diff --git a/server/src/db/index.ts b/server/src/db/index.ts
index 40f6898..c8262ef 100644
--- a/server/src/db/index.ts
+++ b/server/src/db/index.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,19 @@
 import pg from "pg";
 
 export const db = new pg.Pool();
+
+export const INIT_TABLES = `
+    CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS "user" (
+        id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
+        name VARCHAR(128) UNIQUE NOT NULL,
+        email VARCHAR(128),
+        password TEXT,
+        created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
+    );
+    CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS "game" (
+        id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
+        pgn TEXT,
+        white_id INT REFERENCES "user",
+        black_id INT REFERENCES "user"
+    );
+`;
diff --git a/server/src/db/init.sql b/server/src/db/init.sql
deleted file mode 100644
index a4c2c80..0000000
--- a/server/src/db/init.sql
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
--- users
-CREATE TABLE "user" (
-    id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
-    name VARCHAR(128) UNIQUE NOT NULL,
-    email VARCHAR(128),
-    password TEXT
-);
-
--- games
-CREATE TABLE "game" (
-    id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
-    pgn TEXT,
-    white_id INT REFERENCES "user",
-    black_id INT REFERENCES "user",
-);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/server/src/server.ts b/server/src/server.ts
index bda46c0..2bc1380 100644
--- a/server/src/server.ts
+++ b/server/src/server.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { createServer } from "http";
 import session from "./middleware/session.js";
 import { Server } from "socket.io";
 import { init as initSocket } from "./socket/index.js";
-import { db } from "./db/index.js";
+import { db, INIT_TABLES } from "./db/index.js";
 import routes from "./routes/index.js";
 
 const corsConfig = {
@@ -18,7 +18,14 @@ const app = express();
 const server = createServer(app);
 
 // database
-db.connect();
+await db.connect();
+db.query(INIT_TABLES, (err) => {
+    if (err) {
+        console.error(err);
+    } else {
+        console.log("Tables initialized");
+    }
+});
 
 // middleware
 app.use(cors(corsConfig));