David R. Sands
Articles by David R. Sands
A long wait for action at Sinquefield leads to a search for chess drama elsewhere
The Sinquefield Cup, annually the strongest invitational tournament in the U.S., got off to a less than stellar start at the Chess Club of St. Louis, with just two decisive games -- two -- through Sunday's Round 5 and Polish GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda pulling out of the 10-grandmaster field after Round 1, citing ill health. Published November 28, 2023
Saudi Arabia beats out South Korea, Italy for right to host 2030 World Expo
Saudi Arabia's capital of Riyadh has won a tense bidding war for the right to host the 2030 World Expo, beating out rival bids from Rome and the South Korean port city of Busan. Published November 28, 2023
Matchless — why one-on-one chess combat is largely a thing of the past
Well, stand your butt up then." "You stand your butt up, big guy." That actual exchange from an actual recent Senate hearing may have been less than edifying, but it did get us thinking about the stark decline in that ultimate in mano a mano chess, the challenge match between two consenting chessplayers. Published November 21, 2023
U.S. slams Daniel Ortega, wife as Nicaragua ditches hemisphere’s Organization of American States
The Biden administration sharply criticized Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo as the nation on Sunday officially left the pan-American Organization of American States. Published November 19, 2023
Qatari mediator sounds hopeful note on Israel-Hamas hostage deal
Qatar's prime minister has sounded an optimistic note that a deal could soon be struck to free a large number of Israeli and foreign hostages held by the Palestinian militant group Hamas after its murderous rampage across southern Israel nearly six weeks ago. Published November 19, 2023
Top British court rejects government plan to ship asylum seekers to Rwanda
Britain's Supreme Court on Wednesday unanimously ruled that a polarizing government plan to ship asylum seekers to Rwanda could not be carried out. Published November 15, 2023
Finding sanctuary in a chess library
Not that writing a chess column qualifies as hazardous journalism, but sometimes trying to keep up with the news from the wide world of chess can be like trying to drink from the proverbial firehose. Published November 14, 2023
White House says Israel agrees to first pause in Gaza fighting
The White House said Thursday that Israel has agreed to daily four-hour pauses in its offensive against Hamas militants to allow trapped Palestinian residents in Gaza to escape the fighting and possibly also to accelerate talks to free hundreds of hostages still held by the group. Published November 9, 2023
Vidit, Nakamura book berths in Candidates Tournament for a shot at world chess title
With a key win over his archrival, U.S. GM Hikaru Nakamura has booked a slot in next spring's eight-grandmaster Candidates Tournament in Toronto, for a chance to take on reigning Chinese world champ GM Ding Liren. Published November 7, 2023
American chess stars in the hunt for coveted Candidates’ slots at FIDE Swiss fight
Some 164 top players are competing now in the FIDE Grand Swiss and the FIDE Women's Grand Swiss tournaments on the Isle of Man. The prize for the two top qualifying players in both 11-round events: a slot in the 2024 open and women's eight-player Candidates Tournaments that will identify the next challengers for the world chess titles. Published October 31, 2023
U.S. faces balancing act as Israeli campaign builds against Hamas
The Biden administration escalated its tricky balancing act Sunday as Israel prepared for an expanded clash with Hamas militants in Gaza, again insisting Israel has the right to avenge the deadly Oct. 7 terrorist rampage but also cautioning that Israeli forces must take extra steps to avoid civilian casualties in the densely populated enclave. Published October 29, 2023
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi presses U.S. for ‘sincerity’ in bumpy relationship
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi wrapped up three days of talks in Washington saying the onus is on Washington to take active moves to bolster the troubled bilateral relationship. Published October 29, 2023
Caruana claimed third U.S. chess title by holding off the young guns
GM Fabiano Caruana not only captured his third U.S. national title with a dominating performance earlier this month at the St. Louis Chess Club, the world's No. 2 player also had a message for a generation of rising American stars aiming for his crown. Published October 24, 2023
Kremlin slams dismissive tone of Biden’s speech on Putin, Ukraine
The Kremlin did not appreciate the text -- or the tone -- of President Biden's Oval Office address Thursday night seeking a major new funding package that would include tens of billions of dollars to aid Ukraine as it fights off a Russian invasion force. Published October 20, 2023
Biden declares Putin, Hamas threats to democracy in prime-time speech
President Biden laid out his case to the country and Congress that the U.S. must send $100 billion of taxpayer-funded aid to Israel and Ukraine, arguing that two wars in other parts of the globe threaten to undermine democratic stability around the world and to damage U.S. national security. Published October 19, 2023
Mayhem across regional tinderbox obscures direction for U.S., Israel
The string of incidents underscored the tinderbox nature of the region and sparked a retaliation campaign in Gaza that could soon lead to a ground war in the Palestinian enclave. Published October 18, 2023
Caruana romps, Yip survives in U.S. chess title tournaments
GM Fabiano Caruana coasted to his third U.S. national chess championship this week, while IM Carissa Yip took a more arduous route to claim her second U.S. women's title Tuesday at the events' traditional home at the Chess Club of St. Louis. Published October 18, 2023
Violent protest at U.S. Embassy in Lebanon prompts new do-not-travel warning
The State Department on Wednesday issued a hasty "do not travel" to Lebanon warning for American citizens hours after a pro-Palestinian protest ignited a fire in the U.S. Embassy complex in Beirut. Published October 18, 2023
Blinken cautions Israel against strike on Gaza civilians; shaken by images of atrocities
Israel's military on Thursday ramped up its promised campaign of retaliation for last weekend's murderous rampage by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, leveling entire neighborhoods in the Gaza Strip, massing troops for a possible ground operation against the Hamas stronghold, and vowing that a punishing blockage of the densely populated Palestinian enclave would continue until the 100-plus Israeli and foreign hostages are freed. Published October 12, 2023
U.S., Qatar put hold on Iranian $6 billion fund after Hamas attack
Facing bipartisan criticism at home, the Biden administration has reportedly put a new hold on some $6 billion in Iranian funds held in a Qatari bank account in the wake of the attack by Palestinian Hamas militants on Israel that has killed more than 1,200 Israelis and foreigners. Published October 12, 2023
