Skip to content
TRENDING:
Donald Trump
Advertisement
Author profile
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

Jinshi-Ding after 20. Kf3.

Missing-in-action champ Ding Liren plans return to chessboard

Does the name Ding ring a bell? You may be excused if you don't quite recall the name, seeing as how GM Ding Liren has been largely missing in action since he defeated Russian Ian Nepomniachtchi in thrilling fashion in Kazakhstan in April to become the first Chinese world chess champion.

December 12, 2023
Kourkoulos-Arditis - Indjic after 58. d6.

A long wait for action at Sinquefield leads to a search for chess drama elsewhere

The Sinquefield Cup, annually the strongest invitational tournament in the U.S., got off to a less than stellar start at the Chess Club of St. Louis, with just two decisive games -- two -- through Sunday's Round 5 and Polish GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda pulling out of the 10-grandmaster field after Round 1, citing ill health.

November 28, 2023
Euwe-Keres after 22. f4.

Matchless — why one-on-one chess combat is largely a thing of the past

Well, stand your butt up then." "You stand your butt up, big guy." That actual exchange from an actual recent Senate hearing may have been less than edifying, but it did get us thinking about the stark decline in that ultimate in mano a mano chess, the challenge match between two consenting chessplayers.

November 21, 2023
Family and supporters of the estimated 240 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza complete the final leg of a five-day solidarity rally calling for their return, from Tel Aviv to the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023. The hostages, mostly Israeli citizens, were abducted during the brutal Oct. 7 Hamas cross-border attack in Israel and have been held in the enclave since as war rages. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

Qatari mediator sounds hopeful note on Israel-Hamas hostage deal

Qatar's prime minister has sounded an optimistic note that a deal could soon be struck to free a large number of Israeli and foreign hostages held by the Palestinian militant group Hamas after its murderous rampage across southern Israel nearly six weeks ago.

November 19, 2023
Beilin-Lipnitsky after 16. Rc1.

Finding sanctuary in a chess library

Not that writing a chess column qualifies as hazardous journalism, but sometimes trying to keep up with the news from the wide world of chess can be like trying to drink from the proverbial firehose.

November 14, 2023
A man sits on the rubble overlooking the debris of buildings that were targeted by Israeli airstrikes in the Jabaliya refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip, Nov. 1, 2023. The White House says Israel has agreed to put in place four-hour daily humanitarian pauses in its assault on Hamas in northern Gaza. (AP Photo/Abed Khaled) **FILE**

White House says Israel agrees to first pause in Gaza fighting

The White House said Thursday that Israel has agreed to daily four-hour pauses in its offensive against Hamas militants to allow trapped Palestinian residents in Gaza to escape the fighting and possibly also to accelerate talks to free hundreds of hostages still held by the group.

November 9, 2023
Vaishali-Garifullina after 15...Bc6.

American chess stars in the hunt for coveted Candidates’ slots at FIDE Swiss fight

Some 164 top players are competing now in the FIDE Grand Swiss and the FIDE Women's Grand Swiss tournaments on the Isle of Man. The prize for the two top qualifying players in both 11-round events: a slot in the 2024 open and women's eight-player Candidates Tournaments that will identify the next challengers for the world chess titles.

October 31, 2023
Smoke rises following Israeli bombardment on Gaza City, Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Abed Khaled)

U.S. faces balancing act as Israeli campaign builds against Hamas

The Biden administration escalated its tricky balancing act Sunday as Israel prepared for an expanded clash with Hamas militants in Gaza, again insisting Israel has the right to avenge the deadly Oct. 7 terrorist rampage but also cautioning that Israeli forces must take extra steps to avoid civilian casualties in the densely populated enclave.

October 29, 2023
Artemiev-Rozum after 20...Nf8.

Caruana claimed third U.S. chess title by holding off the young guns

GM Fabiano Caruana not only captured his third U.S. national title with a dominating performance earlier this month at the St. Louis Chess Club, the world's No. 2 player also had a message for a generation of rising American stars aiming for his crown.

October 24, 2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council via videoconference at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Kremlin slams dismissive tone of Biden’s speech on Putin, Ukraine

The Kremlin did not appreciate the text -- or the tone -- of President Biden's Oval Office address Thursday night seeking a major new funding package that would include tens of billions of dollars to aid Ukraine as it fights off a Russian invasion force.

October 20, 2023
President Joe Biden speaks from the Oval Office of the White House Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, in Washington, about the war in Israel and Ukraine. (Jonathan Ernst/Pool via AP)

Biden declares Putin, Hamas threats to democracy in prime-time speech

President Biden laid out his case to the country and Congress that the U.S. must send $100 billion of taxpayer-funded aid to Israel and Ukraine, arguing that two wars in other parts of the globe threaten to undermine democratic stability around the world and to damage U.S. national security.

October 19, 2023