Java Synchronization for Thread Safety

Question

What potential issue is addressed by synchronizing on the board object in the play() method?
 
```java
public class GameBoard {
    private int[][] board = new int[3][3];

public void play(int row, int col, int player) {
        synchronized(board) {
            if (board[row][col] == 0) {
                board[row][col] = player;
            }
        }
    }

public void printBoard() {
        for (int[] row : board) {
            for (int cell : row) {
                System.out.print(cell + " ");
            }
            System.out.println();
        }
    }

public static void main(String[] args) {
        GameBoard game = new GameBoard();
        Thread t1 = new Thread(() -> game.play(1, 1, 1));
        Thread t2 = new Thread(() -> game.play(1, 1, 2));
        t1.start();
        t2.start();
    }
}
```

Accepted Answer

It prevents two threads from marking the same cell simultaneously, thus avoiding a race condition.

Answer

It automatically makes the printBoard() method thread-safe even when called concurrently.

Answer

It prevents deadlock by ensuring that only one thread can access the board at once.

Answer

It ensures that the board is reallocated safely before any updates occur.

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