diff --git a/main.cpp b/main.cpp
index 8ba3ea8..1701f7a 100644
--- a/main.cpp
+++ b/main.cpp
@@ -1,10 +1,8 @@
+#include <algorithm>
 #include <iostream>
-#include <fstream>
-#include <string>
+#include <map>
 #include <sstream>
 #include <vector>
-#include <bits/fs_fwd.h>
-#include <bits/fs_path.h>
 
 #define pt cout <<
 #define nl '\n'
@@ -14,25 +12,25 @@ using namespace std;
 
 // -------- START RAII HELPERS--------
 
-unsigned long allocated_mem = 0;
+unsigned long allocatedMem = 0;
 
 void *alloc(size_t size) {
     void *ptr = malloc(size);
     if (ptr == nullptr) {
-        cerr << "Memory allocation failed" << endl;
+        cerr << "Memory allocation failed" << nl;
         return nullptr;
     }
-    allocated_mem += 1;
+    allocatedMem += 1;
     return ptr;
 }
 
 void dealloc(void *ptr) {
     if (ptr) free(ptr);
-    allocated_mem -= 1;
+    allocatedMem -= 1;
 }
 
 bool assert_alloc() {
-    return !allocated_mem;
+    return !allocatedMem;
 }
 
 // -------- END RAII HELPERS--------
@@ -49,6 +47,10 @@ struct Moves {
     vector<Move> moves;
 };
 
+bool isValidPlayer(char c) {
+    return c >= 'A' && c <= 'Z' && c != 'X';
+}
+
 Moves serialize(const string &s) {
     Moves result;
     istringstream iss(s);
@@ -60,6 +62,10 @@ Moves serialize(const string &s) {
     int x, y;
     while (iss >> player >> x >> y) {
         if (player == "END") break;
+        if (!isValidPlayer(player[0])) {
+            string err = "Invalid player: " + player;
+            throw std::invalid_argument(err);
+        }
         result.moves.push_back({player[0], x, y});
     }
 
@@ -69,7 +75,7 @@ Moves serialize(const string &s) {
 void initBoard(char **board, int x, int y) {
     for (int i = 0; i < x; ++i) {
         for (int j = 0; j < y; j++) {
-            board[i][j] = (j&1 || i&1) ? ' ': '.';
+            board[i][j] = (j & 1 || i & 1) ? ' ' : '.';
         }
     }
 }
@@ -99,15 +105,118 @@ void printBoard(char **board, int x, int y) {
     }
 }
 
-void solve(Moves moves, char **board) {
-
+char toLowerCase(char c) {
+    return c | 32;
 }
 
+int normalizePlayer(char c) {
+    return toLowerCase(c) - 'a';
+}
+
+void printScores(map<char, int> &points) {
+    // TODO: change this to custom sort before submission
+    vector<pair<char, int> > ranking(points.begin(), points.end());
+    sort(ranking.begin(), ranking.end(), [](const pair<char, int> &a, const pair<char, int> &b) {
+        return a.second < b.second;
+    });
+
+    // Print the ranks
+    for (const auto &rank: ranking) {
+        pt rank.first << ": " << rank.second << " boxes" << nl;
+    }
+}
+
+bool isValidMove(int x, int y) {
+    // TODO: simplify this
+    return !(x & 1 != y & 1 && !(x & 1));
+}
+
+void solve(Moves moves, char **board) {
+    map<char, int> points;
+
+    for (Move &move: moves.moves) {
+        int moveX = move.moveX;
+        int moveY = move.moveY;
+        char player = move.player;
+
+        if (!isValidMove(moveX, moveY)) {
+            pt "Invalid move by: " << player << " at (x, y): (" << moveX << ", " << moveY << ")" << nl;
+            board[moveX][moveY] = 'X';
+            printBoard(board, moves.x, moves.y);
+
+            printScores(points);
+            pt "Exiting.." << nl;
+            return;
+        }
+
+        board[moveX][moveY] = toLowerCase(player);
+
+        // TODO:
+        if (moveX % 2 == 0 && moveY % 2 == 1) {
+
+        } else if (moveX % 2 == 1 && moveY % 2 == 0) {
+
+        }
+    }
+
+    printScores(points);
+    printBoard(board, moves.x, moves.y);
+}
+
+/*
+void solve(Moves moves, char **board) {
+    /*
+     TODO: use custom arr for points over map
+     *int *points = static_cast<int *>(alloc(26));
+    for (int i = 0; i < 26; i++) {
+        points[i] = 0;
+    }#1#
+    map<char, int> points;
+
+    for (const auto &move: moves.moves) {
+        int moveX = move.moveX;
+        int moveY = move.moveY;
+        char player = move.player;
+
+        board[moveX][moveY] = toLowerCase(player);
+
+        if (moveX % 2 == 0 && moveY % 2 == 1) {
+            if (moveX > 0 && board[moveX - 1][moveY] == '|' && board[moveX - 1][moveY - 1] == '-' && board[moveX - 1][moveY + 1] == '-') {
+                points[player]++;
+            }
+            if (moveX < moves.x - 1 && board[moveX + 1][moveY] == '|' && board[moveX + 1][moveY - 1] == '-' && board[moveX + 1][moveY + 1] == '-') {
+                points[player]++;
+            }
+        } else if (moveX % 2 == 1 && moveY % 2 == 0) {
+            if (moveY > 0 && board[moveX][moveY - 1] == '-' && board[moveX - 1][moveY - 1] == '|' && board[moveX + 1][moveY - 1] == '|') {
+                points[player]++;
+            }
+            if (moveY < moves.y - 1 && board[moveX][moveY + 1] == '-' && board[moveX - 1][moveY + 1] == '|' && board[moveX + 1][moveY + 1] == '|') {
+                points[player]++;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    vector<pair<char, int> > ranking(points.begin(), points.end());
+    sort(ranking.begin(), ranking.end(), [](const pair<char, int> &a, const pair<char, int> &b) {
+        return a.second < b.second;
+    });
+
+    for (const auto &rank: ranking) {
+        pt rank.first << ": " << rank.second << " boxes" << nl;
+    }
+    printBoard(board, moves.x, moves.y);
+
+
+    // dealloc(points);
+}
+*/
+
 int init(char *fileName) {
     // --- IO START ---
     FILE *inp = fopen(fileName, "r");
     if (inp == nullptr) {
-        cerr << "File not found" << endl;
+        cerr << "File not found" << nl;
         return 1;
     }
 
@@ -135,7 +244,7 @@ int init(char *fileName) {
     fclose(inp);
 
     if (!assert_alloc()) {
-        cerr << "Memory leak detected" << endl;
+        cerr << "Memory leak detected" << nl;
         return 1;
     }
     // --- CLEANUP END ---
@@ -144,8 +253,14 @@ int init(char *fileName) {
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     if (argc < 2) {
-        cerr << "No input file provided" << endl;
+        cerr << "No input file provided" << nl;
+        return 1;
+    }
+
+    try {
+        return init(argv[1]);
+    } catch (const std::invalid_argument &e) {
+        cerr << e.what() << nl;
         return 1;
     }
-    return init(argv[1]);
 }