diff --git a/plugins/games/battleship.go b/plugins/games/battleship.go
index 8af2289..1c5c41b 100644
--- a/plugins/games/battleship.go
+++ b/plugins/games/battleship.go
@@ -81,22 +81,7 @@ func (b *BattleshipRules) InitBoards(players []*structs.Player, cfg GameConfigur
 // Assign player boards
 // ------------------------------
 func (b *BattleshipRules) AssignPlayerSymbols(players []*structs.Player) {
-    // Battleship has no symbols like X/O,
-    // but we use this hook to initialize per-player boards.
-
-    for _, p := range players {
-        // 10x10 boards
-        empty := make([][]string, 10)
-        for r := range empty {
-            empty[r] = make([]string, 10)
-        }
-
-        // ship board → players place ships manually via a "setup" phase
-        p.Metadata["ship_board"] = encodeBoard(empty)
-
-        // shot board → empty grid that tracks hits/misses
-        p.Metadata["shot_board"] = encodeBoard(empty)
-    }
+    // nothing needed for classic mode
 }
 
 // ------------------------------
@@ -105,72 +90,87 @@ func (b *BattleshipRules) AssignPlayerSymbols(players []*structs.Player) {
 // ------------------------------
 
 func (b *BattleshipRules) ValidateMove(state *structs.MatchState, playerIdx int, payload MovePayload) bool {
-    rF, ok1 := payload.Data["row"].(float64)
-    cF, ok2 := payload.Data["col"].(float64)
+    rf, ok1 := payload.Data["row"].(float64)
+    cf, ok2 := payload.Data["col"].(float64)
     if !ok1 || !ok2 {
         return false
     }
+    r := int(rf)
+    c := int(cf)
 
-    r := int(rF)
-    c := int(cF)
-
-    if r < 0 || r > 9 || c < 0 || c > 9 {
+    shotKey := fmt.Sprintf("p%d_shots", playerIdx)
+    shotBoard := state.Boards[shotKey]
+    if shotBoard == nil {
         return false
     }
 
-    // Check if this spot was already shot before
-    shotBoard := decodeBoard(state.Players[playerIdx].Metadata["shot_board"])
-    return shotBoard[r][c] == ""
+    if !shotBoard.InBounds(r, c) {
+        return false
+    }
+
+    // can't shoot same cell twice
+    if !shotBoard.IsEmpty(r, c) {
+        return false
+    }
+
+    return true
 }
 
-// ------------------------------
-// ApplyMove
-// ------------------------------
+// -----------------------------
+// APPLY MOVE (MODE B — CLASSIC)
+// -----------------------------
 func (b *BattleshipRules) ApplyMove(
   state *structs.MatchState,
   playerIdx int,
   payload MovePayload,
-) (bool, bool, int) {
-  attacker := state.Players[playerIdx]
-  defenderIdx := 1 - playerIdx
-  defender := state.Players[defenderIdx]
+) (bool, bool, int, bool) {
 
   r := int(payload.Data["row"].(float64))
   c := int(payload.Data["col"].(float64))
 
-  shotBoard := decodeBoard(attacker.Metadata["shot_board"])
-  shipBoard := decodeBoard(defender.Metadata["ship_board"])
+  shotKey := fmt.Sprintf("p%d_shots", playerIdx)
+  shipKey := fmt.Sprintf("p%d_ships", 1-playerIdx)
 
-  if shipBoard[r][c] == "S" {
-      shotBoard[r][c] = "H"
-      shipBoard[r][c] = "X"
+  shots := state.Boards[shotKey]
+  ships := state.Boards[shipKey]
+
+  hit := false
+
+  if ships.Get(r, c) == "S" {
+      // hit
+      hit = true
+      shots.Set(r, c, "H")
+      ships.Set(r, c, "X")   // mark destroyed section
   } else {
-      shotBoard[r][c] = "M"
+      shots.Set(r, c, "M")
   }
 
-  attacker.Metadata["shot_board"] = encodeBoard(shotBoard)
-  defender.Metadata["ship_board"] = encodeBoard(shipBoard)
-
+  // check game over
   over, winner := b.CheckGameOver(state)
 
-  return true, over, winner
+  // keepTurn = hit (classic rule)
+  return true, over, winner, hit
 }
 
 // ------------------------------
 // CheckGameOver
 // ------------------------------
 func (b *BattleshipRules) CheckGameOver(state *structs.MatchState) (bool, int) {
-
-    for i, p := range state.Players {
-        ships := decodeBoard(p.Metadata["ship_board"])
+    for i := range state.Players {
+        shipKey := fmt.Sprintf("p%d_ships", i)
+        ships := state.Boards[shipKey]
 
         alive := false
-        for r := range ships {
-            for c := range ships[r] {
-                if ships[r][c] == "S" {
+        for r := 0; r < ships.Rows; r++ {
+            for c := 0; c < ships.Cols; c++ {
+                if ships.Get(r, c) == "S" {
                     alive = true
+                    break
                 }
             }
+            if alive {
+                break
+            }
         }
 
         if !alive {
diff --git a/plugins/games/rules.go b/plugins/games/rules.go
index 7224eea..351d32a 100644
--- a/plugins/games/rules.go
+++ b/plugins/games/rules.go
@@ -22,7 +22,11 @@ type GameRules interface {
 
     // Apply a move.
     // Returns: (changed, gameOver, winnerIndex)
-    ApplyMove(state *structs.MatchState, playerIdx int, payload MovePayload) (bool, bool, int)
+    ApplyMove(
+        state *structs.MatchState,
+        playerIdx int,
+        payload MovePayload,
+    ) (changed bool, gameOver bool, winnerIdx int, keepTurn bool)
 
     // If a player leaves, who wins?
     // Return:
diff --git a/plugins/games/tic_tac_toe.go b/plugins/games/tic_tac_toe.go
index ca151df..7d99096 100644
--- a/plugins/games/tic_tac_toe.go
+++ b/plugins/games/tic_tac_toe.go
@@ -70,10 +70,10 @@ func (t *TicTacToeRules) ApplyMove(
   state *structs.MatchState,
   playerIdx int,
   payload MovePayload,
-) (bool, bool, int) {
+) (bool, bool, int, bool) {
   b := state.Boards["tictactoe"]
   if b == nil {
-      return false, false, -1
+      return false, false, -1, false
   }
 
   symbol := state.Players[playerIdx].Metadata["symbol"]
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ func (t *TicTacToeRules) ApplyMove(
 
   over, winner := t.CheckGameOver(state)
 
-  return true, over, winner
+  return true, over, winner, false
 }
 
 
diff --git a/plugins/modules/match.go b/plugins/modules/match.go
index eb859ff..f7be266 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/match.go
+++ b/plugins/modules/match.go
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ func (m *GenericMatch) MatchLoop(
 		}
 
 		// Delegate to rules.ApplyMove which returns (changed, gameOver, winnerIndex)
-		stateChanged, gameOver, winnerIdx := m.Rules.ApplyMove(s, playerIdx, payload)
+		stateChanged, gameOver, winnerIdx, keepTurn := m.Rules.ApplyMove(s, playerIdx, payload)
 
 		if stateChanged {
 			changed = true
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ func (m *GenericMatch) MatchLoop(
 			s.GameOver = true
 			s.Winner = winnerIdx
 		} else {
-			if len(s.Players) > 0 {
+      if !keepTurn && len(s.Players) > 0 {
 				s.Turn = (s.Turn + 1) % len(s.Players)
 			}
 		}