MALONE -- Massena students took third and fourth places at the Upstate NY Scholastic Chess Championships Saturday.

Malone again hosted a number of regional schools for the Upstate NY Scholastic Chess Championships.

Tyler Hargrave and Alonie McGee, both of Massena took third and fourth place, respectively.

First place went to returning champion Allison Tsypin, who represented College Charlemagne in Montreal.

Second place went to Malone resident Ashton Keith, while Miro Pant, also of Malone, placed fifth.

Tsypin survived two incredibly close matches against Keith. While both finished the day with identical undefeated records (with two draws against one another), Tsypin retained her cup on tiebreaker criteria.

While only 12 years in age, Tsypin is highly accomplished as a player. She has won numerous tournaments throughout Canada and even represented Team Canada last year during the Girls’ Junior World Championship tournament hosted in the Arab Emirates.

Also placing for Malone was Pant. While only 9 years old, his four years of experience proved valuable. Despite facing opponents nearly double his age, Pant showed no fear in battling his way to an impressive fifth place finish.

Escaping once again with the team champs trophy was Massena, finishing ahead of Malone by the closest of margins, a single point. The Red Raiders prevailed against an underdog Malone club featuring only one player over the age of 13.

Also contributing to Malone's second place finish were Alex Tober, Skylar Gravel, and Connor Thursby. Thursby managed to qualify for the event despite the fact that he only learned to play a mere four months ago.

With the Scholastic tournament now in the books, Malone will next host their Open Tournament on Saturday June 4. The event is open to all ages and even has an adult division. Cash prizes totaling over $1,000 will be awarded to the top players in each of the three age divisions. Any players interested in registering can contact Matthew Rogers (518-353-6676 or email mr92243@yahoo.com).