(CROSSVILLE, TN) Hikaru Nakamura, a seventeen year old grandmaster (AGM@) from White Plains, New York, has been selected as the nineteenth FRANK P. SAMFORD, JR. CHESS FELLOW. Already ranked among the world=s elite players, Hikaru is currently the highest rated player in the world at 17 years and under with a FIDE (International Chess Federation) rating of 2613 on the January 2005 rating list.

The Samford Fellowship identifies and assists brilliant young American chessmasters by providing the resources and funding needed to enhance their skills and reach their full potential. The total value of the Fellowship is approximately $32,000 per year. The prize is awarded for one year, renewable for a second year.

The winner was chosen by the Samford Fellowship Committee, consisting of Frank P. Samford III (son of Samford Fellowship founder Frank P. Samford, Jr.), former U.S. Chess Champion Grandmaster Arthur Bisguier and International Master John Donaldson. The winner's potential was determined based on his chess talent, work ethic, dedication and accomplishments.

The young grandmaster was born in 1987, an American citizen in Japan, son of a Japanese father and an American mother. He moved to the United States at age two. His stepfather is the renowned chess teacher Sunil Weeramantry who is a FIDE master and former New York State Chess Champion.

Learning chess at age seven and a half, Hikaru holds the record for being the youngest American grandmaster ever. He earned his title in February 2003 at the age of 15 years 2 months, eclipsing the earlier record set in 1958 by former World Champion, GM Bobby Fischer. Previously, Hikaru had set the mark for the youngest American master when he reached that milestone at the age of 10 years 22 months.

Hikaru is the current U.S. Chess Champion, a laurel he attained at the age of sixteen. He is the second youngest player ever to win the title. Additionally, Hikaru scored several impressive victories in the 2004 FIDE World Championship held in Tripoli, Libya in June. In the 128 player knock-out format, he reached the final 16 before losing to GM Michael Adams of England.

An active tournament player, Hikaru competes extensively both internationally and around the United States. Among his recent successes are: 1st place, Foxwoods Open, Ledyard, Connecticut (March 2005); 1st place, Western States Open, Reno, Nevada (October 2004); 1st place, Decameron Open, Santo Domingo (May 2004); 4th place, Corus Invitational Grandmaster B, Wijk aan Zee (January 2004); 3rd equal, Continental Championships for the Americas, Buenos Aires (August 2003), and 1st equal, National Open, Las Vegas, Nevada (June 2003).

Hikaru earned the silver medal for the United States at the 2001 World Youth Championships in Oropesa, Spain. He was the 2001 U.S. Junior Champion and has won several other national championships in various age groups.

The Samford Chess Fellowship was created by the late Frank P. Samford, Jr. of Birmingham, Alabama. Mr. Samford was a distinguished attorney and CEO of Liberty National Life Insurance Company (now Torchmark). Mr. Samford was active in civic, business, political, educational and cultural affairs. He was also an enthusiastic competitor in chess tournaments.

The purpose of the Samford Fellowship is to identify and assist the best young American chessmasters by providing top?level coaching, strong competition and access to study materials. The Fellowship also provides a monthly stipend for living expenses so that the winners may devote themselves entirely to chess without having financial worries.

Over the last eighteen years the Samford Fellowship has proven very successful. Several of the Fellows have become Grandmasters and a few have won the U.S. Chess Championship. Hikaru=s term as Samford Fellow will begin on July 1, 2005. The Fellowship is administered by Barbara DeMaro of the U.S. Chess Trust.

Generous contributions from Mrs. Virginia Samford and Torchmark Corporation support the Fellowship. The dedication, creativity and achievement that marked Mr. Frank P. Samford, Jr.'s life are examples for all chessplayers to admire and emulate. The Samford Fellowship is a fitting memorial to an extraordinary man.

Nakamura=s style is distinguished by astonishing creativity and relentless determination. His play is highly original and marked by unexpected moves and a will to win. Here are two recent games.

The first game is from a match in Cuernavaca, Mexico, 2004 against another young chess genius, Sergey Karjakin of the Ukraine.

White: Hikaru Nakamura, Black: Sergey Karjakin
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bd3 d5 8. exd5 O-O
9. O-O cxd5 10. Bg5 c6 11. Na4 h6 12. Bh4 Re8 13. c4 Bd6 14. Rc1 Rb8 15. b3 Be6 16. cxd5 Bxd5
17. Bc4 Bf4 18. Rc3 Be5 19. Rc2 Qd6 20. Bxf6 Bxf6 21. Bxd5 cxd5 22. Nc5 Be5 23. g3 Rbc8
24. Nd3 Bc3 25. Nf4 d4 26.Qd3 Ba5 27. Rc4 Rxc4 28. bxc4 Qe5 29. Rb1 Bc3 30. Rb7 Re7
31. Rb5 Qd6 32. Nd5 Re6 33. Rb7 Re8 34. Qf3 Rf8 35. Rxa7 Bb4 36. Qf5 Bc5 37. Rc7 Ba3
38. c5 Bxc5 39. Rxc5 g6 40. Nf6+ Kg7 41. Ne4 1-0

Here is a win at the 13th Sigeman & Co. tournament in Copenhagen, Denmark in April of 2005.

White: S.B. Hansen, Black: Hikaru Nakamura
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. a4 e5 7. Nf3 Qc7 8.Bg5 Nbd7
9. Nd2 h6 10. Bh4 g5 11. Bg3 Nc5 12. a5 Be6 13. h4 Bg7 14. Ra3 Rd8 15. Qe2 d5
16. f3 d4 17. Nd1 Nh5 18. Qf2 Bf6 19. hxg5 Nxg3 20. Qxg3 Bxg5 21. Qh2 Ke7 22. Nc4 d3
23. cxd3 Bxc4 24. dxc4 Bd2+ 25. Ke2 Ne6 26. g3 Qxc4+ 27. Kf2 Qc5+ 28. Ne3 Bxe3+
29. Rxe3 Rd2+ 30. Be2 Rxb2 31. Rd1 Rb3 32. Qh4+ f6 33. Rdd3 Rxd3 34. Bxd3 Qxa5 0-1

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The United States Chess Federation, founded in 1939, serves as the governing body for chess in the United States and is now headquartered in Crossville, Tennessee. USCF is devoted to extending the role of chess in American society. It promotes the study and knowledge of the game of chess, for its own sake as an art and enjoyment, and as a means for the improvement of society. The USCF is a not-for-profit membership organization with more than 90,000 members. For additional on the USCF see: http://www.uschess.org.