PLAN.md

@@ -776,7 +776,7 @@ cannot submit; three-way admin filter.
     reusable **HoldConfirm** press-and-hold control (MakeMove 🏁 + game-action confirms);
     board **zoom reworked** to a width-based zoom in a fixed viewport (real native
     scroll, double-tap; pinch/swipe dropped) with constant `cqw` labels, corner-letter
-    tiles, contrasting grid lines, last-word dark-tile highlight, and a Settings
+    tiles, last-word dark-tile highlight, and a Settings
     **bonus-label style** (beginner/
     classic/none); **hint lays its tiles on the board** (no spend when no move — a new
     `no_hint_available` result code); the history opens as an in-place **slide-down**

backend/internal/server/handlers_admin_console.go

@@ -110,7 +110,9 @@ func (s *Server) registerConsole(router *gin.Engine) {
 func (s *Server) consoleDashboard(c *gin.Context) {
 	ctx := c.Request.Context()
 	view := adminconsole.DashboardView{Variants: s.variantVersions(), ActiveVersion: s.games.ActiveVersion()}
-	view.Accounts, _ = s.accounts.CountAccounts(ctx)
+	// The Users card counts people only: robots are pool infrastructure, not registered
+	// users, so an empty filter (Robots: false) excludes them.
+	view.Accounts, _ = s.accounts.CountUsers(ctx, account.UserFilter{})
 	view.Games, _ = s.games.CountGames(ctx, "")
 	view.ActiveGames, _ = s.games.CountGames(ctx, game.StatusActive)
 	view.OpenComplaints, _ = s.games.CountComplaints(ctx, game.StatusComplaintOpen)

docs/FUNCTIONAL.md

@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ invitation — so a player still sees and plays existing games of any language.
 
 **Quick game** lets you choose your opponent — an **AI** (the default) or a **random player**.
 With **AI** you start at once against a 🤖 that joins and replies immediately: there is no waiting,
-chat and nudge are off, add-friend is never shown, and the word-check tool still works; instead of a
+there is no chat or nudge — only the word-check tool — add-friend is never shown; instead of a
 per-move clock you lose only after **7 days without a move** (so you can abandon an AI game freely,
 and the AI itself never runs out of time). Choosing a **random player** is auto-match
 (always 2 players), which drops you **straight into the game and you wait inside it**: if it is your turn you
@@ -211,7 +211,9 @@ is awaited at most once per hour (the
 nudge is part of the game chat); both the in-app toast and the out-of-app push (delivered
 via the platform) **name the nudger** ("<opponent>: waiting for your move").
 Chat and the word-check tool share one **comms screen** with **💬 chat** / **🔎 dictionary**
-tabs, reached from the 💬 in the move-history header (with a back to the game). An unread chat
+tabs, reached from the 💬 in the move-history header (with a back to the game). An AI game has no
+chat, so its comms screen is the word-check alone — and once an AI game is finished (no chat, the
+dictionary closed) the 💬 entry disappears entirely. An unread chat
 entry — a message **or a nudge** from an opponent — raises a small **red dot** next to the game
 in the **lobby** and on the game's **score bar**. Opening the **move history** counts as reading
 the chat, even without entering it: the dot clears and the 💬 icon **fade-blinks twice**. A nudge

docs/FUNCTIONAL_ru.md

@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ nudge) приходят от бота **этой партии** — по язы
 
 **Быстрая игра** даёт выбрать соперника — **ИИ** (по умолчанию) или **случайного игрока**. С **ИИ**
 вы сразу начинаете против 🤖, который присоединяется и отвечает мгновенно: ожидания нет, чат и nudge
-выключены, «добавить в друзья» не показывается, а проверка слова работает; вместо лимита на ход вы
+нет — только проверка слова, — «добавить в друзья» не показывается; вместо лимита на ход вы
 проигрываете только после **7 дней без хода** (так что ИИ-партию можно спокойно забросить, а сам ИИ
 никогда не «просрочит» ход). Выбор **случайного игрока** — это авто-подбор (всегда 2 игрока), который
 сразу **помещает вас в игру, и вы ждёте соперника прямо
@@ -217,7 +217,9 @@ nudge) приходят от бота **этой партии** — по язы
 и внеприложенческий push (доставляется через платформу) **называют отправителя**
 («<соперник>: жду вашего хода»).
 Чат и инструмент проверки слова — один **экран связи** со вкладками **💬 чат** / **🔎 словарь**,
-открываемый по 💬 в шапке истории ходов (с кнопкой «назад» в партию). Непрочитанная запись чата —
+открываемый по 💬 в шапке истории ходов (с кнопкой «назад» в партию). В ИИ-партии чата нет, поэтому её
+экран связи — только проверка слова; а после завершения ИИ-партии (чата нет, словарь закрыт) сам вход
+💬 исчезает. Непрочитанная запись чата —
 сообщение **или nudge** от соперника — зажигает маленькую **красную точку** рядом с партией в
 **лобби** и на **строке счёта** партии. Открытие **истории ходов** считается прочтением чата, даже
 без захода в него: точка гаснет, а значок 💬 **дважды мигает**. Nudge также гаснет в момент, когда

docs/UI_DESIGN.md

@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ except Login uses `Screen`.
   bottom tab bar whose tabs switch its body **in place** (state, not navigation), so the
   back control always returns to the hub's parent (Settings → lobby, comms → game). Settings
   hub tabs: ⚙️ Settings / 👤 Profile / 🤝 Friends / ℹ️ About (Friends hidden for guests);
-  comms hub tabs: 💬 Chat / 🔎 Dictionary (Dictionary only while the game is active). The
+  comms hub tabs: 💬 Chat / 🔎 Dictionary (Dictionary only while the game is active; an
+  honest-AI game has no Chat, so it shows the Dictionary alone). The
   routes `/settings|/profile|/friends|/about` and `/game/:id/{chat,check}` survive as hub
   entry points (so a Telegram friend-code deep-link still lands on the Friends tab). The
   **Feedback** screen is its own deeper route `/feedback` (back → `/about`, the Info tab), so
@@ -110,8 +111,9 @@ except Login uses `Screen`.
   dragging it onto a cell; while a dragged tile is carried over the board, the aimed-at empty
   cell is **highlighted as a drop target** (an accent ring). A pending tile is taken back by a
   **double-tap** or by **dragging it back onto the rack** (unzoomed board only — when zoomed
-  the one-finger gesture scrolls). A single tap no longer recalls (too easy to trigger); a
+  the one-finger gesture scrolls). A single tap no longer recalls (too easy to trigger). A
-  recalled tile returns to its original rack slot.
+  **double-tap** returns the tile to its original rack slot; **dragging it back** drops it at the
+  rack slot the pointer is over (a gap opens there), the same drag-to-position as a rack reorder.
 - **Players plaque & history** (`Game.svelte`): the seats above the board share
   the width evenly; the seat whose turn it is is **raised** (a drop shadow on its sides)
   while the others read **sunk in** (an inset shadow). A tap on the plaque toggles
@@ -172,11 +174,9 @@ except Login uses `Screen`.
 - **Bonus-square labels** — a Settings choice (`boardlabels.ts`): `beginner` shows a
   split `3×` / `word` (localized слово/буква), `classic` a single `3W` / `3С`, `none`
   nothing. Default **beginner**.
-- **Grid lines** — a Settings toggle, **default off**. Off: a **gapless
+- **Board surface** — always a **gapless checkerboard** (there is no grid-lines setting):
-  checkerboard** — plain cells alternate two shades, and tiles get rounded corners with a
+  plain cells alternate two shades, and tiles get rounded corners with a soft right-side
-  soft right-side shadow so adjacent gapless tiles still read apart, reclaiming ~14px of
+  shadow so adjacent gapless tiles still read apart, reclaiming ~14px of board width.
-  board width. On: the classic lined grid, where the inter-cell gap shows a contrasting
-  `--cell-line` (darker in light, lighter in dark) to avoid a wavy-line optical illusion.
 
 ## Controls
 
@@ -242,7 +242,9 @@ game **becomes your turn or finishes** while the lobby is open, that status emoj
 twice** (a two-cycle opacity fade, ~2 s; suppressed under reduce-motion) to draw the eye — the
 opponent's-turn change is silent. Each card's blink is keyed by game id, so overlapping
 events animate in isolation, and the newest bottom toast cancels the previous one and replays
-its entrance (`components/Toast.svelte`, re-keyed on a per-message sequence).
+its entrance (`components/Toast.svelte`, re-keyed on a per-message sequence). An **info** toast
+lives ~2 s, drifting up by about the tab-bar height as it fades (a plain fade, no travel, under
+reduce-motion); an **error** toast dwells longer (~4 s). Either dismisses instantly on tap.
 
 **Simultaneous-game cap.** When the player is at the active-quick-game cap (`games.list`
 `at_game_limit`), the lobby's **New Game** tab is **disabled** (greyed via the shared
@@ -255,8 +257,11 @@ enabled on the first, uncached load) and flip in place when an event refreshes t
 
 - **Settings hub** (`screens/SettingsHub.svelte`, the lobby ⚙️ tab): one nav bar + a bottom
   tab bar over four bodies — ⚙️ Settings, 👤 Profile, 🤝 Friends, ℹ️ About — switched in
-  place; back always returns to the lobby. Guests see all but Friends. The lobby ⚙️ badge and
+  place; back always returns to the lobby. The **selected** tab is marked by a filled pill
-  the 🤝 tab badge both show the pending incoming-friend-request count.
+  hugging its icon **and** label (with an accent underline) — a persistent selection cue that
+  the plain, unhighlighted action tabs (lobby nav, in-game controls) never carry. Guests see
+  all but Friends. The lobby ⚙️ badge and the 🤝 tab badge both show the pending
+  incoming-friend-request count.
 - **Friends** (`screens/Friends.svelte`, the Settings hub's 🤝 tab): an "add a friend" block
   pairing a code **input** with a **Show my code** action that reveals a large 6-digit
   code + its expiry; then the incoming **requests** (Accept / Decline), the **friends**
@@ -281,8 +286,9 @@ enabled on the first, uncached load) and flip in place when an event refreshes t
   under Start game notes the wait can take a while (the app may be closed meanwhile). With **AI**
   selected there is no wait: the move-clock line instead reads **"Loss after 7 days of inactivity"**
   and the "searching" hint is hidden; the game starts already seated, the opponent shows as **🤖**
-  everywhere (score card, lobby row, turn line), the add-friend 🤝 is never drawn, and the chat's
+  everywhere (score card, lobby row, turn line), the add-friend 🤝 is never drawn, and there is
-  send field and 🛎️ nudge stay **disabled** while the 🔎 dictionary word-check keeps working.
+  **no chat at all**: the comms hub drops the 💬 Chat tab and offers only the 🔎 dictionary
+  word-check (the 🛎️ nudge is likewise gone).
 - **Statistics** (`screens/Stats.svelte`, the lobby ✏️ tab): a 2-column grid of stat
   cards (games / wins / draws / losses / moves / hint-share / best game / win-rate) —
   pure numbers, no charts; hint-share is a one-decimal percentage in the active locale's
@@ -315,7 +321,7 @@ enabled on the first, uncached load) and flip in place when an event refreshes t
   never in an honest-AI game (throwaway practice). Confirming a resign reveals the full board:
   it closes the history drawer (portrait) and zooms the board out.
 - **Finished game**: the board keeps no last-word highlight and no zoom; the history header
-  offers *Export GCG* (not *Drop game*; an AI game offers neither) and the comms hub hides the 🔎 *Dictionary* tab; and
+  offers *Export GCG* (not *Drop game*; an AI game offers neither) and the comms hub hides the 🔎 *Dictionary* tab — and a **finished AI game has no comms at all** (no chat, dictionary closed), so its 💬 entry is dropped from the header too; and
   the footer (rack + tab bar) is **drawn but inert** (greyed, non-interactive) rather than
   hidden, so the layout does not jump. Chat send / nudge are the ⬆️ / 🛎️ icons. The input
   row is turn-driven: on your turn the message field shows until your one allowed message is

ui/e2e/game.spec.ts

@@ -123,16 +123,15 @@ test('a pending tile recalls on double-tap, not on a single tap', async ({ page
   await expect(page.locator('[data-cell].pending')).toHaveCount(0);
 });
 
-test('the board is a gapless checkerboard by default; grid lines toggle in Settings', async ({ page }) => {
+test('the board is always a gapless checkerboard; no grid-lines setting', async ({ page }) => {
   await openGame(page);
-  await expect(page.locator('.grid.gridless')).toBeVisible(); // lines off by default
-
-  await page.evaluate(() => (location.hash = '/settings'));
-  await page.locator('.gridlines input').check(); // turn grid lines on
-  await page.evaluate(() => (location.hash = '/game/g1'));
-
   await expect(page.locator('.grid')).toBeVisible();
-  await expect(page.locator('.grid.gridless')).toHaveCount(0);
+  // The board has no lined variant any more: its cells sit flush, with no inter-cell gap.
+  await expect(page.locator('.grid')).toHaveCSS('column-gap', '0px');
+
+  // Settings no longer offers a grid-lines toggle.
+  await page.evaluate(() => (location.hash = '/settings'));
+  await expect(page.locator('.gridlines')).toHaveCount(0);
 });
 
 test('shuffle reorders the rack but keeps the same tiles', async ({ page }) => {
@@ -285,6 +284,28 @@ test('a placed tile drags from one board cell to another (relocation)', async ({
   expect(to).not.toBe(from);
 });
 
+test('a placed tile drags back to a chosen rack slot (recall-to-position)', async ({ page }) => {
+  await openGame(page);
+  // Place the first rack tile (slot 0) on the board, remembering its letter.
+  await page.locator('.rack .tile').first().click();
+  const placed = (await page.locator('.rack .tile .letter').first().textContent()) ?? '';
+  await page.locator('[data-cell]:not(.filled)').nth(30).click();
+  const pending = page.locator('[data-cell].pending');
+  await expect(pending).toHaveCount(1);
+
+  // Drag it from the board back onto a later rack slot (the 4th visible tile), not its origin.
+  const fb = await pending.first().boundingBox();
+  const slot = await page.locator('[data-rack] .tile').nth(3).boundingBox();
+  await page.mouse.move(fb!.x + fb!.width / 2, fb!.y + fb!.height / 2);
+  await page.mouse.down();
+  await page.mouse.move(slot!.x + 2, slot!.y + slot!.height / 2, { steps: 10 });
+  await page.mouse.up();
+
+  // Recalled (no pending) and reinserted at the drop slot — slot 3, not its origin slot 0.
+  await expect(pending).toHaveCount(0);
+  await expect(page.locator('[data-rack] .tile .letter').nth(3)).toHaveText(placed);
+});
+
 test('comms hub: chat and dictionary share a screen, back returns to the game', async ({ page }) => {
   await openGame(page);
   await page.locator('.scoreboard').click(); // open the history

ui/e2e/history.spec.ts

@@ -43,6 +43,29 @@ test('a swipe-down on the zoom-out board opens the history', async ({ page }) =>
   await expect(page.locator('.boardwrap.slid')).toBeVisible();
 });
 
+test('a recall drag onto the rack does not break the next board swipe', async ({ page }) => {
+  await openGame(page);
+  // Place a tile, then drag it back onto the rack — the recall's pointerup lands off the
+  // boardwrap, which once left a stale pointer there so the next swipe read as multi-touch.
+  await page.locator('.rack .tile').first().click();
+  await page.locator('[data-cell]:not(.filled)').nth(30).click();
+  const pending = page.locator('[data-cell].pending');
+  await expect(pending).toHaveCount(1);
+  const fb = (await pending.first().boundingBox())!;
+  const slot = (await page.locator('[data-rack] .tile').nth(2).boundingBox())!;
+  await page.mouse.move(fb.x + fb.width / 2, fb.y + fb.height / 2);
+  await page.mouse.down();
+  await page.mouse.move(slot.x + 2, slot.y + slot.height / 2, { steps: 10 });
+  await page.mouse.up();
+  await expect(pending).toHaveCount(0);
+
+  // The swipe-down still opens the history (the recall pointer was reconciled).
+  await page.locator('.stage').evaluate((el) => (el.scrollTop = 0));
+  const box = (await page.locator('.boardwrap').boundingBox())!;
+  await touchSwipeDown(page, box.y + 20, box.y + 180);
+  await expect(page.locator('.history')).toBeVisible();
+});
+
 test('the history is a per-seat grid with move scores but no names or running total', async ({ page }) => {
   await openGame(page);
   await page.locator('.scoreboard').click(); // open the history (gesture is covered separately)

ui/e2e/quickmatch.spec.ts

@@ -50,18 +50,20 @@ test('AI game: 🤖 opponent, no wait, chat disabled, dictionary still works', a
   await expect(page.locator('.scoreboard').getByText('🤖')).toBeVisible();
   await expect(page.getByText(/Searching for opponent/)).toHaveCount(0);
 
-  // Chat is disabled (the message field), while the dictionary word-check stays usable.
+  // An AI game has no chat at all: the comms hub drops the Chat tab and lands on the Dictionary
+  // alone, which stays usable.
   await page.locator('.scoreboard').click(); // open the history
-  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Chat' }).click(); // 💬 -> comms hub
+  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Chat' }).click(); // 💬 (the history-header entry) -> comms hub
   await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\/game\/.+\/chat$/);
-  await expect(page.locator('.chat input')).toBeDisabled();
+  await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Chat' })).toHaveCount(0); // no Chat tab
-  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Dictionary' }).click();
+  await expect(page.locator('.chat input')).toHaveCount(0); // the chat body never mounts
-  await expect(page.locator('.check input')).toBeEnabled();
+  await expect(page.locator('.check input')).toBeEnabled(); // the Dictionary is the only surface
 });
 
-// GCG export is pointless for a practice AI game, so the finished AI game hides the 📤 export
+// GCG export is pointless for a practice AI game, and a finished AI game has no comms at all
-// (the comms hub stays). Start an AI game, resign it, reopen the history and check the header.
+// (no chat, and the dictionary closes with the game), so both the 📤 export and the 💬 comms
-test('AI game: no GCG export offered after it ends', async ({ page }) => {
+// entry are gone. Start an AI game, resign it, reopen the history and check the header.
+test('AI game: after it ends, no GCG export and no comms entry', async ({ page }) => {
   await page.goto('/');
   await page.getByRole('button', { name: /guest/i }).click();
   await page.getByRole('button', { name: /🎲/ }).click();
@@ -75,11 +77,11 @@ test('AI game: no GCG export offered after it ends', async ({ page }) => {
   await page.locator('button.danger').click();
   await expect(page.locator('.status .over')).toBeVisible();
 
-  // Reopen the history (resigning auto-closed it): the finished AI game offers no GCG export,
+  // Reopen the history (resigning auto-closed it): the finished AI game offers no GCG export and
-  // while the comms hub stays reachable.
+  // no comms entry at all.
   await page.locator('.scoreboard').click();
   await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Export GCG' })).toHaveCount(0);
-  await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Chat' })).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Chat' })).toHaveCount(0);
 });
 
 // The opponent_joined push is best-effort and never replayed, so a join that lands while the live

ui/src/App.svelte

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
   import { insideTelegram, telegramBackButton } from './lib/telegram';
   import Toast from './components/Toast.svelte';
   import StaleInviteModal from './components/StaleInviteModal.svelte';
+  import WelcomeRedeemModal from './components/WelcomeRedeemModal.svelte';
   import Login from './screens/Login.svelte';
   import Lobby from './screens/Lobby.svelte';
   import NewGame from './screens/NewGame.svelte';
@@ -110,6 +111,7 @@
 
 <Toast />
 <StaleInviteModal />
+<WelcomeRedeemModal />
 
 <style>
   .splash {

ui/src/Landing.svelte

@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@
       locale: lc,
       reduceMotion: prefs.reduceMotion ?? false,
       boardLabels: prefs.boardLabels ?? 'beginner',
-      boardLines: prefs.boardLines ?? false,
     });
     prefs = { ...prefs, locale: lc };
   }

ui/src/components/TabBar.svelte

@@ -51,10 +51,25 @@
     line-height: 1;
     transition: background-color 0.12s;
   }
-  /* A tab that navigates between peer views (Settings / Comms hubs) stays highlighted
+  /* A tab that navigates between peer views (Settings / Comms hubs) wraps its icon and label
-     while selected: a filled square with an accent underline. A tap itself leaves no
+     in a .face so the selected highlight hugs both — a filled pill with an accent underline,
-     highlight — there is no press tint, and the WebKit tap flash is disabled on .tab. */
+     sized to the content with a small padding. A tap itself leaves no highlight (no press
-  :global(.tab.active .sq) {
+     tint, and the WebKit tap flash is disabled on .tab). Plain action tabs (the lobby nav,
+     the in-game controls) carry no .face and are never .active, so they are unaffected. */
+  :global(.tab .face) {
+    display: inline-flex;
+    flex-direction: column;
+    align-items: center;
+    padding: 3px 10px;
+    border-radius: 12px;
+    transition: background-color 0.12s;
+  }
+  /* Inside a face the icon square needs no padding of its own — the face provides the
+     surround (the bare .sq padding still applies to the unwrapped action tabs). */
+  :global(.tab .face .sq) {
+    padding: 0;
+  }
+  :global(.tab.active .face) {
     background: var(--surface-2);
     box-shadow: inset 0 -2px 0 var(--accent);
   }

ui/src/components/Toast.svelte

@@ -1,20 +1,28 @@
 <script lang="ts">
   import { fade, fly } from 'svelte/transition';
-  import { app } from '../lib/app.svelte';
+  import { app, dismissToast } from '../lib/app.svelte';
 
   const dur = $derived(app.reduceMotion ? 0 : 260);
+  // An info bubble owns its whole 2s life through a CSS rise-and-fade animation, so it takes
+  // no Svelte enter/leave transition; an error keeps the fly-in / fade-out dwell behaviour.
+  const isInfo = $derived(app.toast?.kind !== 'error');
 </script>
 
 {#if app.toast}
-  <!-- Re-key on the toast's seq so a fresh message tears the old node down (out:fade) and replays
+  <!-- Re-key on the toast's seq so a fresh message tears the old node down and replays the
-       the entrance (in:fly): the newest toast cancels the previous one and starts its own cycle. -->
+       appear cycle: the newest toast cancels the previous one and starts its own. -->
   {#key app.toast.seq}
+    <!-- svelte-ignore a11y_no_noninteractive_element_interactions -->
+    <!-- svelte-ignore a11y_click_events_have_key_events -->
     <div
       class="toast {app.toast.kind}"
+      class:rise={isInfo && !app.reduceMotion}
+      class:rise-reduced={isInfo && app.reduceMotion}
       role="status"
       aria-live="polite"
-      in:fly={{ y: 32, duration: dur }}
+      onclick={dismissToast}
-      out:fade={{ duration: dur }}
+      in:fly={{ y: isInfo ? 0 : 32, duration: isInfo ? 0 : dur }}
+      out:fade={{ duration: isInfo ? 0 : dur }}
     >
       {app.toast.text}
     </div>
@@ -36,9 +44,45 @@
     box-shadow: var(--shadow);
     z-index: 50;
     text-align: center;
+    cursor: pointer;
   }
   .error {
     border-color: var(--danger);
     color: var(--danger);
   }
+  /* An info bubble fades in, then drifts up by roughly the tab-bar height while fading out,
+     all within 2s; the X centring is preserved across the rise. */
+  .toast.rise {
+    animation: toast-rise 2s ease-out forwards;
+  }
+  @keyframes toast-rise {
+    0% {
+      opacity: 0;
+      transform: translateX(-50%) translateY(8px);
+    }
+    12% {
+      opacity: 1;
+      transform: translateX(-50%) translateY(0);
+    }
+    100% {
+      opacity: 0;
+      transform: translateX(-50%) translateY(-56px);
+    }
+  }
+  /* Reduced motion: the same 2s life, fade only — no upward travel. */
+  .toast.rise-reduced {
+    animation: toast-rise-reduced 2s ease-out forwards;
+  }
+  @keyframes toast-rise-reduced {
+    0% {
+      opacity: 0;
+    }
+    12%,
+    70% {
+      opacity: 1;
+    }
+    100% {
+      opacity: 0;
+    }
+  }
 </style>

ui/src/components/WelcomeRedeemModal.svelte

@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+<script lang="ts">
+  import { app, dismissWelcomeRedeem } from '../lib/app.svelte';
+  import { t } from '../lib/i18n/index.svelte';
+  import { botUsername } from '../lib/deeplink';
+  import { telegramOpenLink } from '../lib/telegram';
+  import Modal from './Modal.svelte';
+
+  // Point at the bot the player signed in through (its service language), falling back to the
+  // interface locale, so an ru player is sent to the ru bot and an en player to the en one.
+  const username = $derived(botUsername(app.session?.serviceLanguage || app.locale));
+  // Greet the arriving player by their own display name.
+  const name = $derived(app.profile?.displayName || app.session?.displayName || '');
+  // Interpolate the name, then split the rest around the {bot} token so the bot handle renders
+  // as an inline link (the {name} value is substituted first; {bot} is left for the split).
+  const parts = $derived(t('friends.welcomeRedeem', { name }).split('{bot}'));
+
+  function openBot() {
+    if (username) {
+      const url = `https://t.me/${username}`;
+      // Inside Telegram, openTelegramLink navigates to the bot chat natively; elsewhere fall
+      // back to a new tab.
+      if (!telegramOpenLink(url) && typeof window !== 'undefined') window.open(url, '_blank');
+    }
+    dismissWelcomeRedeem();
+  }
+</script>
+
+{#if app.welcomeRedeem}
+  <Modal title={t('friends.welcomeRedeemTitle')} onclose={dismissWelcomeRedeem}>
+    <p class="msg">{parts[0]}{#if username}<button type="button" class="bot" onclick={openBot}>@{username}</button>{/if}{parts[1] ?? ''}</p>
+    <button class="ok" onclick={dismissWelcomeRedeem}>{t('common.ok')}</button>
+  </Modal>
+{/if}
+
+<style>
+  .msg {
+    margin: 0 0 16px;
+    line-height: 1.5;
+    /* The greeting and the bot sentence are separated by a blank line in the message. */
+    white-space: pre-line;
+  }
+  .bot {
+    background: none;
+    border: none;
+    padding: 0;
+    font: inherit;
+    color: var(--accent);
+    cursor: pointer;
+  }
+  .ok {
+    width: 100%;
+    padding: 10px 12px;
+    border: 1px solid var(--accent);
+    background: var(--accent);
+    color: var(--accent-text);
+    border-radius: var(--radius-sm);
+  }
+</style>

ui/src/game/Board.svelte

@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
     landscape,
     variant,
     labelMode,
-    lines,
     locale,
     focus,
     recenter,
@@ -41,8 +40,6 @@
     landscape: boolean;
     variant: Variant;
     labelMode: BoardLabelMode;
-    /** Draw 1px grid lines between cells; when false the board is a gapless checkerboard. */
-    lines: boolean;
     locale: Locale;
     focus: { row: number; col: number } | null;
     /** A monotonic nonce the parent bumps to request a scroll to `focus` even when the zoom state
@@ -234,7 +231,7 @@
 
 <div class="viewport" class:zoomed class:land={landscape} bind:this={viewport}>
   <div class="scaler" class:land={landscape} style="--z: {z};">
-    <div class="grid" class:gridless={!lines}>
+    <div class="grid">
       {#each board as rowCells, r (r)}
         {#each rowCells as cell, c (c)}
           {@const p = pending.get(key(r, c))}
@@ -311,18 +308,21 @@
       width 0.25s ease,
       height 0.25s ease;
   }
+  /* A gapless checkerboard with no grid lines (the board has no lined variant): plain cells
+     alternate shades and tiles get rounded corners plus a soft right-side shadow so adjacent
+     gapless tiles still read as separate pieces. */
   .grid {
     display: grid;
     grid-template-columns: repeat(15, 1fr);
-    gap: 1px;
+    gap: 0;
-    background: var(--cell-line);
+    background: var(--board-bg);
-    padding: 1px;
+    padding: 0;
   }
   .cell {
     position: relative;
     aspect-ratio: 1;
     border: none;
-    border-radius: 1px;
+    border-radius: 0;
     background: var(--cell-bg);
     color: var(--prem-text);
     /* No mobile tap flash on a cell tap (parity with the web click; the only intentional
@@ -344,11 +344,20 @@
   .cell.dl {
     background: var(--prem-dl);
   }
+  .cell.dark {
+    /* A gentle checkerboard tint: enough to read the alternation without competing with the
+       bonus cells, standing in for the grid lines that once separated the cells. Lightened
+       from a stronger mix that looked too contrasty in light theme. */
+    background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--cell-bg) 94%, #000);
+  }
   .cell.filled,
   .cell.pending {
     background: var(--tile-bg);
     color: var(--tile-text);
-    box-shadow: inset 0 -2px 0 var(--tile-edge);
+    border-radius: 4px;
+    box-shadow:
+      inset 0 -2px 0 var(--tile-edge),
+      2px 0 3px -1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4);
   }
   .cell.pending {
     background: var(--tile-pending);
@@ -356,30 +365,6 @@
        board) instead of the touch starting a board pan. */
     touch-action: none;
   }
-  /* Lines-off variant: a gapless checkerboard. The 1px grid gaps (and the cell-line they
-     reveal) collapse, saving ~14px of board width; plain cells alternate shades, and tiles
-     get rounded corners and a soft right-side shadow so adjacent gapless tiles still read
-     as separate pieces. */
-  .grid.gridless {
-    gap: 0;
-    padding: 0;
-    background: var(--board-bg);
-  }
-  .grid.gridless .cell {
-    border-radius: 0;
-  }
-  .grid.gridless .cell.dark {
-    /* A gentle checkerboard tint: enough to read the alternation without competing with the
-       bonus cells. Lightened from a stronger mix that looked too contrasty in light theme. */
-    background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--cell-bg) 94%, #000);
-  }
-  .grid.gridless .cell.filled,
-  .grid.gridless .cell.pending {
-    border-radius: 4px;
-    box-shadow:
-      inset 0 -2px 0 var(--tile-edge),
-      2px 0 3px -1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4);
-  }
   .cell.droptarget {
     /* The cell a carried tile is aimed at: an accent ring plus a light accent wash, so the
        target reads clearly while dragging without obscuring the bonus label underneath. */

ui/src/game/CommsHub.svelte

@@ -8,19 +8,24 @@
 
   // The in-game comms hub: a single nav bar + bottom tab bar hosting Chat and the word
   // Dictionary. Tabs switch in place, so the back control always returns to the game. The
-  // Dictionary tab is offered only while the game is active (mirrors the old "check word").
+  // Dictionary tab is offered only while the game is active (mirrors the old "check word"); an
+  // honest-AI game has no Chat, so it shows the Dictionary alone.
   type CommsTab = 'chat' | 'dictionary';
   let { id, initialTab = 'chat' }: { id: string; initialTab?: CommsTab } = $props();
 
   // The game is rendered (and cached) before its comms open, so the cache tells us whether
   // it is still active without another fetch; an unknown game keeps the Dictionary offered.
   const active = $derived(getCachedGame(id)?.view.game.status !== 'finished');
-  // Seeded once from the entry route's tab and then owned locally; the effect below
+  // An honest-AI game has no chat at all, so its hub is Dictionary-only.
-  // corrects a Dictionary deep-link into a finished game back to Chat.
+  const vsAi = $derived(getCachedGame(id)?.view.game.vsAi ?? false);
+  // Seeded once from the entry route's tab, then owned locally. The effect keeps the tab valid:
+  // an AI game has only the Dictionary; a finished non-AI game has only Chat (a stale Dictionary
+  // deep-link falls back to Chat).
   // svelte-ignore state_referenced_locally
   let tab = $state<CommsTab>(initialTab);
   $effect(() => {
-    if (tab === 'dictionary' && !active) tab = 'chat';
+    if (vsAi) tab = 'dictionary';
+    else if (tab === 'dictionary' && !active) tab = 'chat';
   });
 </script>
 
@@ -38,12 +43,14 @@
 
   {#snippet tabbar()}
     <TabBar>
-      <button class="tab" class:active={tab === 'chat'} onclick={() => (tab = 'chat')}>
+      {#if !vsAi}
-        <span class="sq" aria-hidden="true">💬</span><span class="lbl">{t('game.chat')}</span>
+        <button class="tab" class:active={tab === 'chat'} onclick={() => (tab = 'chat')}>
-      </button>
+          <span class="face"><span class="sq" aria-hidden="true">💬</span><span class="lbl">{t('game.chat')}</span></span>
+        </button>
+      {/if}
       {#if active}
         <button class="tab" class:active={tab === 'dictionary'} onclick={() => (tab = 'dictionary')}>
-          <span class="sq" aria-hidden="true">🔎</span><span class="lbl">{t('game.dictionary')}</span>
+          <span class="face"><span class="sq" aria-hidden="true">🔎</span><span class="lbl">{t('game.dictionary')}</span></span>
         </button>
       {/if}
     </TabBar>

ui/src/game/Game.svelte

@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
     placementFromHint,
     rackView,
     recallAt,
+    recallToSlot,
     reorderIndices,
     reset,
     toSubmit,
@@ -377,6 +378,10 @@
   // While a placed (pending) board tile is dragged to relocate it, draggingPend is its cell —
   // hidden from the board (the ghost stands in) like a lifted rack tile.
   let draggingPend = $state<{ row: number; col: number } | null>(null);
+  // A board tile dragged over the rack (a recall in progress, the rack showing a drop gap): the
+  // move's ✅ confirm and its preview caption are hidden so they don't sit over the opening gap;
+  // they return the moment the tile is dragged back out over the board.
+  const recallOverRack = $derived(draggingPend != null && reorderTo != null);
 
   let dragPointerId = -1;
   function beginDrag(src: DragSrc, e: PointerEvent) {
@@ -397,6 +402,7 @@
     window.removeEventListener('pointermove', onWinMove);
     window.removeEventListener('pointerup', onWinUp);
     window.removeEventListener('pointerdown', onExtraPointer);
+    boardPointers.delete(dragPointerId); // see onWinUp: don't leave a stale boardwrap pointer
     clearHover();
     clearReorder();
     downInfo = null;
@@ -481,7 +487,12 @@
     if (c) {
       dropTarget = !board[c.row]?.[c.col] && !pendingMap.has(`${c.row},${c.col}`) ? c : null;
       reorderTo = null;
-    } else if (reorderDragId != null && overRack(e.clientY) && placement.pending.length === 0) {
+    } else if (
+      overRack(e.clientY) &&
+      // A rack-source reorder (only with a clean, pending-free rack) or a board tile dragged
+      // back to the rack — both preview the drop slot as a gap the dropped tile will fill.
+      ((reorderDragId != null && placement.pending.length === 0) || draggingPend != null)
+    ) {
       reorderTo = dropSlotAt(e.clientX);
       dropTarget = null;
     } else {
@@ -510,6 +521,11 @@
     window.removeEventListener('pointermove', onWinMove);
     window.removeEventListener('pointerup', onWinUp);
     window.removeEventListener('pointerdown', onExtraPointer);
+    // A board-tile drag also registered this pointer on the boardwrap (the tile sits inside it),
+    // but it can be released off the boardwrap (e.g. a recall dropped on the rack), where the
+    // boardwrap's own pointerup never fires. Reconcile it here so no stale id is left to make the
+    // next swipe read as multi-touch and kill the shuffle / history-pull gesture.
+    boardPointers.delete(e.pointerId);
     clearHover();
     const di = downInfo;
     downInfo = null;
@@ -527,8 +543,15 @@
         // Dropped a placed tile on another board cell → relocate it there.
         relocatePending(di.src.row, di.src.col, cell.row, cell.col);
       } else if (di.src.from === 'board' && onRack) {
-        // Dropped a placed tile back onto the rack → recall it to its original slot.
+        // Dropped a placed tile back onto the rack → recall it to the drop slot the player aimed
-        placement = recallAt(placement, di.src.row, di.src.col);
+        // at (drag-to-position), or to its original slot when the drop is not over a gap.
+        if (to != null) {
+          const res = recallToSlot(placement, di.src.row, di.src.col, to);
+          rackIds = res.order.map((i) => rackIds[i] ?? i);
+          placement = res.placement;
+        } else {
+          placement = recallAt(placement, di.src.row, di.src.col);
+        }
         selected = null;
         recompute();
         scheduleDraftSave();
@@ -813,6 +836,8 @@
   //  - closed: a downward "pull" opens the history, but only on the zoom-out board scrolled
   //    to its top — zoomed, the one-finger drag pans the board, and mid-scroll a downward drag
   //    is the stage's own vertical scroll (the conflict that once retired this open gesture).
+  //    On that same closed, zoom-out board an upward swipe with no staged tiles shuffles the
+  //    rack (a convenience mirror of the shuffle control).
   // Both genuinely set `historyOpen` (closing no longer merely scrolls the slid board out of
   // view, which left a stale-open state that made a follow-up score-bar tap "jump" the board).
   let stageEl = $state<HTMLDivElement>();
@@ -869,6 +894,14 @@
       if (-dy > 32) closeHistoryByGesture(); // enough upward travel
     } else if (dy > 40 && dy > Math.abs(dx) * 1.4) {
       openHistoryByGesture(); // a clear, vertical-dominant downward pull
+    } else if (-dy > 40 && -dy > Math.abs(dx) * 1.4 && placement.pending.length === 0) {
+      // The same closed-board arm, opposite direction: a clear upward swipe on the zoom-out
+      // board with no staged tiles shuffles the rack (a convenience mirror of the shuffle
+      // control). Disarm and swallow the synthesised click so it cannot also place a tile.
+      shuffle();
+      boardSwipe = null;
+      swallowClick = true;
+      setTimeout(() => (swallowClick = false), 120);
     }
   }
   function onBoardWrapUp(e: PointerEvent) {
@@ -1104,9 +1137,13 @@
         <button class="hicon" onclick={() => (resignOpen = true)} disabled={waitingForOpponent} aria-label={t('game.dropGame')}>🏁</button>
       {/if}
       {#if !view.game.multipleWordsPerTurn}<span class="oneword-label">{t('game.oneWordRule')}</span>{/if}
-      <button class="hicon" onclick={() => navigate(`/game/${id}/chat`)} aria-label={t('game.chat')}>
+      <!-- A finished AI game has no comms at all (no chat, and the dictionary closes with the
-        {#key chatBlink}<span class="chat-ico" class:blink={chatBlink > 0 && !app.reduceMotion}>💬</span>{/key}
+           game), so the entry is dropped; an active AI game keeps it (it opens the dictionary). -->
-      </button>
+      {#if !(gameOver && view.game.vsAi)}
+        <button class="hicon" onclick={() => navigate(`/game/${id}/chat`)} aria-label={t('game.chat')}>
+          {#key chatBlink}<span class="chat-ico" class:blink={chatBlink > 0 && !app.reduceMotion}>💬</span>{/key}
+        </button>
+      {/if}
     </div>
     <div class="hgridwrap">
       <div class="hgrid" style="grid-template-columns: repeat({view.game.seats.length}, 1fr)">
@@ -1156,7 +1193,6 @@
       {landscape}
       {variant}
       labelMode={app.boardLabels}
-      lines={app.boardLines}
       locale={app.locale}
       {focus}
       {recenter}
@@ -1179,7 +1215,7 @@
         <span class="turn-ind">{isMyTurn ? t('game.yourTurn') : turnLabel()}</span>
       {/if}
       <span class="scores">
-        {#if preview}{preview.legal ? t('game.previewWords', { words: preview.words.join(', '), n: preview.score }) : t('game.previewIllegal')}{:else if !view.game.multipleWordsPerTurn}<span class="oneword" title={t('game.oneWordRule')}>1️⃣</span>{/if}
+        {#if recallOverRack}{:else if preview}{preview.legal ? t('game.previewWords', { words: preview.words.join(', '), n: preview.score }) : t('game.previewIllegal')}{:else if !view.game.multipleWordsPerTurn}<span class="oneword" title={t('game.oneWordRule')}>1️⃣</span>{/if}
       </span>
     </div>
   {/if}
@@ -1201,7 +1237,7 @@
         ondown={onRackDown}
       />
     </div>
-    {#if !gameOver && placement.pending.length > 0}
+    {#if !gameOver && placement.pending.length > 0 && !recallOverRack}
       <button class="make" onclick={commit} disabled={busy || !isMyTurn || !connection.online || !preview?.legal} aria-label={t('game.makeMove')}>✅</button>
     {/if}
   </div>
@@ -1447,9 +1483,9 @@
     white-space: nowrap;
   }
   .rack-row {
+    position: relative;
     display: flex;
     flex: none;
-    gap: 8px;
     align-items: stretch;
     padding: 0 var(--pad) 6px;
   }
@@ -1462,14 +1498,22 @@
     min-width: 0;
   }
   /* A borderless icon button (like the tab bar), not a filled accent button — and disabled
-     while the pending word is known to be illegal. */
+     while the pending word is known to be illegal. It is an overlay, NOT a flex sibling of the
+     rack: the rack keeps the full row width with a fixed tile size (no reflow or tile resize
+     when a tile is staged), and the button is absolutely pinned over the slots a staged tile
+     frees on the right. Its right edge sits at var(--pad) — directly under the right edge of the
+     preview caption above (.status shares that padding). */
   .make {
-    min-width: 56px;
+    position: absolute;
+    right: var(--pad);
+    top: 0;
+    bottom: 6px;
+    width: 56px;
     background: none;
     color: var(--text);
     border: none;
     display: grid;
-    place-items: center;
+    place-items: center end;
     font-size: 1.8rem;
   }
   .make:disabled {

ui/src/game/Rack.svelte

@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
   }
 </script>
 
-<div class="rack" class:reordering={draggingId != null} class:landscape data-rack>
+<div class="rack" class:reordering={draggingId != null || dropIndex != null} class:landscape data-rack>
   {#each shown as slot, i (slot.id)}
     <button
       class="tile"

ui/src/lib/app.svelte.ts

@@ -56,8 +56,6 @@ export const app = $state<{
   locale: Locale;
   reduceMotion: boolean;
   boardLabels: BoardLabelMode;
-  /** Draw grid lines between board cells; off (default) is a gapless checkerboard. */
-  boardLines: boolean;
   localeLocked: boolean;
   /** Pending incoming friend requests, for the lobby ⚙️ badge and the Settings Friends tab. */
   notifications: number;
@@ -72,6 +70,10 @@ export const app = $state<{
    *  code is already used/expired, so the visitor lands in the lobby with a gentle pointer to
    *  the bot instead of a scary error on the Friends screen. */
   staleInvite: boolean;
+  /** Whether to show the Telegram "welcome" window: set when a deep-link friend code is
+   *  redeemed successfully inside Telegram, greeting the arriving player and pointing them at
+   *  the bot for the most convenient way to play. */
+  welcomeRedeem: boolean;
   /** Monotonic counter bumped when the app returns to the foreground without the live stream
    *  having dropped. An open game watches it to refetch once, recovering an in-game event shed
    *  from a full hub buffer while suspended (the stream-drop case is covered by streamAlive). */
@@ -88,12 +90,12 @@ export const app = $state<{
   locale: 'en',
   reduceMotion: false,
   boardLabels: 'beginner',
-  boardLines: false,
   localeLocked: false,
   notifications: 0,
   chatUnread: {},
   feedbackReplyUnread: false,
   staleInvite: false,
+  welcomeRedeem: false,
   resync: 0,
 });
 
@@ -143,7 +145,18 @@ function goForeground(): void {
 export function showToast(text: string, kind: Toast['kind'] = 'info'): void {
   app.toast = { kind, text, seq: ++toastSeq };
   if (toastTimer) clearTimeout(toastTimer);
-  toastTimer = setTimeout(() => (app.toast = null), 4000);
+  // An info bubble lives exactly as long as its rise-and-fade animation (2s); an error
+  // dwells longer (4s) so it is not missed.
+  toastTimer = setTimeout(() => (app.toast = null), kind === 'error' ? 4000 : 2000);
+}
+
+/** dismissToast hides the current toast at once — a tap on the bubble dismisses it. */
+export function dismissToast(): void {
+  if (toastTimer) {
+    clearTimeout(toastTimer);
+    toastTimer = null;
+  }
+  app.toast = null;
 }
 
 /** dismissStaleInvite hides the outdated-invite-link notice (the user acknowledged it). */
@@ -151,6 +164,11 @@ export function dismissStaleInvite(): void {
   app.staleInvite = false;
 }
 
+/** dismissWelcomeRedeem hides the Telegram welcome window (the user acknowledged it). */
+export function dismissWelcomeRedeem(): void {
+  app.welcomeRedeem = false;
+}
+
 /**
  * seedChatUnread sets a game's unread flag from an authoritative per-viewer REST view (the lobby
  * list, a game's state, or a move result). The live-event GameView omits the flag, so the live
@@ -476,7 +494,6 @@ export async function bootstrap(): Promise<void> {
   app.theme = prefs.theme ?? 'auto';
   app.reduceMotion = prefs.reduceMotion ?? false;
   app.boardLabels = prefs.boardLabels ?? 'beginner';
-  app.boardLines = prefs.boardLines ?? false;
   applyTheme(app.theme);
   applyReduceMotion(app.reduceMotion);
   if (prefs.locale) {
@@ -560,7 +577,13 @@ async function routeStartParam(param: string): Promise<void> {
       try {
         const friend = await gateway.friendCodeRedeem(link.code);
         navigate('/friends');
-        showToast(t('friends.added', { name: friend.displayName }));
+        // Inside Telegram a successful invite-link redeem welcomes the arriving player and
+        // points them at the bot (its native convenience); elsewhere a quiet toast suffices.
+        if (insideTelegram()) {
+          app.welcomeRedeem = true;
+        } else {
+          showToast(t('friends.added', { name: friend.displayName }));
+        }
         void refreshNotifications();
       } catch (err) {
         const code = err instanceof GatewayError ? err.code : '';
@@ -633,7 +656,6 @@ function persistPrefs(): void {
     locale: app.locale,
     reduceMotion: app.reduceMotion,
     boardLabels: app.boardLabels,
-    boardLines: app.boardLines,
   });
 }
 
@@ -686,11 +708,6 @@ export function setBoardLabels(mode: BoardLabelMode): void {
   persistPrefs();
 }
 
-export function setBoardLines(on: boolean): void {
-  app.boardLines = on;
-  persistPrefs();
-}
-
 // Background/foreground lifecycle: silence the reconnect banner during a suspend and
 // reconnect quietly on return (and refresh the lobby badge for any push missed while
 // hidden, §10). Several signals cover the platforms: the page Visibility API, the

ui/src/lib/i18n/en.ts

@@ -163,7 +163,6 @@ export const en = {
   'settings.labelsBeginner': 'Beginner',
   'settings.labelsClassic': 'Classic',
   'settings.labelsNone': 'None',
-  'settings.boardLines': 'Grid lines',
   'settings.reduceMotion': 'Reduce motion',
 
   'about.title': 'About',
@@ -241,6 +240,8 @@ export const en = {
   'friends.selfInvite': "Hopefully you've been friends with yourself for a while ☺️",
   'friends.staleInviteTitle': 'Link expired',
   'friends.staleInvite': 'You opened the game from an outdated link. Open the bot {bot} to play and get notifications.',
+  'friends.welcomeRedeemTitle': 'Welcome!',
+  'friends.welcomeRedeem': 'Welcome, {name}!\n\nUse {bot} to join games the most convenient way.',
   'friends.added': 'Added {name}.',
   'friends.blockedList': 'Blocked players',
   'friends.unblock': 'Unblock',

ui/src/lib/i18n/ru.ts

@@ -164,7 +164,6 @@ export const ru: Record<MessageKey, string> = {
   'settings.labelsBeginner': 'Новичок',
   'settings.labelsClassic': 'Классика',
   'settings.labelsNone': 'Без текста',
-  'settings.boardLines': 'Линии сетки',
   'settings.reduceMotion': 'Меньше анимаций',
 
   'about.title': 'О программе',
@@ -242,6 +241,8 @@ export const ru: Record<MessageKey, string> = {
   'friends.selfInvite': 'Надеюсь, что с собой Вы уже давно дружите ☺️',
   'friends.staleInviteTitle': 'Ссылка устарела',
   'friends.staleInvite': 'Вы открыли игру по устаревшей ссылке. Откройте бота {bot}, чтобы играть и получать уведомления.',
+  'friends.welcomeRedeemTitle': 'Добро пожаловать!',
+  'friends.welcomeRedeem': 'Добро пожаловать, {name}!\n\nВоспользуйтесь {bot}, чтобы заходить в игру наиболее удобным способом.',
   'friends.added': 'Добавлен(а) {name}.',
   'friends.blockedList': 'Заблокированные',
   'friends.unblock': 'Разблокировать',

ui/src/lib/placement.test.ts

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
   rackView,
   recallAt,
   recallIndex,
+  recallToSlot,
   reorderIndices,
   reset,
   toSubmit,
@@ -112,3 +113,35 @@ describe('reorderIndices', () => {
     expect(reorderIndices(3, 0, 99)).toEqual([1, 2, 0]); // slot clamped to the end
   });
 });
+
+describe('recallToSlot', () => {
+  it('reinserts the recalled tile at the chosen visible slot, reordering the rack', () => {
+    // Lift Q (slot 1) onto the board, then recall it to visible slot 4.
+    const p = place(newPlacement(rack), 1, 7, 7);
+    const { placement, order } = recallToSlot(p, 7, 7, 4);
+    expect(placement.pending).toHaveLength(0);
+    expect(placement.rack).toEqual(['A', BLANK, 'N', 'I', 'Q', 'W', 'E']);
+    expect(order).toEqual([0, 2, 3, 4, 1, 5, 6]);
+  });
+
+  it('counts only still-visible slots and remaps the remaining pending tiles', () => {
+    // A (slot 0) and N (slot 3) are on the board; recall A to visible slot 2 — the placed N is
+    // skipped, and N's rackIndex follows the rack permutation.
+    let p = place(newPlacement(rack), 0, 7, 7);
+    p = place(p, 3, 7, 8);
+    const { placement, order } = recallToSlot(p, 7, 7, 2);
+    expect(placement.rack).toEqual(['Q', BLANK, 'N', 'A', 'I', 'W', 'E']);
+    expect(order).toEqual([1, 2, 3, 0, 4, 5, 6]);
+    expect(placement.pending).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(placement.pending[0].rackIndex).toBe(2);
+    expect(placement.rack[placement.pending[0].rackIndex]).toBe('N');
+  });
+
+  it('clamps the slot to the end and is an identity no-op when no tile sits at the cell', () => {
+    const p = place(newPlacement(rack), 1, 7, 7);
+    expect(recallToSlot(p, 7, 7, 99).placement.rack).toEqual(['A', BLANK, 'N', 'I', 'W', 'E', 'Q']);
+    const none = recallToSlot(p, 0, 0, 0);
+    expect(none.placement).toBe(p);
+    expect(none.order).toEqual([0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]);
+  });
+});

ui/src/lib/placement.ts

@@ -102,6 +102,51 @@ export function recallIndex(p: Placement, rackIndex: number): Placement {
   return { ...p, pending: p.pending.filter((t) => t.rackIndex !== rackIndex) };
 }
 
+/**
+ * recallToSlot recalls the pending tile at (row, col) and reinserts its rack letter at the
+ * given visible slot, reordering the rack the way a drag-to-reorder does (the drop position the
+ * player chose) instead of snapping the tile back to its original slot. It returns the new
+ * placement together with the index permutation applied to the rack, so the caller can permute
+ * its parallel stable ids in lockstep. toSlot counts the slots that stay visible after the
+ * recall (those still on the board are skipped); it is clamped to a valid position. The result
+ * is the unchanged placement and an identity permutation when no pending tile sits at (row, col).
+ */
+export function recallToSlot(
+  p: Placement,
+  row: number,
+  col: number,
+  toSlot: number,
+): { placement: Placement; order: number[] } {
+  const identity = p.rack.map((_, i) => i);
+  const tile = p.pending.find((t) => t.row === row && t.col === col);
+  if (!tile) return { placement: p, order: identity };
+  const ri = tile.rackIndex;
+  const rest = p.pending.filter((t) => t !== tile);
+  const usedByRest = new Set(rest.map((t) => t.rackIndex));
+  // Reinsert ri just before the toSlot-th slot that stays visible after the recall.
+  const others = identity.filter((i) => i !== ri);
+  let visible = 0;
+  let insertPos = others.length;
+  for (let pos = 0; pos < others.length; pos++) {
+    if (usedByRest.has(others[pos])) continue;
+    if (visible === toSlot) {
+      insertPos = pos;
+      break;
+    }
+    visible++;
+  }
+  const order = [...others];
+  order.splice(insertPos, 0, ri);
+  const newIndex = new Map(order.map((oldIdx, idx) => [oldIdx, idx]));
+  return {
+    placement: {
+      rack: order.map((i) => p.rack[i]),
+      pending: rest.map((t) => ({ ...t, rackIndex: newIndex.get(t.rackIndex)! })),
+    },
+    order,
+  };
+}
+
 export function reset(p: Placement): Placement {
   return { ...p, pending: [] };
 }

ui/src/lib/session.ts

@@ -124,8 +124,6 @@ export interface Prefs {
   locale: Locale;
   reduceMotion: boolean;
   boardLabels: BoardLabelMode;
-  /** Draw the 1px grid lines between cells; off (default) shows a gapless checkerboard. */
-  boardLines: boolean;
 }
 
 export async function loadPrefs(): Promise<Partial<Prefs>> {

ui/src/screens/Lobby.svelte

@@ -380,8 +380,8 @@
     align-items: center;
     justify-content: center;
     border: none;
-    background: var(--danger);
+    background: var(--bg-elev);
-    color: #fff;
+    color: var(--text);
     font-size: 1.1rem;
   }
   .row {
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@
     gap: 12px;
     min-width: 0;
     text-align: left;
-    padding: 10px 6px;
+    padding: 5px 6px;
     border: none;
     background: none;
     color: var(--text);
@@ -471,7 +471,7 @@
     color: var(--text-muted);
   }
   .emoji {
-    font-size: 1.8rem;
+    font-size: 1.35rem;
     line-height: 1;
     flex: 0 0 auto;
   }

ui/src/screens/Settings.svelte

@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
   import {
     app,
     setBoardLabels,
-    setBoardLines,
     setLocalePref,
     setReduceMotion,
     setTheme,
@@ -62,14 +61,6 @@
         </button>
       {/each}
     </div>
-    <label class="row gridlines">
-      <span>{t('settings.boardLines')}</span>
-      <input
-        type="checkbox"
-        checked={app.boardLines}
-        onchange={(e) => setBoardLines(e.currentTarget.checked)}
-      />
-    </label>
   </section>
 
   <section>
@@ -124,7 +115,4 @@
     align-items: center;
     justify-content: space-between;
   }
-  .gridlines {
-    margin-top: 12px;
-  }
 </style>

ui/src/screens/SettingsHub.svelte

@@ -46,18 +46,18 @@
   {#snippet tabbar()}
     <TabBar>
       <button class="tab" class:active={tab === 'settings'} onclick={() => (tab = 'settings')}>
-        <span class="sq" aria-hidden="true">⚙️</span><span class="lbl">{t('settings.title')}</span>
+        <span class="face"><span class="sq" aria-hidden="true">⚙️</span><span class="lbl">{t('settings.title')}</span></span>
       </button>
       <button class="tab" class:active={tab === 'profile'} onclick={() => (tab = 'profile')}>
-        <span class="sq" aria-hidden="true">👤</span><span class="lbl">{t('profile.title')}</span>
+        <span class="face"><span class="sq" aria-hidden="true">👤</span><span class="lbl">{t('profile.title')}</span></span>
       </button>
       {#if !guest}
         <button class="tab" class:active={tab === 'friends'} onclick={() => (tab = 'friends')}>
-          <span class="sq" aria-hidden="true">🤝{#if app.notifications > 0}<span class="badge">{app.notifications}</span>{/if}</span><span class="lbl">{t('friends.title')}</span>
+          <span class="face"><span class="sq" aria-hidden="true">🤝{#if app.notifications > 0}<span class="badge">{app.notifications}</span>{/if}</span><span class="lbl">{t('friends.title')}</span></span>
         </button>
       {/if}
       <button class="tab" class:active={tab === 'about'} onclick={() => (tab = 'about')}>
-        <span class="sq" aria-hidden="true">ℹ️{#if app.feedbackReplyUnread}<span class="badge">1</span>{/if}</span><span class="lbl">{t('about.tab')}</span>
+        <span class="face"><span class="sq" aria-hidden="true">ℹ️{#if app.feedbackReplyUnread}<span class="badge">1</span>{/if}</span><span class="lbl">{t('about.tab')}</span></span>
       </button>
     </TabBar>
   {/snippet}