Lead Full-Stack Developer for Real-Time Online Chess Platform — Web, iOS & Android

TITLE Lead Full-Stack Developer Needed to Build ChessCoin — Web, iOS and Android Chess Platform PROJECT OVERVIEW We are looking for an experienced lead full-stack developer to complete ChessCoin, an online chess platform inspired by platforms such as Chess.com, with its own competitive league and prize system. A partially developed website and existing codebase are available. The current project appears to use React or Next.js with Firebase or Supabase. The selected developer must begin by auditing the existing code, architecture and design. The code may be retained, improved or replaced if rebuilding parts of the platform is the better technical decision. ChessCoin is simply the name of the platform. It is not a cryptocurrency or blockchain project. We need one highly capable developer who can take primary ownership of the project, including frontend, backend, database architecture, real-time gameplay, mobile applications, deployment and final technical delivery. TARGET PLATFORMS The completed product must be available on: - Responsive web application - iOS application - Android application A cross-platform mobile framework such as React Native or Flutter may be proposed. We are open to the developer’s technical recommendations. CORE FEATURES 1. User accounts and player profiles - Email and secure authentication - Player username, avatar and profile - Elo rating - Match history and statistics - Account settings - Player status and availability - Password recovery and account security 2. Online chess gameplay - Real-time player-versus-player chess games - Reliable synchronization between players - Legal move validation - Game clocks and multiple time controls - Resignation, draw offers and timeout handling - Reconnection after temporary connection loss - Match result recording - Desktop and mobile-friendly chessboard - Matchmaking based primarily on Elo rating 3. Elo rating and player history - Automatic Elo calculation after rated games - Rating history and progression - Game archive - Player statistics - Leaderboards - Protection against artificial rating manipulation 4. Competitive paid leagues This is one of the platform’s most important features. Players will be able to join a competitive league by paying a subscription or entry fee. Each league may contain approximately 30 players, although the number must be configurable by an administrator. Players receive league points based on factors such as: - Elo gained since entering the league - Game performance - Number of eligible games played - Other configurable competition rules At the end of a competition, the highest-ranked players receive prizes. The intended model is that approximately 80% of the league revenue is allocated to the prize pool, while the platform retains approximately 20%. Percentages, prize distribution and competition rules must be configurable through the administrator panel. The final scoring formula will be defined during the planning phase. The system must be designed so that league rules and scoring weights can be adjusted without rebuilding the application. League functionality should include: - Paid league registration - Start and end dates - Configurable number of participants - Live league standings - Individual progress tracking - Minimum and maximum eligible games - Prize-pool calculation - Winner determination - Results and previous league history - Refund and dispute handling - Administrative approval or suspension of payouts 5. Payments and prize payouts - Collection of league subscriptions or entry fees - Secure payment-provider integration - Calculation and tracking of prize pools - Payouts to eligible winners - Refund-management workflow - Payment and payout history - Identity verification before qualifying payouts - Territory and age restrictions - Administrative review of suspicious activity - Clear transaction status and audit records The developer should recommend an appropriate payment and payout provider based on availability, fees, compliance requirements and supported countries. 6. Coach mode A dedicated coaching feature where players can improve their chess. Depending on the existing prototype and agreed scope, this may include: - Game analysis - Move evaluation - Mistake and blunder identification - Suggested moves or variations - Explanations and learning feedback - Review of completed games - Integration with an established chess engine such as Stockfish The developer should review the existing coach concept and recommend a practical implementation for the first production version. 7. Friends and messaging - Send, accept and reject friend requests - Friends list - Direct player invitations - Private messaging - Block and report functions - Online or availability status - Basic moderation tools 8. Traditional tournaments In addition to the paid league system, administrators should be able to create standard chess tournaments. This should include configurable tournament formats, registration, pairings, scheduling, standings, results and tournament history. The candidate should recommend which formats are realistic for the first release. 9. Notifications - In-app notifications - Push notifications for iOS and Android - Email notifications where appropriate - Game invitations - Matchmaking updates - League start and end reminders - Tournament updates - Prize and payout notifications - Friend requests and messages 10. Anti-cheating and platform protection ChessCoin will involve competitive rankings and monetary prizes, so security is essential. The platform must include: - Chess-engine-assisted cheating detection - Multi-account prevention and detection - Suspicious match and rating-pattern detection - Identity verification for winners - Player reporting - Account suspension and banning - Territory and age restrictions - Logs for games, payments, administrative actions and disputes - Protection against common web and mobile security vulnerabilities Applicants should explain what can realistically be automated and what should require manual administrative review. ADMINISTRATOR PANEL A secure administrator panel must allow authorized team members to: - Manage users and player accounts - Review identity-verification status - Suspend or ban accounts - Review reports and disputes - Examine suspicious games and activity - Create and manage leagues - Configure league scoring rules - Set entry fees and prize-distribution percentages - Create and manage tournaments - Approve, pause or reject payouts - Process or record refunds - Manage content and notifications - Review platform, gameplay and financial statistics - Access relevant activity and audit logs UI/UX REQUIREMENTS The existing design and prototype must be reviewed and completed. The selected developer will be responsible for: - Improving and finalizing the user experience - Creating a consistent design across web, iOS and Android - Ensuring responsive behaviour - Creating clear player, league, tournament and payment flows - Producing a polished, modern and easy-to-use chess interface PROJECT RESPONSIBILITIES The selected developer will be expected to: - Audit the existing source code and prototype - Document the current condition of the project - Recommend whether to retain, refactor or replace the current architecture - Define the final technical architecture - Develop the frontend and backend - Build or configure the database - Implement real-time chess gameplay - Develop the responsive web platform - Develop the iOS and Android applications - Complete the UI/UX - Build the administrator panel - Integrate payments, verification and payouts - Configure hosting and production infrastructure - Implement security, monitoring and backups - Test the product across supported devices - Correct bugs before release - Deploy the production web application - Prepare the mobile applications for App Store and Google Play submission - Provide technical documentation and a complete source-code handover The final source code, accounts, databases, infrastructure and intellectual property created for this project must belong to the client. PROJECT STRUCTURE This will be a fixed-price project divided into milestones. Applicants should propose a milestone structure. A possible structure is: 1. Existing-code audit, technical recommendations and final specification 2. Architecture, database and development environment 3. User accounts, profiles and administrator foundation 4. Real-time chess gameplay, matchmaking and Elo system 5. Leagues, scoring and leaderboards 6. Payments, payouts, verification and dispute workflows 7. Coach mode, messaging, friends and notifications 8. Tournament functionality 9. iOS and Android applications 10. Security testing, anti-cheating systems and quality assurance 11. Production deployment, mobile-store preparation and documentation 12. Final corrections and handover The first paid milestone should focus on the audit and technical plan. The remaining milestones and fixed prices will be confirmed after that audit. REQUIRED EXPERIENCE We are looking for a developer with demonstrated experience in several of the following areas: - Full-stack React or Next.js development - React Native or Flutter - Firebase, Supabase or comparable backend architecture - Real-time multiplayer applications - WebSockets or comparable real-time technologies - Online chess or board-game development - Elo or competitive ranking systems - Stockfish or other chess-engine integrations - Payment and payout integrations - Identity-verification systems - Fraud and multi-account prevention - Secure administrator panels - iOS and Android deployment - Scalable cloud infrastructure Experience building chess, gaming, tournament, fintech or prize-based competition platforms is highly valuable. IDEAL CANDIDATE The ideal candidate: - Can act as the project’s primary technical owner - Communicates clearly with a non-technical founder - Can identify weaknesses in an existing codebase - Makes practical product and architecture recommendations - Understands security and financial transaction risks - Provides realistic estimates - Documents decisions and progress - Is available for regular progress updates - Is interested in continued collaboration after the initial launch HOW TO APPLY Please answer the following questions: 1. Have you built a real-time multiplayer game or competitive platform? Please provide relevant examples. 2. Have you previously implemented chess gameplay, Stockfish, Elo ratings or tournament systems? 3. What technology stack would you recommend for the web, iOS and Android versions, and why? 4. How would you approach matchmaking and real-time game synchronization? 5. How would you structure the anti-cheating and multi-account detection systems? 6. What payment, identity-verification and payout providers would you recommend? 7. Would you retain React/Next.js with Firebase/Supabase, or consider another architecture? 8. How would you divide this project into fixed-price milestones? 9. What is your estimated total budget range and development timeline? 10. Will you personally perform the work, and what parts—if any—would be delegated? 11. What support or maintenance could you provide after launch? Please begin your proposal with the word “CHECKMATE” so we know you have read the complete description. Generic proposals that do not answer these questions will not be considered.