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David R. Sands

David R. Sands

dsands@washingtontimes.com

David R. Sands covered numerous beats, including international trade, banking, politics and Capitol Hill, and spent eight years on the foreign desk as senior diplomatic correspondent. He has authored The Times' weekly chess column since 1993.

Articles by David R. Sands

NN-Greco after 21. Qc2.

Making a living from chess, Renaissance-style

BREAKING NEWS: FIDE officials said Tuesday they are ready to restart the aborted Candidates Tournament to pick a challenger to Norwegian world champion Magnus Carlsen. The event was halted at the midway point in March as the coronavirus pandemic was shutting down activities and sports leagues around the world.

September 8, 2020
Mendonca-Lodici after 16...g6.

A short day’s work — a midsummer medley of chess miniatures

It's a short World, after all. Reviving a hallowed tradition for this space, we use the dog days of August as an excuse to present a parade of miniatures from recent play, saving those intricate positional battles and dreary knight-and-pawn endings for a less indolent time. And many of those minis came from July's 48th annual World Open, played exclusively online this year.

August 25, 2020
Sakaev-Tiviakov after 58...Rh8-e8.

Streaking makes a comeback with Magnus Carlsen’s epic chess run

Streaking is making a comeback. No, not the naked romps through public places, though the idea does sound tempting in this age of quarantine. We're talking competitive marks like Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak or Edwin Moses's nearly 10-year unbeaten streak in the 400-meter hurdles.

August 4, 2020
Ivanchuk-Ding after 22. Re3.

No generation gap at ‘Legends of Chess’ fight

The old guys are playing with some real youthful verve. The Chess24 Legends of Chess knockout tournament, which wraps up this week, is the last of four online rapid events being played this summer featuring world champion Magnus Carlsen and some other top players. The top finishers from the four events will compete next month in the Grand Final.

July 28, 2020
Bernadskiy-Shabalov after 36. Re5-h5.

Sammy Reshevsky’s prodigious chess debut, 100 years ago

It was a century ago that a remarkable American chess career was launched. It was in late 1920 that a diminutive 8-year-old prodigy from Lodz, Poland, named Szmul Rzeszewski made the journey across the Atlantic with his parents.

July 21, 2020
Prokofiev-Ravel after 16...e5.

Nothing minor in musicians’ love for chess

At the risk of getting that insanely catchy theme from "The Good, the Bad and The Ugly" stuck in your head again, we can't let the recent passing of Italian film composer Ennio Morricone go by without flagging his intense lifelong love affair with chess.

July 14, 2020
Giri-Carlsen after 14. 0-0.

Conservative play nearly backfires for champ in chess final

They say in football that the only thing a "prevent defense" does is prevent you from winning. Sitting on an early lead by playing it safe is as hard to do on the chessboard as on the gridiron. The just-completed rapid online Chessable Masters had a familiar result -- Norwegian GM Magnus Carlsen won -- but the reigning world champ created all kinds of problems for himself trying to hold off Dutch rival GM Anish Giri with conservative play in the finale.

July 7, 2020
Maroczy-Kashdan after 30...Rc8.

There was more than a bind to Geza Maroczy’s chess brilliance

Even the greats can get pigeonholed. Hungarian star Geza Maroczy, born 150 years ago this year, was pegged early on as a defensive wizard who could grind out the wins but one who rarely trafficked in attacking brilliance. In fact, he's perhaps best remembered today for the "Maroczy bind," a dreaded pawn clamp on the center that slowly asphyxiates an unwary opponent.

June 23, 2020
McNab-Groszpeter — Black to move.

Flimflam and the art of the swindle at the chessboard

For many American chess fans, the history of the chess swindle begins and ends with Frank Marshall. The longtime U.S. champ was famous for his uncanny ability to salvage lost games, bamboozling an overconfident opponent with tactical or psychological tricks.

June 16, 2020
Dubov-Nakamura after 11...exf4.

Daniil Dubov wins Lindores Abbey chess tourney

Alvin Clarence "Titanic" Thompson, a fine golfer and an even more legendary hustler, was famed for running a con in which he would torture a poor mark on the golf course by winning several holes and keeping up an insulting line of patter as he did so.

June 9, 2020
Sarana-Giri after 25...Bxc4.

Hikaru Nakamura knocks off Magnus Carlsen in knockout chess clash

World champion Magnus Carlsen, for the first time in the post-pandemic lockdown era, fell in the semifinals of the 16-player Lindores Abbey Rapid Challenge last week to U.S. GM Hikaru Nakamura. Carlsen, who had won everything in sight since top-level chess migrated online with the coronavirus crisis, did not go down without a fight.

June 2, 2020
Steinitz-Lasker after 19...Bh5.

A chess masterpiece that falters at the finish line

Can a work of art be truly great if it has a terrible ending? In chess, too, we search out games that feature brilliant conclusions, with fiery tactics or subtle positional concepts that provide a satisfying finale.

May 19, 2020