David R. Sands

Naroditsky’s death casts pall over U.S. title tournaments

It was a wrenching week of the familiar and the unfathomable for American chess.

October 28, 2025

Fierce fights as U.S. title tourneys near climax

It's just past the halfway point in the U.S. open and women's national championship tournaments, with fierce fights for the crown still very much up in the air at this point.

October 21, 2025

An Oktoberfest toast to a German chess breakthrough

Appropriately for this Oktoberfest season, German chess is having a moment.

October 14, 2025

Two very different glimpses into the future of chess

We have just been given a peek at the possible future of chess -- in more ways than one.

October 7, 2025

At 100, an iconoclast’s ‘System’ still packs a punch

In 1925, the German-language edition of Aron Nimzowitsch's "Mein System" hit the bookstores, laying out for the first time in comprehensive fashion the key principles of the newfangled hypermodern school of chess.

September 30, 2025

Young U.S. stars shine in FIDE Swiss battle

There has been a lot of buzz recently (including in this space) about a rising generation of young Indian chess stars poised to dominate the game in the coming years.

September 23, 2025

Playing down for a shot at chess’ highest prize

The road to the chess world championship just may wind through New Orleans and Iowa City.

September 16, 2025

Plucky U.S. squad shares third in NATO chess tilt

NATO has had its issues in recent times, but fortunately, the U.S. and its military allies are still able to come together for some friendly skirmishing at the chessboard.

September 9, 2025

Peddi, So shine during a busy August for chess

August is the month when the world shuts down and the chess scene heats up.

September 2, 2025

A defensive master’s attacking masterpieces

It may sound like the chess equivalent of "Babe Ruth's Best Bunts," but Swedish IM Thomas Engqvist's new book "Ulf the Attacker" shines an unexpected light on one of his country's best and most popular players of the modern era.

August 19, 2025

Swiercz’s surge leads to U.S. Open title

There was some heartbreak and last-round drama at the 125th annual U.S. Open in Middleton, Wisconsin, last week, with Missouri GM Darius Swiercz emerging from the pack to take solo first and punch his ticket for a berth in the next U.S. national championship tournament.

August 12, 2025

Remembering when the Raging Rooks took down a chess barrier

It might have been the biggest U.S. chess story in the mainstream press since Bobby Fischer's world championship win two decades earlier, and one still worth recalling today for its impact on the direction of American chess.

August 5, 2025

Late-round heroics secure U.S. championship titles

There were some late-round dramatics and down-to-the-wire battles as the 2025 U.S. junior, junior girls and senior championships wrapped up last week at the St. Louis Chess Club. In all three events, the margin of victory was a mere half-point.

July 29, 2025

Seniors, juniors battle for U.S. titles in St. Louis

The boomers and the Gen Zers are in the spotlight this week as the St. Louis Chess Club plays host to the U.S. Junior, U.S. Junior Girls and the U.S. Senior Championships.

July 22, 2025

Fireworks dazzle at Philly, D.C. Independence Day events

The tactical bombs were bursting in air and the positional purple mountains were majestic as area players celebrated another Fourth of July by doing battle at the chessboard.

July 15, 2025

Brilliancy loss, tournament win for ‘Pragg’

Young Indian GM Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa scored a rare double at the 2nd UzChess Cup Masters Tournament in the Uzbekistan city of Tashkent -- taking first place against a world-class field while losing a game during the tournament to Hungarian GM Richard Rapport that could very well be remembered as the brilliancy of the year.

July 8, 2025

Coming to America: Honoring the overlooked Lipschutz

As the country prepares to celebrate its 249th birthday later this week, it is worth noting that immigrants have enlivened and enriched American chess virtually from the time the colonies first gained their independence from Britain.

July 1, 2025

Upstart American claims the chess laurels at Cairns

When organizers go to the trouble and expense of hosting a major international chess tournament, it's customary to reserve a slot or two in the field for a local favorite who may not have qualified by rating or reputation alone. The courtesy invitees are expected to boost local interest and maybe give the top seeds the occasional tough fight.

June 24, 2025

Lee shines in early Cairns action

The late, great D.C. chess champion Oscar Shapiro, the oldest player ever to earn the master's title and still a dangerous pairing in local tournaments well into his 90s, once told me he bore down especially hard when playing against promising junior players zooming up the ratings charts.

June 17, 2025

Tantrum aside, Carlsen dominates in Norway

Overcoming a table-thumping tantrum viewed 'round the globe, Norwegian former world chess champion Magnus Carlsen captured his sixth Norway Open title in the past seven years.

June 10, 2025