diff --git a/cmd/server/main.go b/cmd/server/main.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..055e4af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/server/main.go
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"log/slog"
+	"os"
+	"os/signal"
+	"syscall"
+	"time"
+
+	"hash-of-wisdom/internal/lib/sl"
+	"hash-of-wisdom/internal/pow/challenge"
+	"hash-of-wisdom/internal/quotes"
+	"hash-of-wisdom/internal/server"
+	"hash-of-wisdom/internal/service"
+)
+
+func main() {
+	addr := ":8080"
+	if len(os.Args) > 1 {
+		addr = os.Args[1]
+	}
+
+	logger := slog.Default()
+	logger.Info("starting word of wisdom server", "address", addr)
+
+	// Create components
+	challengeConfig, err := challenge.NewConfig()
+	if err != nil {
+		logger.Error("failed to create config", sl.Err(err))
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+	generator := challenge.NewGenerator(challengeConfig)
+	verifier := challenge.NewVerifier(challengeConfig)
+	quoteService := quotes.NewHTTPService()
+
+	// Wire up service
+	genAdapter := service.NewGeneratorAdapter(generator)
+	wisdomService := service.NewWisdomService(genAdapter, verifier, quoteService)
+
+	// Create server configuration
+	serverConfig := server.DefaultConfig()
+	serverConfig.Address = addr
+
+	// Create server
+	srv := server.NewTCPServer(wisdomService,
+		server.WithConfig(serverConfig),
+		server.WithLogger(logger))
+
+	// Start server
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	if err := srv.Start(ctx); err != nil {
+		logger.Error("failed to start server", sl.Err(err))
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+
+	// Wait for interrupt
+	sigChan := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
+	signal.Notify(sigChan, syscall.SIGINT, syscall.SIGTERM)
+
+	logger.Info("server ready - press ctrl+c to stop")
+	<-sigChan
+
+	// Graceful shutdown
+	logger.Info("shutting down server")
+	if err := srv.Stop(); err != nil {
+		logger.Error("error during shutdown", sl.Err(err))
+	}
+
+	// Give connections time to close
+	time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+	logger.Info("server stopped")
+}
diff --git a/docs/IMPLEMENTATION.md b/docs/IMPLEMENTATION.md
index 3b0e54f..6553026 100644
--- a/docs/IMPLEMENTATION.md
+++ b/docs/IMPLEMENTATION.md
@@ -77,23 +77,33 @@
 - [X] Fix application tests for new protocol design
 
 ## Phase 6: TCP Server & Connection Management
-- [ ] Implement TCP server with connection handling
-- [ ] Add dual timeout protection:
-  - [ ] Connection timeout (max total connection time)
-  - [ ] Read timeout (max idle time between bytes - slowloris protection)
-- [ ] Implement proper connection lifecycle management
-- [ ] Create protocol state machine for request/response flow
-- [ ] Add graceful connection cleanup and error handling
-- [ ] Implement basic client for testing
-- [ ] Write integration tests for client-server communication
+- [X] Implement TCP server with connection handling
+- [X] Add dual timeout protection:
+  - [X] Connection timeout (max total connection time)
+  - [X] Read timeout (max idle time between bytes - slowloris protection)
+- [X] Implement proper connection lifecycle management
+- [X] Create protocol state machine for request/response flow
+- [X] Add graceful connection cleanup and error handling
+- [X] Add slog structured logging to TCP server
+- [X] Implement functional options pattern for server configuration
+- [X] Update cmd/server to use new TCP server with logging
 
-## Phase 7: Basic Server Architecture
-- [ ] Set up structured logging (zerolog/logrus)
+## Phase 7: Client Implementation
+- [ ] Create client application structure
+- [ ] Implement PoW solver algorithm on client side
+- [ ] Create client-side protocol implementation
+- [ ] Add retry logic and error handling
+- [ ] Implement connection management
+- [ ] Create CLI interface for client
+- [ ] Add client structured logging
+- [ ] Write client unit and integration tests
+
+## Phase 8: Basic Server Architecture
 - [ ] Set up metrics collection (prometheus)
 - [ ] Create configuration management
 - [ ] Integrate all components into server architecture
 
-## Phase 8: Advanced Server Features
+## Phase 9: Advanced Server Features
 - [ ] Add connection pooling and advanced connection management
 - [ ] Implement graceful shutdown mechanism
 - [ ] Add health check endpoints
@@ -101,7 +111,7 @@
 - [ ] Create health check endpoints
 - [ ] Write integration tests for server core
 
-## Phase 9: DDOS Protection & Rate Limiting
+## Phase 10: DDOS Protection & Rate Limiting
 - [ ] Implement IP-based connection limiting
 - [ ] Create rate limiting service with time windows
 - [ ] Add automatic difficulty adjustment based on load
@@ -110,7 +120,7 @@
 - [ ] Add monitoring for attack detection
 - [ ] Write tests for protection mechanisms
 
-## Phase 10: Observability & Monitoring
+## Phase 11: Observability & Monitoring
 - [ ] Add structured logging throughout application
 - [ ] Implement metrics for key performance indicators:
   - [ ] Active connections count
@@ -122,7 +132,7 @@
 - [ ] Add error categorization and reporting
 - [ ] Implement health check endpoints
 
-## Phase 11: Configuration & Environment Setup
+## Phase 12: Configuration & Environment Setup
 - [ ] Create configuration structure with validation
 - [ ] Support environment variables and config files
 - [ ] Add configuration for different environments (dev/prod)
@@ -130,16 +140,6 @@
 - [ ] Create deployment configuration templates
 - [ ] Add configuration validation and defaults
 
-## Phase 12: Client Implementation
-- [ ] Create client application structure
-- [ ] Implement PoW solver algorithm
-- [ ] Create client-side protocol implementation
-- [ ] Add retry logic and error handling
-- [ ] Implement connection management
-- [ ] Create CLI interface for client
-- [ ] Add client metrics and logging
-- [ ] Write client unit and integration tests
-
 ## Phase 13: Docker & Deployment
 - [ ] Create multi-stage Dockerfile for server
 - [ ] Create Dockerfile for client
diff --git a/internal/lib/sl/sl.go b/internal/lib/sl/sl.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4a91b7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/lib/sl/sl.go
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+package sl
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"log/slog"
+)
+
+// Err creates a structured error attribute for slog
+func Err(err error) slog.Attr {
+	return slog.Attr{
+		Key:   "error",
+		Value: slog.StringValue(err.Error()),
+	}
+}
+
+// MockHandler is a test handler that discards all log messages
+type MockHandler struct{}
+
+func (h *MockHandler) Enabled(context.Context, slog.Level) bool  { return false }
+func (h *MockHandler) Handle(context.Context, slog.Record) error { return nil }
+func (h *MockHandler) WithAttrs([]slog.Attr) slog.Handler        { return h }
+func (h *MockHandler) WithGroup(string) slog.Handler             { return h }
+
+// NewMockLogger creates a logger that discards all messages for testing
+func NewMockLogger() *slog.Logger {
+	return slog.New(&MockHandler{})
+}
diff --git a/internal/server/config.go b/internal/server/config.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3047106
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/server/config.go
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+package server
+
+import "time"
+
+// Config holds configuration for the TCP server
+type Config struct {
+	Address  string
+	Timeouts TimeoutConfig
+}
+
+// TimeoutConfig holds timeout configuration
+type TimeoutConfig struct {
+	// Read timeout protects against slowloris attacks (clients sending data slowly)
+	Read time.Duration
+	// Write timeout protects against slow readers (clients reading responses slowly)
+	Write time.Duration
+	// Connection timeout is the maximum total connection lifetime
+	Connection time.Duration
+}
+
+// DefaultConfig returns default server configuration
+func DefaultConfig() *Config {
+	return &Config{
+		Address: ":8080",
+		Timeouts: TimeoutConfig{
+			Read:       5 * time.Second,
+			Write:      5 * time.Second,
+			Connection: 15 * time.Second,
+		},
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/server/tcp.go b/internal/server/tcp.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6d1f4c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/server/tcp.go
@@ -0,0 +1,213 @@
+package server
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"log/slog"
+	"net"
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+
+	"hash-of-wisdom/internal/application"
+	"hash-of-wisdom/internal/lib/sl"
+	"hash-of-wisdom/internal/protocol"
+	"hash-of-wisdom/internal/service"
+)
+
+// TCPServer handles TCP connections for the Word of Wisdom protocol
+type TCPServer struct {
+	config            *Config
+	wisdomApplication *application.WisdomApplication
+	decoder           *protocol.MessageDecoder
+	listener          net.Listener
+	logger            *slog.Logger
+	wg                sync.WaitGroup
+	shutdown          chan struct{}
+}
+
+// Option is a functional option for configuring TCPServer
+type option func(*TCPServer)
+
+// WithConfig sets a custom configuration
+func WithConfig(config *Config) option {
+	return func(s *TCPServer) {
+		s.config = config
+	}
+}
+
+// WithLogger sets a custom logger
+func WithLogger(logger *slog.Logger) option {
+	return func(s *TCPServer) {
+		s.logger = logger
+	}
+}
+
+// NewTCPServer creates a new TCP server with optional configuration
+func NewTCPServer(wisdomService *service.WisdomService, opts ...option) *TCPServer {
+	server := &TCPServer{
+		config:            DefaultConfig(),
+		wisdomApplication: application.NewWisdomApplication(wisdomService),
+		decoder:           protocol.NewMessageDecoder(),
+		logger:            slog.Default(),
+		shutdown:          make(chan struct{}),
+	}
+
+	for _, opt := range opts {
+		opt(server)
+	}
+
+	return server
+}
+
+
+// Start starts the TCP server
+func (s *TCPServer) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
+	listener, err := net.Listen("tcp", s.config.Address)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to listen on %s: %w", s.config.Address, err)
+	}
+
+	s.listener = listener
+	s.logger.Info("tcp server started", "address", s.config.Address)
+
+	go s.acceptLoop(ctx)
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Stop gracefully stops the server
+func (s *TCPServer) Stop() error {
+	s.logger.Info("stopping tcp server")
+	close(s.shutdown)
+
+	if s.listener != nil {
+		s.listener.Close()
+	}
+
+	s.wg.Wait()
+	s.logger.Info("tcp server stopped")
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Address returns the server's listening address
+func (s *TCPServer) Address() string {
+	if s.listener != nil {
+		return s.listener.Addr().String()
+	}
+	return s.config.Address
+}
+
+// acceptLoop accepts and handles incoming connections
+func (s *TCPServer) acceptLoop(ctx context.Context) {
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-s.shutdown:
+			return
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return
+		default:
+		}
+
+		rawConn, err := s.listener.Accept()
+		if err != nil {
+			select {
+			case <-s.shutdown:
+				return
+			default:
+				s.logger.Error("accept error", sl.Err(err))
+				continue
+			}
+		}
+
+		s.wg.Add(1)
+		go func() {
+			defer s.wg.Done()
+			s.handleConnection(ctx, rawConn)
+		}()
+	}
+}
+
+// handleConnection handles a single client connection
+func (s *TCPServer) handleConnection(ctx context.Context, rawConn net.Conn) {
+	defer rawConn.Close()
+
+	connLogger := s.logger.With("remote_addr", rawConn.RemoteAddr().String())
+	connLogger.Info("connection accepted")
+
+	// Create connection-scoped context for overall timeout
+	connCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, s.config.Timeouts.Connection)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	if err := s.processConnection(connCtx, rawConn, connLogger); err != nil {
+		connLogger.Error("connection error", sl.Err(err))
+	} else {
+		connLogger.Debug("connection completed successfully")
+	}
+}
+
+// deadlineConn wraps a connection to automatically set deadlines on each read/write
+type deadlineConn struct {
+	net.Conn
+	rto, wto time.Duration
+}
+
+func (d *deadlineConn) Read(p []byte) (int, error) {
+	_ = d.SetReadDeadline(time.Now().Add(d.rto))
+	return d.Conn.Read(p)
+}
+
+func (d *deadlineConn) Write(p []byte) (int, error) {
+	_ = d.SetWriteDeadline(time.Now().Add(d.wto))
+	return d.Conn.Write(p)
+}
+
+// processConnection handles the protocol message exchange
+func (s *TCPServer) processConnection(ctx context.Context, conn net.Conn, logger *slog.Logger) error {
+	// Set overall connection deadline
+	globalDL := time.Now().Add(s.config.Timeouts.Connection)
+	if err := conn.SetDeadline(globalDL); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to set connection deadline: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	// Create deadline wrapper for automatic timeout handling
+	dc := &deadlineConn{
+		Conn: conn,
+		rto:  s.config.Timeouts.Read,
+		wto:  s.config.Timeouts.Write,
+	}
+
+	// Use LimitReader to prevent reading more than the protocol-defined maximum message size
+	// This protects against malicious clients that lie about payload length in headers
+	limitedReader := io.LimitReader(dc, int64(protocol.MaxPayloadSize)+protocol.HeaderSize)
+
+	// Read incoming message through limited reader
+	logger.Debug("reading message from client")
+	msg, err := s.decoder.Decode(limitedReader)
+	if err != nil {
+		if err == io.EOF {
+			logger.Debug("client closed connection gracefully")
+			return nil
+		}
+		logger.Error("failed to decode message", sl.Err(err))
+		return fmt.Errorf("decode error: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	logger.Debug("message decoded", "type", msg.Type, "payload_length", msg.PayloadLength)
+
+	// Process message through application layer
+	response, err := s.wisdomApplication.HandleMessage(ctx, msg)
+	if err != nil {
+		logger.Error("application error", sl.Err(err))
+		return fmt.Errorf("application error: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	logger.Debug("sending response to client")
+	// Send response using the response's own Encode method
+	if err := response.Encode(dc); err != nil {
+		logger.Error("failed to encode response", sl.Err(err))
+		return fmt.Errorf("encode error: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	logger.Debug("response sent successfully")
+	return nil
+}