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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

Jin Liqun, president-designate of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) smiles during a business meeting in Seoul on Sept. 9, 2015. The inaugural president of a Chinese-led Asian regional bank says the door remains open to the United States and Japan becoming members of the institution. (Associated Press) **FILE**

New China bank sets ambitious early goals

Having managed to organize and fund itself despite a cool reception from the Obama administration, China's new Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank is setting some ambitious goals as it prepares for its formal opening later this month.

December 2, 2015
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde speaks during a news conference at the IMF in Washington, Monday, Nov. 30, 2015, to announce the Chinese yuan will join a basket of the world's leading currencies. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

IMF promotes China’s yuan to elite basket of currencies

China checked off one of its top priorities as an emerging economic superpower when the International Monetary Fund on Monday announced it will be including the Chinese yuan in the elite basket of world currencies it uses to help finance its work with countries around the world.

November 30, 2015
Yip-Bach after 26. Qe3.

DAVID R. SANDS: Carissa Yip wins silver for U.S. at World Youth chess event

India was the big winner and the U.S. team came home with some hardware but no gold at the just-completed World Youth Class Championships in Halkidiki, Greece. Indian youngsters took home gold medals in five age categories, including a surprise gold for WFM M Mahalakshimi in the Under-18 Girls section.

November 11, 2015
Hollywood actor Robert De Niro answers questions from the media during a news conference at the opening of the Nobu Hotel at the City of Dreams Casino at suburban Pasay city, south of Manila, on May 18, 2015. (Associated Press) **FILE**

Robert De Niro may be weighing Russian citizenship

Academy Award-winning U.S. actor Robert De Niro isn't ruling out applying for Russian citizenship, following in the footsteps of such celebrities as French actor Gerard Depardieu and former U.S. heavyweight boxing champ Roy Jones Jr.

November 11, 2015
El Debs-Erenburg after 19…g6.

DAVID R. SANDS: Felipe El Debs tops field at Washington Chess Congress

There was an unfamiliar name at the top of the leaderboard as GM Felipe El Debs emerged as the sole winner of the second annual Washington Chess Congress last month at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, going 71/2-11/2 in the 47-player Premier section field that included five grandmasters and a number of other titled entrants.

November 3, 2015
Lombardy-Polugaevsky after 31…Rxc6.

DAVID R. SANDS: Bobby Fischer’s priestly second shines in new biopic

The Bobby Fischer biopic "Pawn Sacrifice," which we wrote about here last week, offers another extra kick for the serious chess fan, giving the full Hollywood treatment to one of the American game's most interesting and underappreciated players — William Lombardy, who was Bobby's sorely tried second in the 1972 title match with Spassky in Reykjavik.

October 20, 2015
Holt-Le after 27. Nd5.

DAVID R. SANDS: Chess in the dark — should we accept ‘Pawn Sacrifice’?

Watching the new Bobby Fischer movie "Pawn Sacrifice" as a professional writer on chess is an interesting experience. While the rest of the audience was focused on whether Fischer (played by Tobey Maguire) could overcome his personal demons and persecution complex to achieve his dream of greatness, I was far more moved when Fischer was considering whether to take that poisoned pawn with his bishop in the famous Game 1 of his 1972 title match with Boris Spassky.

October 13, 2015
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton arrives at a rally Monday, Oct. 12, 2015, in Las Vegas, held by the Culinary Union to support a union drive at the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Asian investors fret over ‘Hillary risk’

She's having enough trouble trying to calm nervous Democrats about the state of her 2016 presidential bid, but now front-runner Hillary Clinton has another constituency that needs reassurance -- Asian financial markets.

October 13, 2015
Cyprus' president Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci shake hands after a meeting at U.N. buffer zone at Ledra Palace Hotel in divided capital Nicosia, Cyprus in September. The heads of Cyprus' Christian and Muslim communities are meeting with the ethnically divided island's rival leaders to lend their support to ongoing reunification talks. (Associated Press)

Cyprus inches towards reunification

It ranks among the world's oldest frozen conflicts, but an "unusual alignment of the stars" is raising new hopes that Cyprus may soon be on the road to reunification, the top diplomat of the divided island's Turkish Cypriot government said in an interview.

October 6, 2015