The U.S. Chess Trust is a proud supporter of the Samford Fellowship Award.

This year, The FRANK P. SAMFORD, JR. CHESS FELLOWSHIP, marked its twenty-sixth annual award, and selected Grandmaster Aleksandr Lenderman of Brooklyn, New York, as its 2011 fellow. The Samford is the richest and most important chess fellowship in the United States. It identifies and assists the best young American chessmasters by providing top-level coaching, strong competition and access to study materials. The Fellowship also supplies a monthly stipend for living expenses so that the winners may devote themselves to chess without having financial worries. The total value of the Fellowship has been increased several times over the years and is now $42,000 annually. The prize is awarded for one year and can be renewed for a second year.

All in all, it gives these brilliant young American chessmasters the support and resources necessary to enhance their skills and reach their full potential. READ PREVIOUS COVERAGE  >>>

2012 Samford Fellowship Call for Entries

The Frank P. Samford. Jr. Chess Fellowship is pleased to announce its twenty sixth consecutive annual award. The Fellowship was created by the late Frank P. Samford of Birmingham, Alabama to advance the game he loved by identifying and assisting the most promising young chessmasters in the United States.

Since its inception in 1987 the Samford has been successful in promoting the chess careers of more than two dozen young Americans, many of whom have gone on to become grandmasters, members of the U.S. Olympiad Chess Team and United States Chess Champions. Former Samford Scholars Hikaru Nakamura and Gata Kamsky are presently rated in the top 15 players in the world.

This Fellowship is open to American chessplayers who are under the age of twenty five at the start of the Fellowship, July 1, 2012, and have been permanent residents of the U.S. for at least one year prior to that date. Leadership of the Fellowship program is provided by Mr. Samford Jr’s son, Frank P. Samford III of Atlanta, Georgia, with the able help of Barbara DeMaro of the U.S. Chess Trust.

The 2012 Samford Chess Fellow will receive a monthly stipend for living expenses, training by leading chess coaches, chess books, computer equipment and other study materials as well as opportunities to travel and compete in tournaments and matches at the highest levels. The value of the Fellowship (including stipend, training, study materials and tournament travel) has been increased to $42,000 annually. It is given for a one year term and can be extended for a second year by mutual consent.

The 2012 Samford Fellow will be selected by the Samford Chess Fellowship Committee (“Committee”), consisting of Frank P. Samford III, grandmaster Arthur Bisguier and international master John Donaldson.

Each applicant, who can be male or female, must be able to demonstrate talent, achievement and commitment to chess. He or she must be willing to make the effort required to become a leading grandmaster and possible challenger for the world chess championship. Applicants must have a chess rating (either USCF, FIDE or both).

For further details and an application form write to:

John Donaldson, Secretary
Samford Chess Fellowship
1623 ½ Martin Luther King Junior Way
Berkeley, CA 94709
Or: (510) 644-1285 and imwjd@aol.com

Completed applications for the 2012 Fellowship must be received no later than January 15, 2012. We expect to announce the winner in April, 2012. All decisions by the Committee will be final.

If qualified applicants can be found a new Fellow will be selected every year. It is expected that the Samford Fellowship will continue to produce very strong American chessplayers, some of whom will join the elite group of world supergrandmasters.

The Samford Fellowship seeks to replicate the excellence and achievement that marked the life of Frank P. Samford, Jr. Funding for this program is made possible by the generosity of Mrs. Virginia Donovan, widow of Mr. Samford Jr., and by Torchmark Corporation.