diff --git a/Connect4/connect4_lib/Sources/connect4_lib/rules/BasicDefaultsNoDiag.swift b/Connect4/connect4_lib/Sources/connect4_lib/rules/BasicDefaultsNoDiag.swift
index 1988e74..1917129 100644
--- a/Connect4/connect4_lib/Sources/connect4_lib/rules/BasicDefaultsNoDiag.swift
+++ b/Connect4/connect4_lib/Sources/connect4_lib/rules/BasicDefaultsNoDiag.swift
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ public struct BasicDefaultsNoDiag : IRules {
             && maxNbRows >= minNbRows
             && maxNbCols >= minNbCols
             && nbChipsToAlign >= 2
-            && nbChipsToAlign < minNbCols
-            && nbChipsToAlign < minNbRows
+            && nbChipsToAlign <= minNbCols
+            && nbChipsToAlign <= minNbRows
         ) else { return nil }
         
         self.minNbRows = minNbRows
@@ -46,28 +46,53 @@ public struct BasicDefaultsNoDiag : IRules {
         
         var victoryTiles : [(Int, Int)] = Array(repeating: (0, 0), count: nbChipsToAlign)
         
-        // assuming that the board is square, we could add a check for that in IRules if we want to leave it open for extension
-        let nbCols = grid[0].count
+        // assuming that the board is square -- we could add a check for that in IRules if we wanted to leave that open for extension
         let nbRows = grid.count
+        let nbCols = grid[0].count
         
         for i in 0..<nbRows {
             for j in 0..<nbCols {
                 // check if there is room to the right
-                if nbCols - j >= nbChipsToAlign && grid[i][j] != nil && grid[i][j] == playerId {
+                if (nbCols - j) >= nbChipsToAlign && grid[i][j] != nil && grid[i][j] == playerId {
+                    
                     // check for victory
-                    if checkAligned(byPlayer: playerId, onGrid: grid, fromRow: i, andCol: j, going: directions.right) == nbChipsToAlign {
+                    let amountAligned = checkAligned(byPlayer: playerId,
+                                                     onGrid: grid,
+                                                     fromRow: i,
+                                                     upToRow: (nbRows - 1),
+                                                     andCol: j,
+                                                     upToCol: (nbCols - 1),
+                                                     going: directions.right)
+                    
+                    //print("player \(String(describing: Board.descriptionMapper[playerId])) aligned \(amountAligned) horizontally:")
+                    if amountAligned >= nbChipsToAlign {
+                        
                         for x in 0..<nbChipsToAlign {
+                            
                             // row i, origin is (i, j), goes to the right
                             victoryTiles[x] = (i, j + x)
                         }
                         return (isOver: true, hasWinner: true, victoryTiles)
                     }
                 }
+                
                 // check if there is room lower down
-                if nbRows - i >= nbChipsToAlign && grid[i][j] != nil && grid[i][j] == playerId {
+                if (nbRows - i) >= nbChipsToAlign && grid[i][j] != nil && grid[i][j] == playerId {
+                    
                     // check for victory
-                    if checkAligned(byPlayer: playerId, onGrid: grid, fromRow: i, andCol: j, going: directions.down) == nbChipsToAlign {
+                    let amountAligned = checkAligned(byPlayer: playerId,
+                                                     onGrid: grid,
+                                                     fromRow: i,
+                                                     upToRow: (nbRows - 1),
+                                                     andCol: j,
+                                                     upToCol: (nbCols - 1),
+                                                     going: directions.down)
+                    
+                    //print("player \(String(describing: Board.descriptionMapper[playerId])) aligned \(amountAligned) vertically:")
+                    if amountAligned >= nbChipsToAlign {
+                        
                         for x in 0..<nbChipsToAlign {
+                            
                             // column j, origin is (i, j), goes down
                             victoryTiles[x] = (i + x, j)
                         }
@@ -76,29 +101,38 @@ public struct BasicDefaultsNoDiag : IRules {
                 }
             }
         }
-        
-        /*
-        winner exists?
-            return (true, true, tiles)
-        else is full ?
-            return (true, false, nil)
-         else
-            return (false, false, nil)
-         */
+
         return (isFull, hasWinner: false, nil);
     }
         
     private func checkAligned(byPlayer playerId: Int,
                                    onGrid grid: [[Int?]],
                                    fromRow i: Int,
+                                   upToRow iMax: Int,
                                    andCol j: Int,
+                                   upToCol jMax: Int,
                                    going direction: directions) -> Int {
         if let tile = grid[i][j] {
             if tile == playerId {
                 if direction == directions.right {
-                    return 1 + checkAligned(byPlayer: playerId, onGrid: grid, fromRow: i, andCol: j + 1, going: direction)
+                    if j == jMax { return 1 }
+                    return 1 + checkAligned(byPlayer: playerId,
+                                            onGrid: grid,
+                                            fromRow: i,
+                                            upToRow: iMax,
+                                            andCol: j + 1,
+                                            upToCol: jMax,
+                                            going: direction)
+                    
                 } else if direction == directions.down {
-                    return 1 + checkAligned(byPlayer: playerId, onGrid: grid, fromRow: i + 1, andCol: j, going: direction)
+                    if i == iMax { return 1 }
+                    return 1 + checkAligned(byPlayer: playerId,
+                                            onGrid: grid,
+                                            fromRow: i + 1,
+                                            upToRow: iMax,
+                                            andCol: j,
+                                            upToCol: jMax,
+                                            going: direction)
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/Connect4/connect4_lib/Tests/connect4_libTests/BasicDefaultNoDiagTest.swift b/Connect4/connect4_lib/Tests/connect4_libTests/BasicDefaultNoDiagTest.swift
index 2126dde..c0c22d9 100644
--- a/Connect4/connect4_lib/Tests/connect4_libTests/BasicDefaultNoDiagTest.swift
+++ b/Connect4/connect4_lib/Tests/connect4_libTests/BasicDefaultNoDiagTest.swift
@@ -44,28 +44,32 @@ final class BasicDefaultNoDiagTest: XCTestCase {
                     shouldBeOver: Bool,
                     shouldHaveWinner: Bool,
                     victoryTilesShouldBe: [(Int, Int)]?) {
-            
+             
             if let rules = BasicDefaultsNoDiag(withMinNbRows: 3, withMaxNbRows: 5, withMinNbCols: 3, withMaxNbCols: 5, withNbChipsToAlign: 3) {
-                                
-                XCTAssertEqual(shouldBeOver, rules.isGameOver(byPlayer: playerId, onGrid: grid).isOver)
-                XCTAssertEqual(shouldHaveWinner, rules.isGameOver(byPlayer: playerId, onGrid: grid).hasWinner)
-                XCTAssertFalse(rules.isGameOver(byPlayer: playerId, onGrid: grid).hasWinner && !(rules.isGameOver(byPlayer: playerId, onGrid: grid).isOver))
+                
+                let result = rules.isGameOver(byPlayer: playerId, onGrid: grid)
+                
+                XCTAssertEqual(shouldBeOver, result.isOver)
+                XCTAssertEqual(shouldHaveWinner, result.hasWinner)
+                XCTAssertFalse(result.hasWinner && !(result.isOver))
                 
                 if shouldHaveWinner {
-                    XCTAssertTrue(rules.isGameOver(byPlayer: playerId, onGrid: grid).isOver)
+                    XCTAssertTrue(result.isOver)
 
-                    let actualVictoryTiles = rules.isGameOver(byPlayer: playerId, onGrid: grid).victoryTiles
+                    let actualVictoryTiles = result.victoryTiles
                     
                     XCTAssertNotNil(actualVictoryTiles)
     
-                    for n in 0..<victoryTilesShouldBe!.count {
-                        XCTAssertEqual(victoryTilesShouldBe![n].0, actualVictoryTiles![n].0)
-                        XCTAssertEqual(victoryTilesShouldBe![n].1, actualVictoryTiles![n].1)
+                    if let actualVictoryTiles {
+                        for n in 0..<victoryTilesShouldBe!.count {
+                            XCTAssertEqual(victoryTilesShouldBe![n].0, actualVictoryTiles[n].0)
+                            XCTAssertEqual(victoryTilesShouldBe![n].1, actualVictoryTiles[n].1)
+                        }
                     }
                 }
             }
         }
-
+        
         expect(byPlayer: 1,
                withGrid: [[nil, nil, nil],
                           [nil, nil, nil],