David R. Sands

World Bank, IMF plead for rich countries to give poorer ones a break amid pandemic

The World Bank and International Monetary Fund issued a joint plea to the world's major powers and lending institutions to give poorer nations a break as they struggle with collapsing economic activity and public health crises due to the coronavirus global outbreak.

March 25, 2020

FIDE officials postpone the 2020 Chess Olympiad due to coronavirus pandemic

BREAKING: FIDE officials have announced the postponement of the 2020 Chess Olympiad, the biennial event that brings together teams from across the world, citing the coronavirus pandemic.

March 24, 2020

Mike Pompeo intervention fails to end Afghanistan feud

U.S. announced it was slashing aid to the U.S.-backed government in Afghanistan as a feud between its leaders threatens to undermine a delicate peace deal inked last month between the Trump administration and Taliban.

March 23, 2020

Turkey denies reports of troop pullback in Syria

Turkish officials on Friday rejected reports that the country was pulling back from its military incursion into northern Syria, even as Ankara insisted it was honoring a recent cease-fire deal brokered with Russia.

March 20, 2020

A coronavirus-shortened ‘win’ for U.S. senior chess squad

The coronavirus is supposed to be a particular danger for the elderly, but the global pandemic actually provided a little tailwind for the triumphant American squad at the truncated World Senior Team Championship in Prague last week.

March 17, 2020

Christopher Yoo falls just short — this time — on road to grandmaster chess title

He came up just short in his quest for a grandmaster norm last month, but I wouldn't want the under in the over/under on when IM Christopher Yoo claims the highest title in the chess game.

March 10, 2020

A baby ‘Beast of Baku’ captures strong Aeroflot chess tournament

Fourteen-year-old GM-in-waiting Aydin Suleymanli may not be the next Garry Kasparov, but he gave a very convincing imitation of the world champion "Beast of Baku" at the strong Aeroflot Open tournament last month in Moscow.

March 3, 2020

Chess’ ultimate wingman steps into the spotlight

It looks no different from its seven peers, it neither covers the flank nor fights for the center, its rarely seen starring turn (1. g4) goes by the ungainly name Grob's Opening.

February 25, 2020

Top Iranian mocks new U.S. sanctions on election council

The head of Iran's Guardian Council, the body charged with defending the country's Islamist constitution, on Friday mocked new sanctions imposed this week by the Trump administration on five members of the Council for sharply restricting voters' choices in Friday's national elections.

February 21, 2020

Carissa Yip flips the chess script with big Cairns comeback

A disastrous start led to a triumphal conclusion for FM Carissa Yip at the 2nd Cairns Cup in St. Louis over the weekend, as the young American FM turned in one of the finest minus-one results seen in a tournament in a long time.

February 18, 2020

Boris Johnson puts off U.S. visit to Trump until summer

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has postponed a planned trip to Washington to inaugurate trade talks with President Trump until June -- some six months later than many expected the two to meet.

February 14, 2020

In the spotlight, women chess stars put on a show at Cairns

The ladies have the spotlight all to themselves this week as women's world champ GM Ju Wenjun of China and nine of the planet's most accomplished female players are battling it out at the second annual Cairns Cup tournament at the St. Louis Chess Club.

February 11, 2020

Playing politics — some of us would rather be playing chess

Most serious players I know would just as soon keep something as important as chess and something as trivial as politics as far apart as possible.

February 4, 2020

Ju Wenjun retains crown, Fabiano Caruana laps field in momentous chess week

It was a momentous week in which one world champion (barely) retained her title and one world championship hopeful made a (bold) statement that he's ready for another run for the crown.

January 29, 2020

A ‘Whatever’ moment fuels Ju Wenjun’s comeback in women’s chess title fight

It may not rate with "Once more unto the breach, dear friends" or "At my signal, unleash hell!" but "Whatever" may just be the rallying cry that saves a world chess championship.

January 21, 2020

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.

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.

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.

January 7, 2020

Trump sparked Iran crisis with sanctions, renouncing nuclear deal

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.

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.

January 6, 2020