Despite his reserved nature, Sevian, who turned 14 on Dec. 26, has gathered a sizable collection of friends in the chess community, communicating regularly with many of them via Skype. Those relationships are a byproduct of his lifestyle. Sevian, who lives in Southbridge, Mass., is home-schooled, a circumstance made necessary by the amount of time he spends on the road competing.

Several of Sevian’s chess acquaintances also took part in the recent New York training session led by Kasparov. The gatherings are part of the Young Stars program, established jointly in 2012 by the Kasparov Chess Foundation and the elite Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis. Twice a year, the chess prodigies in the program meet with Kasparov and his foundation’s president, Michael Khodarkovsky, for an entire weekend to analyze various positions and strategies. Often, they take hours to resolve particularly difficult dilemmas.

In addition to offering Sevian and the other children a rare opportunity to work with Kasparov, the five-year grant program has connected Sevian with a prominent coach, the grandmaster Alexander Chernin of Hungary.

Coaching, especially from sought-after instructors like Chernin, and travel can be prohibitively expensive for young players. The economics of chess are such that even players of Sevian’s caliber cannot rely on prize money alone to cover their expenses. (Sevian earned $1,000 for his November victory in St. Louis.)

Consequently, grants like those established by Kasparov’s foundation are crucial for world-class players looking to improve.

“This is the only organization that supports Sam,” said Armen Sevian, who works as a principal scientist at a laser manufacturing company in suburban Boston. “Their help is very important. Really important. In terms of coaching, in terms of many other things, we’re thankful.”

The assistance becomes even more important as destinations are added to Sam Sevian’s itinerary. This week, he will participate in the renowned Tata Steel Chess Tournament in the Netherlands. Sevian is one of 14 players who will compete in the challengers division of the two-week event.