string
 }

backend/internal/postgres/jet/backend/model/game_setup_draws.go

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+//
+// Code generated by go-jet DO NOT EDIT.
+//
+// WARNING: Changes to this file may cause incorrect behavior
+// and will be lost if the code is regenerated
+//
+
+package model
+
+import (
+	"github.com/google/uuid"
+	"time"
+)
+
+type GameSetupDraws struct {
+	GameID    uuid.UUID `sql:"primary_key"`
+	Round     int16     `sql:"primary_key"`
+	PickNo    int16     `sql:"primary_key"`
+	AccountID *uuid.UUID
+	Letter    string
+	IsBlank   bool
+	DrawRank  int16
+	CreatedAt time.Time
+}

backend/internal/postgres/jet/backend/table/accounts.go

@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ type accountsTable struct {
 	PaidAccount            postgres.ColumnBool
 	MergedInto             postgres.ColumnString
 	MergedAt               postgres.ColumnTimestampz
-	ServiceLanguage        postgres.ColumnString
 	FlaggedHighRateAt      postgres.ColumnTimestampz
+	VariantPreferences     postgres.ColumnStringArray
 
 	AllColumns     postgres.ColumnList
 	MutableColumns postgres.ColumnList
@@ -92,11 +92,11 @@ func newAccountsTableImpl(schemaName, tableName, alias string) accountsTable {
 		PaidAccountColumn            = postgres.BoolColumn("paid_account")
 		MergedIntoColumn             = postgres.StringColumn("merged_into")
 		MergedAtColumn               = postgres.TimestampzColumn("merged_at")
-		ServiceLanguageColumn        = postgres.StringColumn("service_language")
 		FlaggedHighRateAtColumn      = postgres.TimestampzColumn("flagged_high_rate_at")
-		allColumns                   = postgres.ColumnList{AccountIDColumn, DisplayNameColumn, PreferredLanguageColumn, TimeZoneColumn, BlockChatColumn, BlockFriendRequestsColumn, CreatedAtColumn, UpdatedAtColumn, AwayStartColumn, AwayEndColumn, HintBalanceColumn, IsGuestColumn, NotificationsInAppOnlyColumn, PaidAccountColumn, MergedIntoColumn, MergedAtColumn, ServiceLanguageColumn, FlaggedHighRateAtColumn}
+		VariantPreferencesColumn     = postgres.StringArrayColumn("variant_preferences")
-		mutableColumns               = postgres.ColumnList{DisplayNameColumn, PreferredLanguageColumn, TimeZoneColumn, BlockChatColumn, BlockFriendRequestsColumn, CreatedAtColumn, UpdatedAtColumn, AwayStartColumn, AwayEndColumn, HintBalanceColumn, IsGuestColumn, NotificationsInAppOnlyColumn, PaidAccountColumn, MergedIntoColumn, MergedAtColumn, ServiceLanguageColumn, FlaggedHighRateAtColumn}
+		allColumns                   = postgres.ColumnList{AccountIDColumn, DisplayNameColumn, PreferredLanguageColumn, TimeZoneColumn, BlockChatColumn, BlockFriendRequestsColumn, CreatedAtColumn, UpdatedAtColumn, AwayStartColumn, AwayEndColumn, HintBalanceColumn, IsGuestColumn, NotificationsInAppOnlyColumn, PaidAccountColumn, MergedIntoColumn, MergedAtColumn, FlaggedHighRateAtColumn, VariantPreferencesColumn}
-		defaultColumns               = postgres.ColumnList{DisplayNameColumn, PreferredLanguageColumn, TimeZoneColumn, BlockChatColumn, BlockFriendRequestsColumn, CreatedAtColumn, UpdatedAtColumn, AwayStartColumn, AwayEndColumn, HintBalanceColumn, IsGuestColumn, NotificationsInAppOnlyColumn, PaidAccountColumn}
+		mutableColumns               = postgres.ColumnList{DisplayNameColumn, PreferredLanguageColumn, TimeZoneColumn, BlockChatColumn, BlockFriendRequestsColumn, CreatedAtColumn, UpdatedAtColumn, AwayStartColumn, AwayEndColumn, HintBalanceColumn, IsGuestColumn, NotificationsInAppOnlyColumn, PaidAccountColumn, MergedIntoColumn, MergedAtColumn, FlaggedHighRateAtColumn, VariantPreferencesColumn}
+		defaultColumns               = postgres.ColumnList{DisplayNameColumn, PreferredLanguageColumn, TimeZoneColumn, BlockChatColumn, BlockFriendRequestsColumn, CreatedAtColumn, UpdatedAtColumn, AwayStartColumn, AwayEndColumn, HintBalanceColumn, IsGuestColumn, NotificationsInAppOnlyColumn, PaidAccountColumn, VariantPreferencesColumn}
 	)
 
 	return accountsTable{
@@ -119,8 +119,8 @@ func newAccountsTableImpl(schemaName, tableName, alias string) accountsTable {
 		PaidAccount:            PaidAccountColumn,
 		MergedInto:             MergedIntoColumn,
 		MergedAt:               MergedAtColumn,
-		ServiceLanguage:        ServiceLanguageColumn,
 		FlaggedHighRateAt:      FlaggedHighRateAtColumn,
+		VariantPreferences:     VariantPreferencesColumn,
 
 		AllColumns:     allColumns,
 		MutableColumns: mutableColumns,

backend/internal/postgres/jet/backend/table/feedback_messages.go

@@ -24,14 +24,13 @@ type feedbackMessagesTable struct {
 	AttachmentName postgres.ColumnString
 	SenderIP       postgres.ColumnString
 	Channel        postgres.ColumnString
-	Lang           postgres.ColumnString
-	ChannelLang    postgres.ColumnString
 	ReadAt         postgres.ColumnTimestampz
 	ArchivedAt     postgres.ColumnTimestampz
 	ReplyBody      postgres.ColumnString
 	RepliedAt      postgres.ColumnTimestampz
 	ReplyReadAt    postgres.ColumnTimestampz
 	CreatedAt      postgres.ColumnTimestampz
+	Lang           postgres.ColumnString
 
 	AllColumns     postgres.ColumnList
 	MutableColumns postgres.ColumnList
@@ -80,16 +79,15 @@ func newFeedbackMessagesTableImpl(schemaName, tableName, alias string) feedbackM
 		AttachmentNameColumn = postgres.StringColumn("attachment_name")
 		SenderIPColumn       = postgres.StringColumn("sender_ip")
 		ChannelColumn        = postgres.StringColumn("channel")
-		LangColumn           = postgres.StringColumn("lang")
-		ChannelLangColumn    = postgres.StringColumn("channel_lang")
 		ReadAtColumn         = postgres.TimestampzColumn("read_at")
 		ArchivedAtColumn     = postgres.TimestampzColumn("archived_at")
 		ReplyBodyColumn      = postgres.StringColumn("reply_body")
 		RepliedAtColumn      = postgres.TimestampzColumn("replied_at")
 		ReplyReadAtColumn    = postgres.TimestampzColumn("reply_read_at")
 		CreatedAtColumn      = postgres.TimestampzColumn("created_at")
-		allColumns           = postgres.ColumnList{MessageIDColumn, AccountIDColumn, BodyColumn, AttachmentColumn, AttachmentNameColumn, SenderIPColumn, ChannelColumn, LangColumn, ChannelLangColumn, ReadAtColumn, ArchivedAtColumn, ReplyBodyColumn, RepliedAtColumn, ReplyReadAtColumn, CreatedAtColumn}
+		LangColumn           = postgres.StringColumn("lang")
-		mutableColumns       = postgres.ColumnList{AccountIDColumn, BodyColumn, AttachmentColumn, AttachmentNameColumn, SenderIPColumn, ChannelColumn, LangColumn, ChannelLangColumn, ReadAtColumn, ArchivedAtColumn, ReplyBodyColumn, RepliedAtColumn, ReplyReadAtColumn, CreatedAtColumn}
+		allColumns           = postgres.ColumnList{MessageIDColumn, AccountIDColumn, BodyColumn, AttachmentColumn, AttachmentNameColumn, SenderIPColumn, ChannelColumn, ReadAtColumn, ArchivedAtColumn, ReplyBodyColumn, RepliedAtColumn, ReplyReadAtColumn, CreatedAtColumn, LangColumn}
+		mutableColumns       = postgres.ColumnList{AccountIDColumn, BodyColumn, AttachmentColumn, AttachmentNameColumn, SenderIPColumn, ChannelColumn, ReadAtColumn, ArchivedAtColumn, ReplyBodyColumn, RepliedAtColumn, ReplyReadAtColumn, CreatedAtColumn, LangColumn}
 		defaultColumns       = postgres.ColumnList{CreatedAtColumn}
 	)
 
@@ -104,14 +102,13 @@ func newFeedbackMessagesTableImpl(schemaName, tableName, alias string) feedbackM
 		AttachmentName: AttachmentNameColumn,
 		SenderIP:       SenderIPColumn,
 		Channel:        ChannelColumn,
-		Lang:           LangColumn,
-		ChannelLang:    ChannelLangColumn,
 		ReadAt:         ReadAtColumn,
 		ArchivedAt:     ArchivedAtColumn,
 		ReplyBody:      ReplyBodyColumn,
 		RepliedAt:      RepliedAtColumn,
 		ReplyReadAt:    ReplyReadAtColumn,
 		CreatedAt:      CreatedAtColumn,
+		Lang:           LangColumn,
 
 		AllColumns:     allColumns,
 		MutableColumns: mutableColumns,

backend/internal/postgres/jet/backend/table/game_setup_draws.go

@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+//
+// Code generated by go-jet DO NOT EDIT.
+//
+// WARNING: Changes to this file may cause incorrect behavior
+// and will be lost if the code is regenerated
+//
+
+package table
+
+import (
+	"github.com/go-jet/jet/v2/postgres"
+)
+
+var GameSetupDraws = newGameSetupDrawsTable("backend", "game_setup_draws", "")
+
+type gameSetupDrawsTable struct {
+	postgres.Table
+
+	// Columns
+	GameID    postgres.ColumnString
+	Round     postgres.ColumnInteger
+	PickNo    postgres.ColumnInteger
+	AccountID postgres.ColumnString
+	Letter    postgres.ColumnString
+	IsBlank   postgres.ColumnBool
+	DrawRank  postgres.ColumnInteger
+	CreatedAt postgres.ColumnTimestampz
+
+	AllColumns     postgres.ColumnList
+	MutableColumns postgres.ColumnList
+	DefaultColumns postgres.ColumnList
+}
+
+type GameSetupDrawsTable struct {
+	gameSetupDrawsTable
+
+	EXCLUDED gameSetupDrawsTable
+}
+
+// AS creates new GameSetupDrawsTable with assigned alias
+func (a GameSetupDrawsTable) AS(alias string) *GameSetupDrawsTable {
+	return newGameSetupDrawsTable(a.SchemaName(), a.TableName(), alias)
+}
+
+// Schema creates new GameSetupDrawsTable with assigned schema name
+func (a GameSetupDrawsTable) FromSchema(schemaName string) *GameSetupDrawsTable {
+	return newGameSetupDrawsTable(schemaName, a.TableName(), a.Alias())
+}
+
+// WithPrefix creates new GameSetupDrawsTable with assigned table prefix
+func (a GameSetupDrawsTable) WithPrefix(prefix string) *GameSetupDrawsTable {
+	return newGameSetupDrawsTable(a.SchemaName(), prefix+a.TableName(), a.TableName())
+}
+
+// WithSuffix creates new GameSetupDrawsTable with assigned table suffix
+func (a GameSetupDrawsTable) WithSuffix(suffix string) *GameSetupDrawsTable {
+	return newGameSetupDrawsTable(a.SchemaName(), a.TableName()+suffix, a.TableName())
+}
+
+func newGameSetupDrawsTable(schemaName, tableName, alias string) *GameSetupDrawsTable {
+	return &GameSetupDrawsTable{
+		gameSetupDrawsTable: newGameSetupDrawsTableImpl(schemaName, tableName, alias),
+		EXCLUDED:            newGameSetupDrawsTableImpl("", "excluded", ""),
+	}
+}
+
+func newGameSetupDrawsTableImpl(schemaName, tableName, alias string) gameSetupDrawsTable {
+	var (
+		GameIDColumn    = postgres.StringColumn("game_id")
+		RoundColumn     = postgres.IntegerColumn("round")
+		PickNoColumn    = postgres.IntegerColumn("pick_no")
+		AccountIDColumn = postgres.StringColumn("account_id")
+		LetterColumn    = postgres.StringColumn("letter")
+		IsBlankColumn   = postgres.BoolColumn("is_blank")
+		DrawRankColumn  = postgres.IntegerColumn("draw_rank")
+		CreatedAtColumn = postgres.TimestampzColumn("created_at")
+		allColumns      = postgres.ColumnList{GameIDColumn, RoundColumn, PickNoColumn, AccountIDColumn, LetterColumn, IsBlankColumn, DrawRankColumn, CreatedAtColumn}
+		mutableColumns  = postgres.ColumnList{AccountIDColumn, LetterColumn, IsBlankColumn, DrawRankColumn, CreatedAtColumn}
+		defaultColumns  = postgres.ColumnList{IsBlankColumn, CreatedAtColumn}
+	)
+
+	return gameSetupDrawsTable{
+		Table: postgres.NewTable(schemaName, tableName, alias, allColumns...),
+
+		//Columns
+		GameID:    GameIDColumn,
+		Round:     RoundColumn,
+		PickNo:    PickNoColumn,
+		AccountID: AccountIDColumn,
+		Letter:    LetterColumn,
+		IsBlank:   IsBlankColumn,
+		DrawRank:  DrawRankColumn,
+		CreatedAt: CreatedAtColumn,
+
+		AllColumns:     allColumns,
+		MutableColumns: mutableColumns,
+		DefaultColumns: defaultColumns,
+	}
+}

backend/internal/postgres/jet/backend/table/table_use_schema.go

@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ func UseSchema(schema string) {
 	GameInvitations = GameInvitations.FromSchema(schema)
 	GameMoves = GameMoves.FromSchema(schema)
 	GamePlayers = GamePlayers.FromSchema(schema)
+	GameSetupDraws = GameSetupDraws.FromSchema(schema)
 	Games = Games.FromSchema(schema)
 	Identities = Identities.FromSchema(schema)
 	Sessions = Sessions.FromSchema(schema)

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

@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
--- +goose Up
--- Allow end_reason = 'aborted': a game whose journal can no longer be reconstructed (a
--- recorded move became illegal under tightened rules) is closed as a draw rather than left
--- unopenable. See engine.EndAborted and Service.voidGame.
-SET search_path = backend, pg_catalog;
-ALTER TABLE games DROP CONSTRAINT games_end_reason_chk;
-ALTER TABLE games ADD CONSTRAINT games_end_reason_chk CHECK (
-    end_reason IS NULL OR end_reason IN ('out_of_tiles', 'scoreless', 'resign', 'timeout', 'aborted')
-);
-
--- +goose Down
-SET search_path = backend, pg_catalog;
-ALTER TABLE games DROP CONSTRAINT games_end_reason_chk;
-ALTER TABLE games ADD CONSTRAINT games_end_reason_chk CHECK (
-    end_reason IS NULL OR end_reason IN ('out_of_tiles', 'scoreless', 'resign', 'timeout')
-);

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

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

backend/internal/postgres/migrations/00003_account_suspensions.sql

@@ -1,45 +0,0 @@
--- +goose Up
--- Manual account blocking ("suspension"), the operator's hard counterpart to the soft,
--- reversible accounts.flagged_high_rate_at marker. Named "suspension" throughout the schema
--- and Go to stay distinct from the peer-to-peer `blocks` table (one player muting another);
--- the wire/UI vocabulary the player sees is "blocked". A suspension forces the player to
--- forfeit every active game and replaces their whole UI with a terminal "blocked" screen until
--- it is lifted or (for a temporary one) expires. See docs/ARCHITECTURE.md §12.
-SET search_path = backend, pg_catalog;
-
--- The operator-editable reason picklist, one row per reason with its English and Russian text.
--- A suspension snapshots the chosen text (account_suspensions.reason_en/ru), so editing or
--- deleting a reason here never changes or breaks a reason already shown to a blocked player.
-CREATE TABLE suspension_reasons (
-    reason_id  uuid        PRIMARY KEY,
-    text_en    text        NOT NULL,
-    text_ru    text        NOT NULL,
-    created_at timestamptz NOT NULL DEFAULT now(),
-    updated_at timestamptz NOT NULL DEFAULT now()
-);
-
--- The block history: one row per block. blocked_until is NULL for a permanent block and the
--- expiry instant for a temporary one; lifted_at is stamped when an operator unblocks early.
--- reason_en/reason_ru are the text snapshot taken at block time (NULL when no reason was
--- cited); reason_id keeps a loose link to the picklist entry for later analytics and is nulled
--- if that entry is deleted (the snapshot remains the source of truth shown to the player). An
--- account is currently blocked when its newest row has lifted_at IS NULL AND (blocked_until IS
--- NULL OR blocked_until > now()).
-CREATE TABLE account_suspensions (
-    suspension_id uuid        PRIMARY KEY,
-    account_id    uuid        NOT NULL REFERENCES accounts (account_id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
-    blocked_at    timestamptz NOT NULL DEFAULT now(),
-    blocked_until timestamptz,
-    reason_en     text,
-    reason_ru     text,
-    reason_id     uuid        REFERENCES suspension_reasons (reason_id) ON DELETE SET NULL,
-    lifted_at     timestamptz
-);
--- The enforcement gate looks up the newest suspension for an account on every authenticated
--- request; this index serves that "latest by account" probe.
-CREATE INDEX account_suspensions_account_idx ON account_suspensions (account_id, blocked_at DESC);
-
--- +goose Down
-SET search_path = backend, pg_catalog;
-DROP TABLE IF EXISTS account_suspensions;
-DROP TABLE IF EXISTS suspension_reasons;

backend/internal/postgres/migrations/00003_feedback_app_version.sql

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+-- Capture the client app version (the build a report was sent from) with each feedback
+-- message, so the operator console can show which version a player was on. Nullable, so the
+-- rows that predate this keep working — additive and backward-compatible, so a backend image
+-- rollback stays DB-safe (older code simply ignores the column).
+
+-- +goose Up
+ALTER TABLE backend.feedback_messages ADD COLUMN app_version text;
+
+-- +goose Down
+ALTER TABLE backend.feedback_messages DROP COLUMN app_version;

backend/internal/postgres/migrations/00004_feedback.sql

@@ -1,55 +0,0 @@
--- +goose Up
--- User feedback ("Обратная связь"): a flat list of messages a registered player sends to the
--- operators from Settings -> Info, each with an optional single attachment, plus the operator's
--- inline reply shown back to the player. Distinct from the in-game chat_messages (peer-to-peer)
--- and from the out-of-app Telegram messages. Also introduces account_roles, the project's first
--- per-account role table, replacing per-feature boolean flags. See docs/ARCHITECTURE.md.
-SET search_path = backend, pg_catalog;
-
--- One feedback message. read_at marks "the operator has dealt with this" (set by every console
--- action: read / reply / archive; never by merely opening the detail). The anti-spam gate forbids
--- a new submission while the player has any read_at IS NULL message. archived_at files a handled
--- message away. The reply lives on the same row: reply_body/replied_at are stamped when the
--- operator answers; reply_read_at is stamped when the player's app first fetches the reply for
--- display ("delivered = read"), and the reply is hidden from the player one week after that.
--- attachment is the raw bytes (capped at 1,000,000 in Go); attachment_name carries the original
--- file name (its extension drives the safe content-type at serve time). sender_ip is the
--- gateway-forwarded client IP (validated, like chat); channel is the submitting platform
--- (telegram/ios/android/web, validated in Go). The sender's interface/bot language snapshots
--- (lang, channel_lang) are added additively in 00005.
-CREATE TABLE feedback_messages (
-    message_id      uuid        PRIMARY KEY,
-    account_id      uuid        NOT NULL REFERENCES accounts (account_id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
-    body            text        NOT NULL,
-    attachment      bytea,
-    attachment_name text,
-    sender_ip       text,
-    channel         text        NOT NULL,
-    read_at         timestamptz,
-    archived_at     timestamptz,
-    reply_body      text,
-    replied_at      timestamptz,
-    reply_read_at   timestamptz,
-    created_at      timestamptz NOT NULL DEFAULT now()
-);
--- The per-player probes (anti-spam "has unread", "latest message", "latest reply") and the
--- console's user-scoped search all look an account up newest-first.
-CREATE INDEX feedback_messages_account_idx ON feedback_messages (account_id, created_at DESC);
--- The console queue lists messages newest-first across all accounts.
-CREATE INDEX feedback_messages_created_idx ON feedback_messages (created_at DESC);
-
--- Named per-account roles. A reusable replacement for per-feature boolean flags: the first role,
--- 'feedback_banned', forbids only feedback submission (not the whole account, unlike a
--- suspension). Roles are validated in Go (no CHECK here) so new ones need no migration. Granted
--- from the feedback console (the "block" checkbox on delete) and granted/revoked from /users.
-CREATE TABLE account_roles (
-    account_id uuid        NOT NULL REFERENCES accounts (account_id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
-    role       text        NOT NULL,
-    granted_at timestamptz NOT NULL DEFAULT now(),
-    PRIMARY KEY (account_id, role)
-);
-
--- +goose Down
-SET search_path = backend, pg_catalog;
-DROP TABLE IF EXISTS account_roles;
-DROP TABLE IF EXISTS feedback_messages;

backend/internal/postgres/migrations/00004_feedback_browser_tz.sql

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+-- Capture the client's detected UTC offset ("±HH:MM") with each feedback message, so the
+-- operator console can show the filed time in the sender's browser-local zone even before that
+-- player has ever saved a profile (the account zone defaults to UTC until then). Nullable, so the
+-- rows that predate this keep working — additive and backward-compatible, so a backend image
+-- rollback stays DB-safe (older code simply ignores the column).
+
+-- +goose Up
+ALTER TABLE backend.feedback_messages ADD COLUMN browser_tz text;
+
+-- +goose Down
+ALTER TABLE backend.feedback_messages DROP COLUMN browser_tz;

backend/internal/postgres/migrations/00005_feedback_languages.sql

@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
--- +goose Up
--- Snapshot the sender's languages on each feedback message, taken at submit time so the
--- operator console shows the state as it was, not the account's current settings (the same
--- snapshot discipline as a suspension's reason). lang is the sender's interface language;
--- channel_lang is the connector bot language (en/ru) when the message arrived through an
--- external connector (Telegram), else NULL. Additive over 00004 so it applies forward-safe.
-SET search_path = backend, pg_catalog;
-
-ALTER TABLE feedback_messages ADD COLUMN lang text;
-ALTER TABLE feedback_messages ADD COLUMN channel_lang text;
-
--- +goose Down
-SET search_path = backend, pg_catalog;
-ALTER TABLE feedback_messages DROP COLUMN IF EXISTS channel_lang;
-ALTER TABLE feedback_messages DROP COLUMN IF EXISTS lang;

backend/internal/postgres/migrations/00006_ad_banners.sql

@@ -1,86 +0,0 @@
--- +goose Up
--- Server-driven advertising banner ("advertising network"): operator-managed campaigns rotated in
--- the client's one-line announcement strip. A campaign is one placement order with a show weight
--- (percent); simultaneously active campaigns compete for shows in proportion to their weights. The
--- single perpetual default campaign fills the unsold remainder up to 100%. Each campaign carries
--- one or more bilingual messages (en + ru, both mandatory), shown by the viewer's bot (service)
--- language. Display timings are global (one settings row). Eligibility (who sees a banner at all)
--- reuses account fields + the no_banner role, so it needs no schema here. See docs/ARCHITECTURE.md
--- and internal/ads.
-SET search_path = backend, pg_catalog;
-
--- One advertising campaign = one placement order. weight is the show percentage (1..100). is_default
--- marks the single perpetual house campaign that fills the remainder up to 100% and is never deleted;
--- it has no validity window (its stored weight is nominal — the rotation derives its effective weight
--- as max(0, 100 - sum of active timed weights)). A time-limited campaign is active while now() lies in
--- [starts_at, ends_at] (a null bound is open-ended on that side). enabled toggles a campaign without
--- deleting it.
-CREATE TABLE ad_campaigns (
-    campaign_id uuid        PRIMARY KEY,
-    name        text        NOT NULL,
-    weight      integer     NOT NULL,
-    is_default  boolean     NOT NULL DEFAULT false,
-    enabled     boolean     NOT NULL DEFAULT true,
-    starts_at   timestamptz,
-    ends_at     timestamptz,
-    created_at  timestamptz NOT NULL DEFAULT now(),
-    updated_at  timestamptz NOT NULL DEFAULT now(),
-    CONSTRAINT ad_campaigns_weight_chk CHECK (weight BETWEEN 1 AND 100),
-    -- The default campaign is perpetual (no window).
-    CONSTRAINT ad_campaigns_default_window_chk CHECK (NOT is_default OR (starts_at IS NULL AND ends_at IS NULL)),
-    -- A closed window must not be inverted.
-    CONSTRAINT ad_campaigns_window_chk CHECK (starts_at IS NULL OR ends_at IS NULL OR starts_at <= ends_at)
-);
--- At most one default campaign.
-CREATE UNIQUE INDEX ad_campaigns_default_idx ON ad_campaigns (is_default) WHERE is_default;
-
--- One bilingual message of a campaign. Both languages are mandatory: the client shows the variant for
--- the viewer's bot (service) language. position orders the messages within a campaign (the round-robin
--- order when the campaign wins a display slot). body_* is minimal markdown (text + links).
-CREATE TABLE ad_messages (
-    message_id  uuid        PRIMARY KEY,
-    campaign_id uuid        NOT NULL REFERENCES ad_campaigns (campaign_id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
-    position    integer     NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
-    body_en     text        NOT NULL,
-    body_ru     text        NOT NULL,
-    created_at  timestamptz NOT NULL DEFAULT now(),
-    updated_at  timestamptz NOT NULL DEFAULT now()
-);
--- Messages of a campaign are read in display order.
-CREATE INDEX ad_messages_campaign_idx ON ad_messages (campaign_id, position);
-
--- Global banner display timings, a single row (id is always TRUE). The client rotator reads these:
--- hold_ms is how long one message shows; edge_pause_ms and scroll_px_per_sec drive the scroll of a
--- message wider than the strip; the transition between messages is fade_out_ms -> gap_ms -> fade_in_ms.
--- All are clamped in Go on update.
-CREATE TABLE ad_settings (
-    id                boolean     PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT true,
-    hold_ms           integer     NOT NULL,
-    edge_pause_ms     integer     NOT NULL,
-    scroll_px_per_sec integer     NOT NULL,
-    fade_out_ms       integer     NOT NULL,
-    gap_ms            integer     NOT NULL,
-    fade_in_ms        integer     NOT NULL,
-    updated_at        timestamptz NOT NULL DEFAULT now(),
-    CONSTRAINT ad_settings_singleton_chk CHECK (id)
-);
-
--- Seed the perpetual default campaign with one bilingual house message, and the default timings
--- (the previous hardcoded UI defaults plus the new fade sequence). Fixed UUIDs keep the seed
--- deterministic across environments.
-INSERT INTO ad_campaigns (campaign_id, name, weight, is_default, enabled)
-VALUES ('00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 'Default (house)', 100, true, true);
-INSERT INTO ad_messages (message_id, campaign_id, position, body_en, body_ru)
-VALUES (
-    '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000a1', '00000000-0000-0000-0000-0000000000ad', 0,
-    'Tip: a play using all 7 tiles earns a +50 bonus.',
-    'Совет: ход всеми 7 фишками приносит бонус +50 очков.'
-);
-INSERT INTO ad_settings (id, hold_ms, edge_pause_ms, scroll_px_per_sec, fade_out_ms, gap_ms, fade_in_ms)
-VALUES (true, 60000, 5000, 40, 1000, 250, 1000);
-
--- +goose Down
-SET search_path = backend, pg_catalog;
-DROP TABLE IF EXISTS ad_settings;
-DROP TABLE IF EXISTS ad_messages;
-DROP TABLE IF EXISTS ad_campaigns;

backend/internal/postgres/migrations/00007_seat_display_name.sql

@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
--- +goose Up
--- A per-seat snapshot of the player's display name, captured when the seat is taken:
--- the human's then-current display name, or a disguised robot's freshly composed
--- per-game name. Storing the name on the seat (rather than always reading the account)
--- freezes what the opponent sees for the life of the game — a later rename no longer
--- rewrites past games — and lets the small robot pool present an ever-changing crowd of
--- differently named opponents. An empty value means "no snapshot": the reader falls back
--- to the account's current display name (legacy rows / pre-migration games). See
--- docs/ARCHITECTURE.md §7.
-SET search_path = backend, pg_catalog;
-
-ALTER TABLE game_players ADD COLUMN display_name text NOT NULL DEFAULT '';
-
--- +goose Down
-SET search_path = backend, pg_catalog;
-ALTER TABLE game_players DROP COLUMN display_name;

backend/internal/postgres/migrations/00008_chat_unread.sql

@@ -1,20 +0,0 @@
--- +goose Up
--- A per-message bitmask of the seats that have NOT yet read this chat entry: bit i is
--- set while seat i still has the message unread, and is cleared when that seat reads it
--- (opens the move history / chat, or — for a nudge — takes its move). A text message
--- starts with the bits of every seated recipient except the sender; a nudge starts with
--- only the awaited player's bit. The mask is inverted so "anything unread" is a plain
--- `unread_seats <> 0`, which the lobby badge, the admin filter and the unread gauge all
--- use. The read time itself is not retained. See docs/ARCHITECTURE.md §8 (Read receipts).
-SET search_path = backend, pg_catalog;
-
-ALTER TABLE chat_messages ADD COLUMN unread_seats smallint NOT NULL DEFAULT 0;
-
--- Partial index serving the unread scans (per-viewer lobby lookup, admin unread filter,
--- the unread-count gauge): only the comparatively few still-unread rows are indexed.
-CREATE INDEX chat_messages_unread_idx ON chat_messages (game_id) WHERE unread_seats <> 0;
-
--- +goose Down
-SET search_path = backend, pg_catalog;
-DROP INDEX chat_messages_unread_idx;
-ALTER TABLE chat_messages DROP COLUMN unread_seats;

backend/internal/postgres/migrations/00009_best_move.sql

@@ -1,25 +0,0 @@
--- +goose Up
--- Per-account, per-variant best single move: the highest-scoring play the account has
--- ever made in each game variant. It exists so the statistics screen can show the word
--- itself broken down by variant, not just the dimensionless aggregate
--- account_stats.max_word_points. tiles is the move's main word as an ordered JSON array of
--- {letter, value, blank} objects (value 0 and blank true for a wildcard), so the client
--- renders it as game tiles without needing the variant's alphabet table. score is the
--- play's total points (every word it formed plus the all-tiles bonus), matching
--- max_word_points. A row is replaced only by a strictly higher-scoring play. It is written
--- at game finish alongside account_stats; guest and honest-AI games never record statistics,
--- so they never write here. See docs/ARCHITECTURE.md §9.
-SET search_path = backend, pg_catalog;
-
-CREATE TABLE account_best_move (
-    account_id uuid        NOT NULL REFERENCES accounts (account_id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
-    variant    text        NOT NULL,
-    score      integer     NOT NULL,
-    tiles      jsonb       NOT NULL,
-    updated_at timestamptz NOT NULL DEFAULT now(),
-    PRIMARY KEY (account_id, variant)
-);
-
--- +goose Down
-SET search_path = backend, pg_catalog;
-DROP TABLE IF EXISTS account_best_move;

backend/internal/postgres/migrations/00010_stats_moves_hints.sql

@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
--- +goose Up
--- account_stats gains two lifetime counters for the player's statistics screen: moves — the
--- player's plays (tile placements; passes and exchanges do not count) — and hints_used — every
--- hint the player took (the free per-game allowance plus the wallet-charged ones). Both are
--- summed at game finish over the same games that feed the rest of account_stats (durable
--- non-guest accounts; honest-AI games are skipped), so the screen can show the "hint share"
--- = hints_used / moves. See docs/ARCHITECTURE.md §9.
-SET search_path = backend, pg_catalog;
-
-ALTER TABLE account_stats ADD COLUMN moves      integer NOT NULL DEFAULT 0;
-ALTER TABLE account_stats ADD COLUMN hints_used integer NOT NULL DEFAULT 0;
-
--- +goose Down
-SET search_path = backend, pg_catalog;
-ALTER TABLE account_stats DROP COLUMN hints_used;
-ALTER TABLE account_stats DROP COLUMN moves;

backend/internal/postgres/migrations/00011_robot_blocks.sql

@@ -1,27 +0,0 @@
--- +goose Up
--- Per-game blocks of a disguised-robot opponent. A disguised robot is a shared pool
--- account reused across games under different per-game names, so it must never go into
--- `blocks` (that would make the same robot look blocked in the blocker's other games under
--- other names, leaking that it is a bot, and show its pool name instead of the one seen).
--- Each such block is recorded here against the specific game + seat, snapshotting the name
--- the player saw, so the blocked list shows it as a distinct personality and the in-game
--- card re-marks that one seat. The real robot account is never blocked, so the matchmaker
--- leaves robots free. Unblocking deletes the row.
-SET search_path = backend, pg_catalog;
-
-CREATE TABLE robot_blocks (
-    id           uuid        PRIMARY KEY,
-    blocker_id   uuid        NOT NULL REFERENCES accounts (account_id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
-    game_id      uuid        NOT NULL REFERENCES games (game_id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
-    seat         smallint    NOT NULL,
-    robot_id     uuid        NOT NULL REFERENCES accounts (account_id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
-    display_name text        NOT NULL,
-    created_at   timestamptz NOT NULL DEFAULT now(),
-    UNIQUE (blocker_id, game_id, seat)
-);
-
-CREATE INDEX robot_blocks_blocker_idx ON robot_blocks (blocker_id);
-
--- +goose Down
-SET search_path = backend, pg_catalog;
-DROP TABLE robot_blocks;

backend/internal/postgres/migrations/00012_robot_friend_requests.sql

@@ -1,28 +0,0 @@
--- +goose Up
--- Per-game friend requests sent to a disguised-robot opponent. A disguised robot is a
--- shared pool account reused across games under different per-game names, so such a
--- request must never go into `friendships` (that would befriend/await the shared robot
--- account, leak that it is a bot across the requester's other games under other names,
--- and pin the in-game "request sent" state to the shared account instead of this seat).
--- Each request is recorded here against the specific game + seat, snapshotting the name
--- the player saw, so the in-game scoreboard can re-mark that one seat as already
--- requested. The robot ignores it (it never becomes a friendship); a background reaper
--- deletes a row once its game has been finished for more than the retention window.
-SET search_path = backend, pg_catalog;
-
-CREATE TABLE robot_friend_requests (
-    id           uuid        PRIMARY KEY,
-    requester_id uuid        NOT NULL REFERENCES accounts (account_id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
-    game_id      uuid        NOT NULL REFERENCES games (game_id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
-    seat         smallint    NOT NULL,
-    robot_id     uuid        NOT NULL REFERENCES accounts (account_id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
-    display_name text        NOT NULL,
-    created_at   timestamptz NOT NULL DEFAULT now(),
-    UNIQUE (requester_id, game_id, seat)
-);
-
-CREATE INDEX robot_friend_requests_requester_idx ON robot_friend_requests (requester_id);
-
--- +goose Down
-SET search_path = backend, pg_catalog;
-DROP TABLE robot_friend_requests;

backend/internal/pushgrpc/server.go

@@ -54,11 +54,10 @@ func (s *Service) Subscribe(req *pushv1.SubscribeRequest, stream grpc.ServerStre
 				return nil
 			}
 			ev := &pushv1.Event{
-				UserId:   in.UserID.String(),
+				UserId:  in.UserID.String(),
-				Kind:     in.Kind,
+				Kind:    in.Kind,
-				Payload:  in.Payload,
+				Payload: in.Payload,
-				EventId:  in.EventID,
+				EventId: in.EventID,
-				Language: in.Language,
 			}
 			if err := stream.Send(ev); err != nil {
 				return err

backend/internal/server/banner.go

@@ -88,13 +88,9 @@ func (s *Server) bannerFor(ctx context.Context, acc account.Account) *bannerDTO
 	}
 }
 
-// bannerLang resolves the message language for a viewer: the bot (service)
+// bannerLang resolves the message language for a viewer: their interface language
-// language they last signed in through, falling back to the interface language
+// (Russian, or English by default).
-// and then English.
 func bannerLang(acc account.Account) string {
-	if acc.ServiceLanguage == "ru" || acc.ServiceLanguage == "en" {
-		return acc.ServiceLanguage
-	}
 	if acc.PreferredLanguage == "ru" {
 		return "ru"
 	}

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/dto.go

@@ -16,11 +16,10 @@ import (
 
 // sessionResponse is the credential returned by every auth endpoint.
 type sessionResponse struct {
-	Token           string `json:"token"`
+	Token       string `json:"token"`
-	UserID          string `json:"user_id"`
+	UserID      string `json:"user_id"`
-	IsGuest         bool   `json:"is_guest"`
+	IsGuest     bool   `json:"is_guest"`
-	DisplayName     string `json:"display_name"`
+	DisplayName string `json:"display_name"`
-	ServiceLanguage string `json:"service_language"`
 }
 
 // okResponse is a simple success acknowledgement.
@@ -49,6 +48,10 @@ type profileResponse struct {
 	BlockFriendRequests    bool   `json:"block_friend_requests"`
 	IsGuest                bool   `json:"is_guest"`
 	NotificationsInAppOnly bool   `json:"notifications_in_app_only"`
+	// VariantPreferences is the set of game variants the player allows themselves to
+	// be matched into (engine.Variant stable labels), Erudit-first. It gates the New
+	// Game picker and the matchmaker; never empty.
+	VariantPreferences []string `json:"variant_preferences"`
 	// Banner is the advertising-banner block: present only for a viewer eligible to
 	// see the banner (a free account with an empty hint wallet and without the
 	// no_banner role), absent otherwise. See banner.go.
@@ -177,11 +180,10 @@ type errorBody struct {
 // sessionResponseFor builds the credential payload for a minted session.
 func sessionResponseFor(token string, acc account.Account) sessionResponse {
 	return sessionResponse{
-		Token:           token,
+		Token:       token,
-		UserID:          acc.ID.String(),
+		UserID:      acc.ID.String(),
-		IsGuest:         acc.IsGuest,
+		IsGuest:     acc.IsGuest,
-		DisplayName:     acc.DisplayName,
+		DisplayName: acc.DisplayName,
-		ServiceLanguage: acc.ServiceLanguage,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -199,6 +201,7 @@ func profileResponseFor(acc account.Account) profileResponse {
 		BlockFriendRequests:    acc.BlockFriendRequests,
 		IsGuest:                acc.IsGuest,
 		NotificationsInAppOnly: acc.NotificationsInAppOnly,
+		VariantPreferences:     acc.VariantPreferences,
 	}
 }
 

backend/internal/server/handlers.go

@@ -37,11 +37,23 @@ 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.
 		s.internal.POST("/ratelimit/report", s.handleRateLimitReport)
 	}
+	if s.banview != nil {
+		// The gateway's periodic active-ban sync: feeds the admin console's
+		// active-bans panel and returns the operator's pending unbans.
+		s.internal.POST("/bans/sync", s.handleBanSync)
+	}
 	u := s.user
 	if s.accounts != nil {
 		u.GET("/profile", s.handleProfile)

backend/internal/server/handlers_account.go

@@ -18,14 +18,15 @@ import (
 // updateProfileRequest is the full editable profile. away_start/away_end are
 // "HH:MM" local-time bounds of the daily away window.
 type updateProfileRequest struct {
-	DisplayName            string `json:"display_name"`
+	DisplayName            string   `json:"display_name"`
-	PreferredLanguage      string `json:"preferred_language"`
+	PreferredLanguage      string   `json:"preferred_language"`
-	TimeZone               string `json:"time_zone"`
+	TimeZone               string   `json:"time_zone"`
-	AwayStart              string `json:"away_start"`
+	AwayStart              string   `json:"away_start"`
-	AwayEnd                string `json:"away_end"`
+	AwayEnd                string   `json:"away_end"`
-	BlockChat              bool   `json:"block_chat"`
+	BlockChat              bool     `json:"block_chat"`
-	BlockFriendRequests    bool   `json:"block_friend_requests"`
+	BlockFriendRequests    bool     `json:"block_friend_requests"`
-	NotificationsInAppOnly bool   `json:"notifications_in_app_only"`
+	NotificationsInAppOnly bool     `json:"notifications_in_app_only"`
+	VariantPreferences     []string `json:"variant_preferences"`
 }
 
 // statsDTO is a durable account's lifetime statistics (the derived games-played and
@@ -92,6 +93,7 @@ func (s *Server) handleUpdateProfile(c *gin.Context) {
 		BlockChat:              req.BlockChat,
 		BlockFriendRequests:    req.BlockFriendRequests,
 		NotificationsInAppOnly: req.NotificationsInAppOnly,
+		VariantPreferences:     req.VariantPreferences,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		s.abortErr(c, err)

backend/internal/server/handlers_admin_console.go

@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ func (s *Server) registerConsole(router *gin.Engine) {
 	gm.POST("/reasons/:id/update", s.consoleUpdateReason)
 	gm.POST("/reasons/:id/delete", s.consoleDeleteReason)
 	gm.GET("/throttled", s.consoleThrottled)
+	gm.POST("/bans/unban", s.consoleUnban)
 	gm.GET("/games", s.consoleGames)
 	gm.GET("/games/:id", s.consoleGameDetail)
 	gm.GET("/complaints", s.consoleComplaints)
@@ -424,7 +425,6 @@ func (s *Server) consoleUserMessage(c *gin.Context) {
 	}
 	back := "/_gm/users/" + id.String()
 	text := trimForm(c, "text")
-	language := trimForm(c, "language")
 	switch {
 	case text == "":
 		s.renderConsoleMessage(c, "Nothing sent", "the message was empty", back)
@@ -436,14 +436,14 @@ func (s *Server) consoleUserMessage(c *gin.Context) {
 			s.renderConsoleMessage(c, "No Telegram", "this account has no Telegram identity", back)
 			return
 		}
-		delivered, err := s.connector.SendToUser(ctx, ext, text, language)
+		delivered, err := s.connector.SendToUser(ctx, ext, text)
 		if err != nil {
 			s.consoleError(c, err)
 			return
 		}
 		body := "message delivered"
 		if !delivered {
-			body = "not delivered (the user may not have started that bot)"
+			body = "not delivered (the user may not have started the bot)"
 		}
 		s.renderConsoleMessage(c, "Sent", body, back)
 	}
@@ -523,6 +523,34 @@ func (s *Server) consoleGameDetail(c *gin.Context) {
 			}
 		}
 	}
+	// First-move draw (docs/ARCHITECTURE.md §6) and the step-by-step replay timeline. Both are
+	// best-effort: a game that predates the draw or cannot be replayed still renders its
+	// summary and seats.
+	names := make(map[string]string, len(view.Seats))
+	for _, st := range view.Seats {
+		names[st.AccountID] = st.DisplayName
+	}
+	if draws, derr := s.games.SetupDraws(ctx, g.ID); derr == nil {
+		for _, d := range draws {
+			row := adminconsole.SetupDrawRow{Round: d.Round, Letter: strings.ToUpper(d.Letter), Blank: d.Blank, Rank: d.Rank}
+			if d.Account == uuid.Nil {
+				row.Name = "(opponent)"
+			} else {
+				row.Name = names[d.Account.String()]
+				row.AccountID = d.Account.String()
+			}
+			view.SetupDraws = append(view.SetupDraws, row)
+		}
+	}
+	if len(view.Seats) > 0 {
+		view.FirstMover = view.Seats[0].DisplayName
+	}
+	if tl, terr := s.games.ReplayTimeline(ctx, g.ID); terr == nil {
+		if rj, jerr := buildReplayJSON(g.Variant, tl, view.Seats); jerr == nil {
+			view.ReplayJSON = rj
+			view.HasReplay = len(tl.Steps) > 0
+		}
+	}
 	s.renderConsole(c, "game_detail", "games", "Game", view)
 }
 
@@ -805,21 +833,20 @@ func (s *Server) consoleBroadcast(c *gin.Context) {
 // consolePostBroadcast posts an operator message to the connector's game channel.
 func (s *Server) consolePostBroadcast(c *gin.Context) {
 	text := trimForm(c, "text")
-	language := trimForm(c, "language")
 	switch {
 	case text == "":
 		s.renderConsoleMessage(c, "Nothing sent", "the message was empty", "/_gm/broadcast")
 	case s.connector == nil:
 		s.renderConsoleMessage(c, "Not configured", "the connector is not configured (set BACKEND_CONNECTOR_ADDR)", "/_gm/broadcast")
 	default:
-		delivered, err := s.connector.SendToGameChannel(c.Request.Context(), text, language)
+		delivered, err := s.connector.SendToGameChannel(c.Request.Context(), text)
 		if err != nil {
 			s.consoleError(c, err)
 			return
 		}
 		body := "posted to the game channel"
 		if !delivered {
-			body = "not delivered (that bot has no game channel configured)"
+			body = "not delivered (the bot has no game channel configured)"
 		}
 		s.renderConsoleMessage(c, "Broadcast", body, "/_gm/broadcast")
 	}
@@ -848,6 +875,13 @@ func (s *Server) consoleThrottled(c *gin.Context) {
 			view.Episodes = append(view.Episodes, row)
 		}
 	}
+	if s.banview != nil {
+		for _, b := range s.banview.Recent() {
+			view.Bans = append(view.Bans, adminconsole.BanRow{
+				IP: b.IP, Reason: b.Reason, Since: fmtTime(b.Since), Expires: fmtTime(b.Expires),
+			})
+		}
+	}
 	flagged, err := s.accounts.ListFlaggedHighRate(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		s.consoleError(c, err)
@@ -861,6 +895,21 @@ func (s *Server) consoleThrottled(c *gin.Context) {
 	s.renderConsole(c, "throttled", "throttled", "Throttled", view)
 }
 
+// consoleUnban lifts a temporary IP ban — the operator's manual override. The
+// gateway applies it on its next active-ban sync, so the ban clears within the
+// sync interval rather than immediately.
+func (s *Server) consoleUnban(c *gin.Context) {
+	ip := trimForm(c, "ip")
+	if ip == "" {
+		s.renderConsoleMessage(c, "Invalid", "an IP address is required", "/_gm/throttled")
+		return
+	}
+	if s.banview != nil {
+		s.banview.RequestUnban(ip)
+	}
+	s.renderConsoleMessage(c, "Unban requested", fmt.Sprintf("%s will be unbanned on the next gateway sync", ip), "/_gm/throttled")
+}
+
 // consoleClearHighRateFlag clears the soft high-rate marker — the operator's
 // reversible review action.
 func (s *Server) consoleClearHighRateFlag(c *gin.Context) {
@@ -938,6 +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)
 }
 
@@ -952,6 +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())
 }
 
@@ -1143,6 +1198,17 @@ func fmtTime(t time.Time) string {
 	return t.UTC().Format("2006-01-02 15:04")
 }
 
+// fmtTimeIn formats a timestamp in the given zone — a "±HH:MM" offset or an IANA name, resolved
+// by account.ResolveZone (falling back to UTC when empty or unknown) — or "" when zero. Used to
+// show a time in a user's local zone beside UTC; the offset form is what the profile editor and
+// the feedback browser-tz snapshot store, so it must not go through time.LoadLocation alone.
+func fmtTimeIn(t time.Time, tz string) string {
+	if t.IsZero() {
+		return ""
+	}
+	return t.In(account.ResolveZone(tz)).Format("2006-01-02 15:04")
+}
+
 // fmtTimePtr formats an optional timestamp for display, or "" when nil.
 func fmtTimePtr(t *time.Time) string {
 	if t == nil {