NodeChess - Backend Server

This repository contains the backend server for NodeChess, a real-time multiplayer chess application. The server is built with Node.js and designed with a modern, scalable architecture to handle live gameplay, user authentication, and matchmaking.

The corresponding frontend for this project can be found here.

Features

• Real-time Gameplay: Manages game state and moves via a WebSocket API.
• User Authentication: Secure user registration and login using JWTs.
• Anonymous Guest Play: Allows users to play instantly without an account.
• Matchmaking: Separate matchmaking queues for registered and guest users.
• Persistent Game Storage: Saves completed games for registered users to a PostgreSQL database.
• Scalable by Design: Uses Redis for managing "hot" data like live game state and a stateless API architecture that is ready to be scaled horizontally.

Technology Stack

• Runtime: Node.js
• Framework: Express.js
• Real-time Communication: WebSockets (ws library)
• Database:
  • PostgreSQL: For "cold" data (user accounts, game history).
  • Redis: For "hot" data (live game state, matchmaking queues, locks).
• ORM: Prisma
• Containerization: Docker & Docker Compose
• Authentication: JSON Web Tokens (JWT)

Architecture

The backend consists of three main services orchestrated by Docker Compose:

1. API / Game Server: A Node.js container that handles all REST API endpoints and manages all WebSocket connections and game logic.
2. PostgreSQL Database: A dedicated container for permanent data storage.
3. Redis Cache: A dedicated container for ephemeral, high-speed data access.

This multi-container setup mimics a production environment and ensures a clean separation of concerns.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Docker and Docker Compose must be installed on your machine.

Running the Application

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/IsbatBInHossain/chess-game-server.git
   cd chess-game-server

2. Create the environment file: Create a .env file in the root of the project by copying the example file:

   cp .env.example .env

3. Build and run the containers:

   docker-compose up --build

   This command will build the Node.js image, pull the official Postgres and Redis images, and start all three services.

The API server will be running and accessible at http://localhost:8080.

API Endpoints

A brief overview of the primary endpoints. For the full specification, please refer to the frontend repository's README.

• POST /api/auth/register: Create a new user account.
• POST /api/auth/login: Log in a registered user and receive a JWT.
• POST /api/auth/guest: Get a temporary guest JWT for anonymous play.

The WebSocket server is accessible at ws://localhost:8080.