diff --git a/main.cpp b/main.cpp
index cb35210..8b8e9e4 100644
--- a/main.cpp
+++ b/main.cpp
@@ -176,19 +176,25 @@ Moves serialize(char *s) {
     result.x = (result.x << 1) - 1;
     result.y = (result.y << 1) - 1;
 
-    string player;
+    char *player = static_cast<char *>(alloc(4 * sizeof(char)));
     int x, y;
     while (iss >> player >> x >> y) {
         if (player == "END") break;
 
         // TODO: move this exceptions to runtime checks
         if (x >= result.x || y >= result.y) {
-            string err = "Invalid move by: " + player + " (" + toString(x) + ", " + toString(y) + ")";
+            string err = "Invalid move by: ";
+            err.append(player);
+            err.append(" at (x, y): (");
+            err.append(toString(x));
+            err.append(", ");
+            err.append(toString(y));
+            err.append(")");
             throw invalid_argument(err);
         }
 
         if (!isValidPlayer(player[0])) {
-            string err = "Invalid player: " + player;
+            string err = "Invalid player: " + player[0];
             throw invalid_argument(err);
         }
         Move move;
@@ -198,6 +204,7 @@ Moves serialize(char *s) {
         result.moves.push_back(move);
     }
 
+    dealloc(player);
     return result;
 }
 
@@ -249,7 +256,7 @@ void printBoard(char **board, int x, int y) {
 
     // Print the board with row numbers
     for (int row = 0; row < x; ++row) {
-        if (row % 10 == 0) {
+        if (!(row % 10)) {
             pt row / 10;
         } else {
             pt " ";
@@ -362,14 +369,6 @@ void solveVertical(
     int y,
     char player
 ) {
-    // TODO: fix ambiguity:
-    //  -
-    // |
-    //  -
-    // in the condition above, we do not know what to do at the end of the board
-
-    // need to check for x-1, x+1, y-1, y+1
-
     // check for any box below current move
     if (moveX < x - 2 && board[moveX + 2][moveY] != ' ' && board[moveX + 1][moveY - 1] != ' ') {
         int rightEdge = moveY == y - 1 ? 1 : board[moveX + 1][moveY + 1] != ' ';
@@ -387,6 +386,7 @@ void solveVertical(
     }
 }
 
+// check for any box on the left or right of the current move
 void solveHorizontal(
     int moveX,
     int moveY,
@@ -419,6 +419,7 @@ void solveHorizontal(
     }
 }
 
+// Solve the game
 void solve(Moves moves, char **board) {
     int *points = static_cast<int *>(alloc(26 * (sizeof(int))));
     for (int i = 0; i < 26; i++) {