Is using too many 'if' statements bad programming?

Question

I am curious as to if I am using too many if/else if statements. I am writing a tic-tac-toe program using javascript, and to determine if the computer should block the player I am using about 9 if statements and I use about 9 when determining if there is 3 in a row.

For example:

if(r1c1V === xOrO && r1c2V === xOrO && r1c3V === xOrO)
{
    is3InARow = true;
}
else if(r2c1V === xOrO && r2c2V === xOrO && r2c3V === xOrO)
{
    is3InARow = true;
}
else if(r3c1V === xOrO && r3c2V === xOrO && r3c3V === xOrO)
{
    is3InARow = true;
}
.
.
.
.

and so on.

So my question is, am I using too many if statements? or is there no better way to do this? My friend was telling me that I shouldn't really use that many if statements, but I am not sure if he is true or not, I can understand why in some cases that it would be slower or bad, but I am not sure.

Thanks in advance!!

Answer 1

Programming is all about automating processes. You will not hear me say that the way you are doing this is wrong. If it works then it is oke. But of course it would be more beautiful if you could find a way to make it check everything automatically. Like looping through all x cords and just check if all of those are checked. This may not be easier, but it will be more extendable. If you'd ever wish to play a game on a ten by ten grid. then you would only have to say that that is the size of the field. Right now you would need to add all those other lines of code.