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Design an online chess game with undo and leaderboard

Last updated: Mar 29, 2026

Quick Overview

This question evaluates proficiency in real-time system design, state management, and concurrency control for multiplayer games, including consistency, undo semantics, low-latency messaging, game-state validation, auditability, and leaderboard computation.

  • medium
  • Meta
  • System Design
  • Software Engineer

Design an online chess game with undo and leaderboard

Company: Meta

Role: Software Engineer

Category: System Design

Difficulty: medium

Interview Round: Onsite

## Scenario Design a real-time online chess game service. ## Core requirements - Users can **challenge friends** and start a game session. - Two players take turns making moves. - A player may **undo (take back) moves only until the opponent makes their next move**. - Interpreting this strictly: after you make a move, you can retract it as long as the opponent has not responded with their move yet. - Provide a **leaderboard** that can show **all users’ rankings by score at any time**. ## Non-functional requirements (clarify assumptions) - Support many concurrent games. - Low-latency move delivery (near real time). - Correctness: legal move validation, turn ordering, no double moves. - Basic reliability and auditability (game history, dispute resolution). ## Out of scope (unless you choose to include) - Anti-cheat engine detection, spectating, chat, tournaments, puzzles.

Quick Answer: This question evaluates proficiency in real-time system design, state management, and concurrency control for multiplayer games, including consistency, undo semantics, low-latency messaging, game-state validation, auditability, and leaderboard computation.

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Meta
Nov 22, 2025, 12:00 AM
Software Engineer
Onsite
System Design
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Scenario

Design a real-time online chess game service.

Core requirements

  • Users can challenge friends and start a game session.
  • Two players take turns making moves.
  • A player may undo (take back) moves only until the opponent makes their next move .
    • Interpreting this strictly: after you make a move, you can retract it as long as the opponent has not responded with their move yet.
  • Provide a leaderboard that can show all users’ rankings by score at any time .

Non-functional requirements (clarify assumptions)

  • Support many concurrent games.
  • Low-latency move delivery (near real time).
  • Correctness: legal move validation, turn ordering, no double moves.
  • Basic reliability and auditability (game history, dispute resolution).

Out of scope (unless you choose to include)

  • Anti-cheat engine detection, spectating, chat, tournaments, puzzles.

Solution

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