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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

In this Aug. 31, 2018 photo, President Donald Trump gestures while speaking at the Harris Conference Center in Charlotte, N.C. President Donald Trump is escalating his attacks on Attorney General Jeff Sessions, suggesting the embattled official should have intervened in investigations of two GOP congressmen to help Republicans in the midterms. Trump tweeted Monday that “investigations of two very popular Republican Congressmen were brought to a well publicized charge, just ahead of the Mid-Terms, by the Jeff Sessions Justice Department.” (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Allies plan U.N. meeting to work around Trump Palestinian aid cut-off

A group of European and Middle Eastern allies of the United States announced plans to meet on the sidelines of next week's U.N. General Assembly gathering in New York to discuss how to make up the shortfalls after the Trump administration cut off all funding for aid to Palestinian refugees.

September 18, 2018
Raskin (et al.)-Kasparov after 22...Rf8-f6.

Central control: U.S. Chess Center celebrates new digs in suburban Maryland

With more than 100 area elementary and secondary students on hand and a virtual visit from the former world champion Garry Kasparov, the U.S. Chess Center got off to a rousing start at its new home in downtown Silver Spring Saturday, a location organizers hope will boost the Center's visibility and accessibility for chess players around the Washington region.

September 11, 2018
Carlsen-Caruana after 23...Re8-e6.

Ample chess skill, low drama sometimes when the best play the best

The plague of draws that infected the 6th Sinquefield Cup that wraps up this week illustrates that paradox that pairing off the world's greatest players doesn't always produce the world's most scintillating chess. The St. Louis field, with an average rating of 2788, boasted world champion Magnus Carlsen, top-rated American challenger GM Fabiano Caruana and eight more of the planet's very best players.

August 28, 2018
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan attends the last day of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Friday, July 27, 2018. (Mike Hutchings/Pool Photo via AP) ** FILE **

Turkish party: Seize Trump’s hotel to protest sanctions

A leading Turkish opposition party wants to make it personal in the increasingly nasty clash between Ankara and Washington, saying Turkey should retaliate for economic sanctions imposed by the Trump administration by seizing the Trump Towers complex that are one of the most prominent features of the Istanbul skyline.

August 2, 2018
Polugaevsky-Maslov after 24...Rad8.

Memorial chess tournaments are used to honor some of the game’s greats

It's one of the more civilized traditions of the game -- the memorial chess tournament that allows us to recall some of the greats we have lost and gives us an excuse to replay some of their greatest hits. Annual events are held to honor such past stars as Tal, Keres, Menchik and Capablanca.

July 31, 2018
Liang-Bian after 15...0-0.

U.S. juniors, seniors shine in chess battles

The generation-spanning appeal of chess was on full display this month, as rising U.S. stars took their noses out of their iPhones long enough to battle for the national junior championships in St. Louis, while a U.S. men's over-50 squad stopped yelling at people to get off their lawns long enough to snag the gold medal at the sixth World Senior Team Championships in Dresden, Germany.

July 24, 2018
Vittal-Yu after 20. Bf5.

Jennifer Yu breaks through as Virginia’s first female chess grandmaster

Ashburn, Virginia, is the cradle of champions. Ashburn's true world beater these days is Jennifer Yu, the 14-year-old junior star who just became the first Virginia woman ever to earn the women's grandmaster title. FIDE, the international chess federation, made it official at its most recent board meeting in Bucharest this month.

July 17, 2018
Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, shakes hands with Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, stands at right, at Novo-Ograyovo outside in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, July 12, 2018. Putin has received the Iranian leader's top adviser hours after conferring with the Israeli prime minister about Iran's presence in Syria. (Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

After Putin meeting, Iranian says Tehran in Syria to stay

A top foreign policy adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei said Friday after a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that Iranian forces will remain in Syria despite protests from Israel and the Trump administration.

July 13, 2018
Croatia fans celebrate their team victory after the semifinal soccer match between Croatia and England during the 2018 soccer World Cup in Nikolskaya street near the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, July 12, 2018. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

World Cup winners can expect GDP boost to economy

As France and Croatia prepare for the final in soccer's monthlong World Cup extravaganza in Moscow, data suggest that this year's champion will get a nice boost in the pocketbook back home as well.

July 12, 2018