2021 Annual Samford Fellowship Announced

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

Since its inception in 1987 the Samford, under the leadership of Frank Samford III, has been successful in promoting the chess careers of close to three 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. Four of the five members of the 2018 silver-medal winning U.S. Olympiad team were Samford Fellows.

This Fellowship is open to American chessplayers who are under the age of twenty‑five at the start of the Fellowship, July 1, 2021, 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 grandson, Paul Samford of Atlanta, Georgia, with the able help of Al Lawrence of the U.S. Chess Trust.

The 2021 Samford Chess Fellow will receive a stipend for 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) is $30,000. It is given for a one-year term. Individuals may apply more than one year and are eligible for maximum funding up to but not exceeding $82,000.

The 2021 Samford Fellow will be selected by the Samford Chess Fellowship Committee ("Committee"), consisting of Paul Samford, grandmaster Yury Shulman 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. 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 Click here to show email address

Completed applications for the 2021 Fellowship must be received no later than May 15, 2021. The Committee expects to announce the winner in June 2021. All decisions by the Committee will be final.