David R. Sands

Raised in Northern Virginia, David R. Sands received an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and a master's degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He worked as a reporter for several Washington-area business publications before joining The Washington Times.

At The Times, Mr. Sands has covered numerous beats, including international trade, banking, politics and Capitol Hill, and spent eight years on the foreign desk as senior diplomatic correspondent. He is currently the deputy editor for politics. In addition, he has reviewed books and written feature stories for the newspaper and authored The Times' weekly chess column since 1993. He is also senior writer for Washington GolfStyles, a monthly publication covering the Mid-Atlantic golf scene.

Articles by David R. Sands

Players split the home-field edge in women's chess title fight

It employs the same 64 squares and 32 pieces everywhere it is played, so you might think there can be no home court advantage in chess. Published January 15, 2020

Iraqi militia calls for lone-wolf strikes against U.S. forces

The Iran-allied Iraqi militia group at the center of a military confrontation with the Trump administration said the "door to jihad" has been opened against U.S. forces in the country and called for supporters to carry out Islamic State-style "lone wolf" attacks against American assets across the region. Published January 10, 2020

Old Dominion domination at year-end Eastern Open chess tournament

The usual contingent of invading grandmasters and IMs didn't make the trip this time, allowing some local talent to rise to the top at last week's 46th annual Eastern Open, played at the Westin Hotel in Tysons Corner. Published January 7, 2020

Trump accelerated Iran crisis by renouncing nuclear deal, imposing sanctions

The tangled roots of U.S.-Iranian relations reach back decades but the timeline vastly accelerated after President Trump renounced the Iran nuclear deal in May 2018 and reimposed a string of harsh economic sanctions. Published January 6, 2020

Chinese state newspaper raises doubts about U.S. 'Phase One' trade deal

An influential state-controlled newspaper said Monday that China should not rush to sign a much-touted Phase One trade deal with the Trump administration, hinting that some key details in the agreement have yet to be nailed down. Published January 6, 2020

Soleimani strike puts U.S. mission in Iraq in jeopardy

The U.S. strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and a leading Iraqi Shiite militia leader has been condemned by officials across the Iraqi political spectrum and could put the future of some 5,000 U.S. troop stationed in Iraq in doubt. Published January 3, 2020

Chess: The player of the decade, the combination of the year

He was unquestionably the player of the decade, so it makes sense that world champ Magnus Carlsen finished up 2019 with two more major titles for his bulging trophy room. Published December 31, 2019

Big names off the board as 2020 chess title cycle takes shape

It was an early Christmas present for the plummily-named Russian GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (henceforth "Nepo") and a lump of coal for some of the biggest names in the game. Published December 24, 2019

Honoring a column and a legacy of African American chess excellence in D.C.

We start with a big personal thank you to D.C.'s venerable Black Knights Chess Team, which earlier this month awarded this column and this columnist a "lifetime achievement award" at its third annual closed championship, citing our coverage over the past quarter-century of the local chess scene and of Washington, D.C., as the nation's primary incubator of black chess excellence. Published December 17, 2019

Ding makes a noise with big win in London chess event

Confirming his status as one of the hottest players in the world right now, Chinese super-GM Ding Liren has captured the four-player FIDE Grand Chess Tour tournament in London, besting a field that included Norwegian world champion Magnus Carlsen and French GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. Published December 10, 2019

Legendary Nona Gaprindashvili adds to bulging chess trophy case

A storied career just added another chapter as GM Nona Gaprindashvili, the women's world champion from 1961 to 1978 and a five-time Soviet women's champion, captured last month's World Women's 65+ Senior Championship tournament in Bucharest, Romania, for the second year in a row at the ripe young age of 78. Published December 3, 2019

With knockout, Alexander Grischuk eyes slot in 2020 chess world title hunt

Veteran Russian GM Alexander Grischuk has put himself in a prime position for another run at the world championship, capturing the 16-player FIDE Grand Prix knockout tournament in Hamburg, Germany, and all but clinching a slot in March's Candidates tournament for the right to challenge Norwegian champion Magnus Carlsen. Published November 26, 2019

South Korea at last minute reverses plan to nix intelligence deal with Japan

South Korea announced a temporary truce in its escalating feud with Japan, saying just before the deadline for a decision that it would not cancel a key intelligence-sharing pact between the two U.S. allies. Published November 22, 2019

Benjamin Netanyahu indicted on corruption charges, rocking Israeli political landscape

Israel's attorney general has lodged formal corruption charges against longtime Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, threatening to end the hawkish prime minister's long career at a time of deep political uncertainty in Israel. Published November 21, 2019

A proper send-off for Shelby Lyman, an unlikely chess media star

It got a little lost in the shuffle, but we should give a proper send-off to fellow chess columnist and unlikely public television superstar Shelby Lyman, who died in August at the age of 82. Published November 19, 2019

Finding Feffernitz -- chess as a game and a geography lesson

It's been hailed as a way to teach our youth math, pattern recognition and good sportsmanship, but has anyone ever touted chess as an aid in learning geography? Published November 12, 2019

Germany to meet Trump's NATO funding demand -- in 2031

Germany' defense minister acknowledged Thursday that the country will miss a 2024 NATO deadline to devote at least 2% of its GDP to the military, despite heavy criticism from President Trump that European allies are not contributing enough to the common defense. Published November 7, 2019

In European chess fight, Daniil Dubov proves a team player, brilliantly

Team chess -- in which the "how many?" matters so much more than the "how?" -- would not seem a fertile format for brilliant play. Risking a precious half-point on a speculative attack or unclear gambit is not exactly taking one for the team. Published November 5, 2019

Halloween hallucinations at the chessboard

We write this two days before Halloween, a celebration of disguise, delusion and things unseen that haunt the mind. Chess may be a rigorously logical game, but one also prone to phantasms and hallucinations in the heat of battle. Published October 29, 2019

Wang Hao second Chinese grandmaster to join 2020 chess title hunt

There will be at least two Chinese grandmasters in the hunt for the right to challenge world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway next year. Published October 22, 2019