David R. Sands

Raised in Northern Virginia, David R. Sands received an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and a master's degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He worked as a reporter for several Washington-area business publications before joining The Washington Times.

At The Times, Mr. Sands has covered numerous beats, including international trade, banking, politics and Capitol Hill, and spent eight years on the foreign desk as senior diplomatic correspondent. He is currently the deputy editor for politics. In addition, he has reviewed books and written feature stories for the newspaper and authored The Times' weekly chess column since 1993. He is also senior writer for Washington GolfStyles, a monthly publication covering the Mid-Atlantic golf scene.

Articles by David R. Sands

Plucky U.S. squad shares third in NATO chess tilt

NATO has had its issues in recent times, but fortunately, the U.S. and its military allies are still able to come together for some friendly skirmishing at the chessboard. Published September 9, 2025

Peddi, So shine during a busy August for chess

August is the month when the world shuts down and the chess scene heats up. Published September 2, 2025

A defensive master’s attacking masterpieces

It may sound like the chess equivalent of "Babe Ruth's Best Bunts," but Swedish IM Thomas Engqvist's new book "Ulf the Attacker" shines an unexpected light on one of his country's best and most popular players of the modern era. Published August 19, 2025

Swiercz’s surge leads to U.S. Open title

There was some heartbreak and last-round drama at the 125th annual U.S. Open in Middleton, Wisconsin, last week, with Missouri GM Darius Swiercz emerging from the pack to take solo first and punch his ticket for a berth in the next U.S. national championship tournament. Published August 12, 2025

Remembering when the Raging Rooks took down a chess barrier

It might have been the biggest U.S. chess story in the mainstream press since Bobby Fischer's world championship win two decades earlier, and one still worth recalling today for its impact on the direction of American chess. Published August 5, 2025

Late-round heroics secure U.S. championship titles

There were some late-round dramatics and down-to-the-wire battles as the 2025 U.S. junior, junior girls and senior championships wrapped up last week at the St. Louis Chess Club. In all three events, the margin of victory was a mere half-point. Published July 29, 2025

Seniors, juniors battle for U.S. titles in St. Louis

The boomers and the Gen Zers are in the spotlight this week as the St. Louis Chess Club plays host to the U.S. Junior, U.S. Junior Girls and the U.S. Senior Championships. Published July 22, 2025

Fireworks dazzle at Philly, D.C. Independence Day events

The tactical bombs were bursting in air and the positional purple mountains were majestic as area players celebrated another Fourth of July by doing battle at the chessboard. Published July 15, 2025

Brilliancy loss, tournament win for ‘Pragg’

Young Indian GM Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa scored a rare double at the 2nd UzChess Cup Masters Tournament in the Uzbekistan city of Tashkent -- taking first place against a world-class field while losing a game during the tournament to Hungarian GM Richard Rapport that could very well be remembered as the brilliancy of the year. Published July 8, 2025

Coming to America: Honoring the overlooked Lipschutz

As the country prepares to celebrate its 249th birthday later this week, it is worth noting that immigrants have enlivened and enriched American chess virtually from the time the colonies first gained their independence from Britain. Published July 1, 2025

Upstart American claims the chess laurels at Cairns

When organizers go to the trouble and expense of hosting a major international chess tournament, it's customary to reserve a slot or two in the field for a local favorite who may not have qualified by rating or reputation alone. The courtesy invitees are expected to boost local interest and maybe give the top seeds the occasional tough fight. Published June 24, 2025

Lee shines in early Cairns action

The late, great D.C. chess champion Oscar Shapiro, the oldest player ever to earn the master's title and still a dangerous pairing in local tournaments well into his 90s, once told me he bore down especially hard when playing against promising junior players zooming up the ratings charts. Published June 17, 2025

Tantrum aside, Carlsen dominates in Norway

Overcoming a table-thumping tantrum viewed 'round the globe, Norwegian former world chess champion Magnus Carlsen captured his sixth Norway Open title in the past seven years. Published June 10, 2025

A fragrant cherry blossom bouquet shared at Virginia chess tournament

There was an international flavor at the top of the leaderboard at last month's 12th Cherry Blossom Classic in Sterling, Virginia, with Lithuanian GM Titas Stremavicius and Serbian GM Luka Budisavlijevic sharing top honors at 7-2, while foreign-based players claimed seven of the top 10 spots in the strong 50-player event. Published June 3, 2025