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Jón er öðru megin borðsins og andstæðingurinn er hinum megin.

Jón er öðru megin borðsins og andstæðingurinn er hinum megin.
Jón is on one side of the table and the opponent is on the other side.
From Lesson 431:Reciprocal spatial contrast (öðru megin... hinum megin)·Icelandic

Questions & Answers about Jón er öðru megin borðsins og andstæðingurinn er hinum megin.

Why is borðsins in the genitive case here?
The phrase öðru megin (on one side) functions like a preposition that rules the genitive case. Because we are saying "on one side of the table", borð (table) must take the genitive definite form borðsins.
What case are öðru and hinum in, and why?
They are both in the dative neuter singular. The noun megin (side) always forces the preceding pronoun or adjective into the dative case when describing a static location. Thus, annar becomes öðru and hinn becomes hinum.
Could I use a preposition instead of the genitive to say "of the table"?
Yes. While öðru megin can take the genitive directly, it is also very common to use the preposition við (by/at) plus the accusative case. You will often hear öðru megin við borðið instead of öðru megin borðsins.
Why doesn't the sentence say hinum megin borðsins at the end?
Just like in English, you do not need to repeat the noun if it is already clear from the context. Saying hinum megin (on the other side) is perfectly sufficient once borðsins has been established in the first clause.

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