Young US grandmaster wins $30,000-a-year prize for study

Grandmaster Maxim Dlugy of New York was selected as the recipient of the second annual Frank P. Samford Jr. Chess Fellowship. The fellowship, which is admin-istered by the American Chess Foundation, is the richest and most important prize of its kind in the United States. Dlugy will receive training, study materials, oppor-tunities for competition, and a monthly stipend; the combined value of the fellowship package exceeds $30,000 a year. Dlugy, 22, became a master in 1980, an international master in 1982, and a grandmaster in 1985. In the latter year he played first board on the US Student team, represented the US in the Tunis Interzonal Tournament, and won the world junior championship. In 1986 he played first board on the US Olympiad team and went on to win the National Open championship. In 1987 he tied for third place in the US Championship.

The purpose of the Samford award is to identify and assist the most promising young American masters. The fellowship is awarded every year and can last for up to two years.

The first Samford fellow to be selected was Grandmaster Joel Benjamin of Brooklyn, N.Y. Benjamin has been granted a second year of study and support under the program. That the reward may be paying dividends is evidenced by Benjamin's impressive results of late. He tied for first in the 1987 US Championship and recently won a strong international tournament in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Today's featured game, played in New York a few years ago, is typical Dlugy. He employs the Queen's Gambit Accepted, one of his favorite weapons, to good advantage as he defeats a doughty warrior, the veteran grandmaster Leonid Shamkovich (one of his former mentors). Shamkovich, a superb tactician himself, attacks overoptimistically; Dlugy coolly and alertly repels all threats and makes it look easy.

Queen's Gambit Accepted

Shamkovich Dlugy 1. P-Q4 P-Q4 2. P-QB4 PxP 3. N-KB3 N-KB3 4. P-K3 P-K3 5. BxP P-B4 6. O-O P-QR3 7. N-B3 P-QN4 8. B-N3 B-K2 9. Q-K2 PxP 10. PxP O-O 11. B-N5 N-B3 12. QR-Q1 B-N2 13. KR-K1 N-Q4 (a) 14. NxN (b) BxB 15. N-N6 (c) NxP (d) 16. NxN QxN/N 17. Q-N4 B-KB3 18. NxKP (e) B-B1 19. R-Q3 BxN 20. RxB PxR 21. BxP ch K-R1 22. R-KR3 (f) B-N4 23. B-B5 B-R3 24. Resigns

A.Circumspectly preventing White from playing a thematic P-Q, which would dissolve the isolani and open the center files advantageously for the first player.

B.White has an incorrect continuation in mind, else he would play 14.BxN, BxB; 15.Bk-K4, still aiming for P-Q5, when he could hope to obtain some advantage.

C.The author of ``The Tactical World of Chess'' errs. He hopes for 15.... QxN; 16.NXB, NxP; 17.Q-Q3, N-B4; 18.NxKP, PxN; 19.RxP, when White will snare the Black queen with a wicked discovered check, no matter where she flees. 15.N-B3 would have meant a chance for an even game.

D.The witty refutation of White's plan. Now if 16.RxN, QxN; 17.NxB, QxR. Black now has the two bishops plus an extra pawn, but he still has to be prudent, since his kingside, though devoid of weaknesses, has a paucity of defenders.

E.It is likely that Shamkovich had this in mind at his 15th turn. Again if Black captures the knight he loses his queen after 19.RxP, with the subsequent discovered check. Dlugy's pinning reply is simple, elegant, and decisive, as it wins the knight. Though the combination loses, it might yet have been White's best practical chance; otherwise he has absolutely no compensation for his pawn minus.

F.The last hurrah, hoping to get in 23.RxP ch and 24.Q-R5 mate. His young opponent is not obliging.

International Grandmaster Arthur Bisguier is a former US champion and has won or shared the US Open title five times.