diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 3b8d043..e20c12a 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -7,6 +7,18 @@
     <groupId>rocks.zipcodewilmington</groupId>
     <artifactId>tic-tac-toe</artifactId>
     <version>1.0</version>
+    <build>
+        <plugins>
+            <plugin>
+                <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+                <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
+                <configuration>
+                    <source>17</source>
+                    <target>17</target>
+                </configuration>
+            </plugin>
+        </plugins>
+    </build>
     <dependencies>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>junit</groupId>
diff --git a/src/main/java/rocks/zipcodewilmington/tictactoe/Board.java b/src/main/java/rocks/zipcodewilmington/tictactoe/Board.java
index f56452f..3282c62 100644
--- a/src/main/java/rocks/zipcodewilmington/tictactoe/Board.java
+++ b/src/main/java/rocks/zipcodewilmington/tictactoe/Board.java
@@ -1,26 +1,123 @@
 package rocks.zipcodewilmington.tictactoe;
 
+import java.io.StringReader;
+
 /**
  * @author leon on 6/22/18.
  */
 public class Board {
-    public Board(Character[][] matrix) {
+
+
+    private Character[][] matrix; // created instance variable
+
+    public Board(Character[][] matrix) { // constructor
+        this.matrix = matrix; // initialized instance variable
     }
 
+
+// work in progress   MADE SOME PROGRESS
+   
     public Boolean isInFavorOfX() {
-        return null;
+
+            /*   example
+     {           col
+             row{'X', 'O', 'X'},
+                {'O', 'O', 'X'},
+                {'X', 'X', 'O'}
+
+
+
+            8 Ways to win
+           row1 [0][0],[0][1],[0][2]
+           row2 [1][0],[1][1],[1][2]
+           row3 [2][0],[2][1],[2][2]
+           --------------------------
+           col1 [0][0],[1][0],[2][0]
+           col1 [0][1],[1][1],[2][1]
+           col1 [0][2],[1][2],[2][2]
+           ----------------------------
+           diag1[0][0],[1][1],[2][2]
+           diag2[0][2],[1][1],[2][0]
+        }
+      */
+
+        Boolean isInFavorOfX = false;
+
+
+        for (int row = 0; row < matrix.length; row++) {
+            for (int col = 0; col < matrix[row].length; col++) {
+
+                   if(matrix[row][0] == 'X' && matrix[row][1] == 'X' && matrix[row][2] == 'X'){//horizontal win
+                    isInFavorOfX = true;
+
+              }else if(matrix[0][col] == 'X' && matrix[1][col] == 'X' && matrix[2][col] == 'X'){//vertical win
+                    isInFavorOfX =true;
+
+              }else if(matrix[0][0] == 'X' && matrix[1][1] == 'X' && matrix[2][2] == 'X'){//diagonal 1 win
+                  isInFavorOfX = true;
+
+              }else if(matrix[0][2] == 'X' && matrix[1][1] == 'X' && matrix[2][0] == 'X'){//diagonal 2 win
+                  isInFavorOfX =true;
+
+              }
+
+            }
+        }
+
+        return isInFavorOfX;
     }
 
+
     public Boolean isInFavorOfO() {
-        return null;
+
+        Boolean isInFavorOfO = false;
+
+
+        for (int row = 0; row < matrix.length; row++) {
+            for (int col = 0; col < matrix[row].length; col++) {
+
+                if(matrix[row][0] == 'O' && matrix[row][1] == 'O' && matrix[row][2] == 'O'){ //horizontal wins
+                    isInFavorOfO = true;
+
+                }else if(matrix[0][col] == 'O' && matrix[1][col] == 'O' && matrix[2][col] == 'O'){//vertical wins
+                    isInFavorOfO =true;
+
+                }else if(matrix[0][0] == 'O' && matrix[1][1] == 'O' && matrix[2][2] == 'O'){ //diagonal 1 win
+                    isInFavorOfO = true;
+
+                }else if(matrix[0][2] == 'O' && matrix[1][1] == 'O' && matrix[2][0] == 'O'){//diagonal 2 win
+                    isInFavorOfO =true;
+
+                }
+
+            }
+        }
+
+
+
+
+        return isInFavorOfO;
     }
 
     public Boolean isTie() {
-        return null;
+
+
+        return !(isInFavorOfO() || isInFavorOfX());
     }
 
     public String getWinner() {
-        return null;
+        String winner = "";
+
+        if(isInFavorOfX()){
+          winner = "X";
+
+       }else if(isInFavorOfO()){
+          winner = "O";
+
+       }
+
+
+        return winner;
     }
 
 }