diff --git a/ui/e2e/telegram.spec.ts b/ui/e2e/telegram.spec.ts
index 8a1188a..dbc3e00 100644
--- a/ui/e2e/telegram.spec.ts
+++ b/ui/e2e/telegram.spec.ts
@@ -35,6 +35,23 @@ test('Telegram launch auto-authenticates into the lobby and applies the theme',
     .toBe('#101418');
 });
 
+test('a Telegram launch fragment in the URL still lands on the lobby and normalises the hash', async ({
+  page,
+}) => {
+  await page.addInitScript((stub) => {
+    Object.assign(window, stub);
+  }, webAppStub());
+  // Telegram appends its launch params to the URL fragment on a cold launch; the router must
+  // not treat that as a route (it parsed as notfound, which re-keyed the pane and slid the
+  // lobby in as if returning from another screen).
+  await page.goto(
+    '/#tgWebAppData=query_id%3Dtest%26user%3D%257B%2522id%2522%253A1%257D&tgWebAppVersion=7.0&tgWebAppPlatform=ios',
+  );
+  await expect(page.getByText('Your turn')).toBeVisible();
+  // The lobby is the root: bootstrap normalised the launch-param fragment to '#/'.
+  await expect.poll(() => new URL(page.url()).hash).toBe('#/');
+});
+
 test('tg-fullscreen header keeps a constant native-nav gap as the font scales', async ({ page }) => {
   await page.goto('/');
   await page.getByRole('button', { name: /guest/i }).click();
diff --git a/ui/src/components/TabBar.svelte b/ui/src/components/TabBar.svelte
index b6ebbb3..d29a1ad 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/TabBar.svelte
+++ b/ui/src/components/TabBar.svelte
@@ -34,12 +34,13 @@
     width: 100%;
     user-select: none;
     -webkit-user-select: none;
+    -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; /* no WebKit flash on tap */
   }
   :global(.tab:disabled) {
     opacity: 0.4;
   }
-  /* The icon square hugs the emoji (just a little padding) so it is the press-highlight
-     target and the badge can sit on its corner. */
+  /* The icon square hugs the emoji (just a little padding) so the badge can sit on its
+     corner. */
   :global(.tab .sq) {
     position: relative;
     display: inline-grid;
@@ -50,12 +51,9 @@
     line-height: 1;
     transition: background-color 0.12s;
   }
-  :global(.tab:active:not(:disabled) .sq) {
-    background: var(--surface-2);
-  }
   /* A tab that navigates between peer views (Settings / Comms hubs) stays highlighted
-     while selected: a filled square with an accent underline, distinct from the
-     momentary press tint above. */
+     while selected: a filled square with an accent underline. A tap itself leaves no
+     highlight — there is no press tint, and the WebKit tap flash is disabled on .tab. */
   :global(.tab.active .sq) {
     background: var(--surface-2);
     box-shadow: inset 0 -2px 0 var(--accent);
diff --git a/ui/src/game/Board.svelte b/ui/src/game/Board.svelte
index cb9289e..ffb2e89 100644
--- a/ui/src/game/Board.svelte
+++ b/ui/src/game/Board.svelte
@@ -297,7 +297,9 @@
     border-radius: 0;
   }
   .grid.gridless .cell.dark {
-    background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--cell-bg) 88%, #000);
+    /* 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 {
diff --git a/ui/src/lib/routeparse.test.ts b/ui/src/lib/routeparse.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..14f5383
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/src/lib/routeparse.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { parse } from './routeparse';
+
+describe('parse', () => {
+  it('maps the empty hash and the root to the lobby', () => {
+    expect(parse('').name).toBe('lobby');
+    expect(parse('#/').name).toBe('lobby');
+  });
+
+  it('maps known paths to their routes', () => {
+    expect(parse('#/login').name).toBe('login');
+    expect(parse('#/new').name).toBe('new');
+    expect(parse('#/settings').name).toBe('settings');
+    expect(parse('#/stats').name).toBe('stats');
+    expect(parse('#/game/abc')).toEqual({ name: 'game', params: { id: 'abc' } });
+    expect(parse('#/game/abc/chat')).toEqual({ name: 'gameChat', params: { id: 'abc' } });
+    expect(parse('#/game/abc/check')).toEqual({ name: 'gameCheck', params: { id: 'abc' } });
+  });
+
+  it('maps an unknown path and a game without an id to notfound', () => {
+    expect(parse('#/bogus').name).toBe('notfound');
+    expect(parse('#/game').name).toBe('notfound');
+  });
+
+  it('treats a Telegram launch fragment as the lobby root, not notfound', () => {
+    // Telegram appends its Mini App launch params to the URL fragment on a cold launch; they
+    // are launch metadata, not a route. Parsing them as notfound made bootstrap's navigate('/')
+    // re-key the route pane (notfound -> lobby) and slide the lobby in on launch.
+    expect(parse('#tgWebAppData=query_id%3Dx&tgWebAppVersion=7.0&tgWebAppPlatform=ios').name).toBe(
+      'lobby',
+    );
+    expect(parse('#tgWebAppStartParam=foo').name).toBe('lobby');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/ui/src/lib/routeparse.ts b/ui/src/lib/routeparse.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8e4146b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/src/lib/routeparse.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+// Pure hash-path -> Route parsing for the router. Kept dependency-free and free of any
+// reactive state so it unit-tests in the node environment; router.svelte.ts wraps it with
+// the reactive route rune and navigation.
+
+export type RouteName =
+  | 'login'
+  | 'lobby'
+  | 'new'
+  | 'game'
+  | 'gameChat'
+  | 'gameCheck'
+  | 'profile'
+  | 'settings'
+  | 'about'
+  | 'friends'
+  | 'stats'
+  | 'notfound';
+
+export interface Route {
+  name: RouteName;
+  params: Record<string, string>;
+}
+
+/**
+ * parse maps a location hash to a Route. An empty hash is the lobby root. A Telegram Mini
+ * App cold launch appends its launch params to the URL fragment (#tgWebAppData=...&
+ * tgWebAppVersion=...); those are launch metadata, not a route, so the fragment is treated
+ * as the lobby root. Otherwise it would parse as notfound, and bootstrap's navigate('/')
+ * would then re-key the route pane (notfound -> lobby), sliding the lobby in on launch as if
+ * returning from another screen.
+ */
+export function parse(hash: string): Route {
+  const raw = hash.replace(/^#/, '');
+  if (raw === '' || raw.startsWith('tgWebApp')) return { name: 'lobby', params: {} };
+  const path = raw.split('?')[0];
+  const seg = path.split('/').filter(Boolean);
+  if (seg.length === 0) return { name: 'lobby', params: {} };
+  switch (seg[0]) {
+    case 'login':
+      return { name: 'login', params: {} };
+    case 'new':
+      return { name: 'new', params: {} };
+    case 'game':
+      if (!seg[1]) return { name: 'notfound', params: {} };
+      if (seg[2] === 'chat') return { name: 'gameChat', params: { id: seg[1] } };
+      if (seg[2] === 'check') return { name: 'gameCheck', params: { id: seg[1] } };
+      return { name: 'game', params: { id: seg[1] } };
+    case 'profile':
+      return { name: 'profile', params: {} };
+    case 'settings':
+      return { name: 'settings', params: {} };
+    case 'about':
+      return { name: 'about', params: {} };
+    case 'friends':
+      return { name: 'friends', params: {} };
+    case 'stats':
+      return { name: 'stats', params: {} };
+    default:
+      return { name: 'notfound', params: {} };
+  }
+}
diff --git a/ui/src/lib/router.svelte.ts b/ui/src/lib/router.svelte.ts
index 2d90df4..3e62dde 100644
--- a/ui/src/lib/router.svelte.ts
+++ b/ui/src/lib/router.svelte.ts
@@ -1,54 +1,11 @@
 // Minimal dependency-free hash router. Hash routing survives a reload and works on
 // a file:// origin (Capacitor native packaging), where there is no server to honour
-// deep paths. The route is a reactive rune so screens re-render on navigation.
+// deep paths. The route is a reactive rune so screens re-render on navigation. The pure
+// hash->Route parsing lives in routeparse.ts (unit-tested without a DOM).
 
-export type RouteName =
-  | 'login'
-  | 'lobby'
-  | 'new'
-  | 'game'
-  | 'gameChat'
-  | 'gameCheck'
-  | 'profile'
-  | 'settings'
-  | 'about'
-  | 'friends'
-  | 'stats'
-  | 'notfound';
+import { parse, type Route, type RouteName } from './routeparse';
 
-export interface Route {
-  name: RouteName;
-  params: Record<string, string>;
-}
-
-function parse(hash: string): Route {
-  const path = (hash.replace(/^#/, '') || '/').split('?')[0];
-  const seg = path.split('/').filter(Boolean);
-  if (seg.length === 0) return { name: 'lobby', params: {} };
-  switch (seg[0]) {
-    case 'login':
-      return { name: 'login', params: {} };
-    case 'new':
-      return { name: 'new', params: {} };
-    case 'game':
-      if (!seg[1]) return { name: 'notfound', params: {} };
-      if (seg[2] === 'chat') return { name: 'gameChat', params: { id: seg[1] } };
-      if (seg[2] === 'check') return { name: 'gameCheck', params: { id: seg[1] } };
-      return { name: 'game', params: { id: seg[1] } };
-    case 'profile':
-      return { name: 'profile', params: {} };
-    case 'settings':
-      return { name: 'settings', params: {} };
-    case 'about':
-      return { name: 'about', params: {} };
-    case 'friends':
-      return { name: 'friends', params: {} };
-    case 'stats':
-      return { name: 'stats', params: {} };
-    default:
-      return { name: 'notfound', params: {} };
-  }
-}
+export type { Route, RouteName };
 
 export const router = $state<{ route: Route }>({
   route: parse(typeof location !== 'undefined' ? location.hash : ''),