Four players tied for second place, each with a score of 2.5. Scott Mason, the current state champion, was one of the players to tie for second place.
"I played a lot in college," Mason said.
Ryan Cassidy, a political science student at UAA, won the $40 prize for top student, and also tied for second place.
"My game's not fit for fireworks," Cassidy said about his quiet style. "Better to sit back and enjoy the ride. [I'm] not much of a tactical player."
The Alaska Chess League, a group of individuals from around the state who keep in contact to organize chess tournaments, organized the tournament. Harry Karmun and Artem Ruppert put this particular match together.
Karmun is the president of the UAF Chess Club, which he started in 1997. He also runs four elementary school chess clubs around town.
Asked about how his games went, Karmun said, "I need to play (tournaments) more than once a year. We had a good turnout, though."
The first round was the least eventful of the tournament, with half of the games ending in draws. The second round had some intense games, particularly between Scott Mason and Charles Sherwood. Sherwood and Mason have played several times in various tournaments, and a friendly rivalry exists between them. Sherwood emerged victorious in their latest showdown.
The highlights of the third round included a dramatic checkmate, ending the game between Andrew Duren and Sherwood.
Duren, a UAA student studying Spanish, is known around the state for his strong playing.
"In my first game, I made a mistake, but my opponent didn't catch it," Duren said. "My second game was pretty flawless."
Duren lost his third game. His fourth match, against Mason, ended in a draw.
Greg Berry, a recent UAF graduate with a bachelor's in electrical engineering, played a sharp third round game against Cassidy. The games have a time limit of three hours, which didn't fare well for Berry.
"My games went well overall, but I lost one and got a draw in another due to time," he said. "I had a good attack against Cassidy, but didn't finish it off well. When it comes down to it, though, I'm still proud of how I did."
