David R. Sands

Online or in the mail, chess stays in the game

It's going to take more than a deadly global pandemic to shut down the game we love. While over-the-board tournaments may be on hold, there's still plenty of chess being played, whether by humans over the internet or by coronavirus-immune machines.

April 14, 2020

Trump offers to cut U.S. oil production on behalf of Mexico to reach deal to stabilize prices

President Trump offered to cut U.S. oil production Friday to "pick up some of the slack" for Mexico in an attempt to broker global production cuts by oil-producing nations to stabilize energy prices.

April 10, 2020

Larry Hogan, Maryland governor, declares Easter Bunny ‘essential worker’ despite statewide shutdown

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, saying he had some "reassuring news" for the children of his state, said he was designating the Easter Bunny as an "essential worker" who can still carry out his duties this weekend despite the statewide shutdown in the face of the coronavirus.

April 10, 2020

Europeans reach tentative coronavirus economic rescue deal after acrimonious week

European Union finance ministers have reached agreement on a tentative $590 billion deal to shore up economies across the continent devastated by the coronavirus pandemic, capping a week of sometimes bitter and divisive debate.

April 10, 2020

Saudis, Russians reach deal to ease oil price wars

Oil-producing nations, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, agreed Thursday to an unexpectedly large cut in global production, an effort to address a vast market oversupply spurred by the recent global economic turndown and end a nasty price war between Riyadh and Moscow.

April 9, 2020

Chess a casualty and a consolation in time of coronavirus lockdown

The chess world has not been spared from the ravages of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

April 7, 2020

Chess officials (finally) shut down ill-fated Candidates tourney

Savor this column. It may be the last choice morsel of over-the-board chess greatness we get for a while.

March 31, 2020

Chess title qualifier tournament shut down at midpoint

Bowing to the inevitable, world chess officials on Thursday suspended play halfway through the elite tournament meant to pick a challenger to world chess champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway because of the mounting coronavirus crisis in host nation Russia.

March 26, 2020

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