David R. Sands

Democrats dump on Sheriff David Clarke, one of their own at Donald Trump’s convention

The Cleveland lineup does feature at least one registered Democrat: David Clarke, the Milwaukee County sheriff who has emerged as a critic of the Black Lives Matter movement.

July 18, 2016

Donald Trump the Obscure — advisers see a Cleveland coming-out party

The problem, as Republican strategists see it here, is that too few people know who Donald Trump is.

July 18, 2016

A wide world of chess winners dominates World Open

At the 44th World Open, the world came to play. The seven players who topped the massive traditional July Fourth open tournament in Philadelphia represented a veritable United Nations of grandmasters, hailing from Hungary, Moldova, Georgia (the country), Israel, Russia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine, all finishing at 7-2.

July 12, 2016

Russia, China react angrily as U.S. to put anti-missile THAAD system in South Korea

China and Russia both issued angry responses to the news Friday that the Obama administration has reached an agreement with South Korea to install a highly advanced missile defense system based in its East Asian ally.

July 8, 2016

A lively U.S. chess scene in the PM (Pre-Morphy) Era

Like Greek poetry, American chess started at the top and has worked to recover its original brilliance ever since.

July 5, 2016

Naming rights: Star chess players live on in memorial events

For some players, great and maybe not-so-great, the name lives on long after they have punched the final chess clock.

June 28, 2016

Alexis Tsipras, Greek PM: EU needs ‘change of course’ in light of British exit vote

With many speculating that his country might be the next to defect from the European Union, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Friday that the EU must make a major course correction if it wants head off a deeper crisis following Britain's vote Thursday to leave the bloc.

June 24, 2016

U.S. stocks plummet at opening after U.K. Brexit vote

The Dow Jones index of leading stocks fell nearly 500 points, or 3 percent, in the first minutes of trading Friday morning, as traders were still reeling from the shock vote the day before that will take Britain out of the European Union.

June 24, 2016

Brian Williams of MSNBC covers Trump speech savaging Brian Williams

That was one awkward moment for cable news channel MSNBC and anchor Brian Williams during their coverage of Donald Trump's speech Wednesday attacking the record of Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in New York.

June 22, 2016

In Kopec’s games, a lesson from the (international) chess master

Great players don't always make great teachers.

June 21, 2016

Viktor Korchnoi enjoyed record chess run at the top

Aside from lots of checking, there isn't really much that hockey and chess have in common.

June 14, 2016

Chinese Communists: Comrades, our propaganda stinks

Long a world leader in the field, Chinese Communist Party officials are now openly complaining that their propaganda machine isn't firing on all cylinders these days.

June 9, 2016

Trump tops Clinton in latest poll — among Russians

The first major poll since Hillary Clinton was declared the presumptive Democratic nominee this finds her trailing Republican rival Donald Trump -- among voters in Russia, at least.

June 7, 2016

DAVID R. SANDS: When mismatches make for chess masterpieces

Odd but true: Some of the most brilliant and most anthologized games in the history of chess were distinct mismatches, the equivalent of Stephen Strasburg pitching a no-hitter against a Double-A minor league team.

June 7, 2016

DAVID R. SANDS: A chess match from an age when titans came ready for battle

The world title match between Norwegian champion Magnus Carlsen and Russian challenger Sergey Karjakin, set for New York City in November, will almost certainly be more subtle, more sophisticated, more finely balanced than the world title match that was played 150 years ago this month in London.

May 31, 2016

U.S. drops from first to third in global competitiveness ranking

The U.S. economy is no longer the most competitive and pro-business in the world, after holding the top spot for the previous three years, according to a comprehensive new survey.

May 31, 2016

Putin-Elton John summit on gay rights won’t come off after all

A highly anticipated meeting between Russia President Vladimir Putin and British pop superstar Sir Elton John won't be held next week after all, Mr. Putin's spokesman revealed Thursday.

May 26, 2016

Hardliner to head board that picks Iran’s next supreme ayatollah

An 89-year-old cleric with a reputation as a fiercely anti-Western ultraconservative on Tuesday won the election to head the key government body charged with picking a successor to Iran's longtime supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

May 24, 2016

DAVID R. SANDS: A generous chess GM saves something for himself

Call it karma, or at least a little reward from Caissa for a good deed done.

May 24, 2016

DAVID R. SANDS: Sometimes a chess grandmaster proves a friend in need

If you want a friend in this game, queen a pawn. OK, that's not a real chess saying, but there is this idea out there that it's an every-man-for-himself world out there among elite grandmasters, that the top players are lone wolves forced to hunt solo to survive. The reality is far different.

May 17, 2016