David R. Sands
Articles by David R. Sands
Compartmentalizing Carlsen wins at the chessboard while fanning cheating controversy
He may be at the center of a raging global scandal with his accusations of possible cheating by a fellow grandmaster, but world champion Magnus Carlsen is showing no signs of stress at the chessboard. Published September 27, 2022
Putin gives leaker Snowden citizenship in defiance of U.S.
America's most famous fugitive leaker found a permanent refuge Monday as the government of President Vladimir Putin granted Russian citizenship to former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. Published September 26, 2022
North Korea denies U.S. reports it is selling arms to Russia
A couple of weeks later, North Korea is angrily denying widely disseminated U.S. intelligence findings that it has agreed to sell large amounts of arms and munitions to Russia in support of President Vladimir Putin's troubled invasion of Ukraine. Published September 22, 2022
A century later, a chess champ in his prime still inspires awe
This month we had the spectacle of a world champion walking out on a tournament, when Norway's Magnus Carlsen dropped out of the 9th Sinquefield Cup after three games under still controversial circumstances. Published September 20, 2022
Carrying a grudge: Chess champ quits after one move against U.S. rival amid cheating controversy
The cheating controversy roiling the world of elite chess shows no signs of cooling down as Norwegian world champion Magnus Carlsen played one move and then quit in apparent protest in his game against young American rival Hans Moke Niemann Monday. Published September 19, 2022
Iranian leader nixes any Biden meeting during U.N. gathering
The trip to New York by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was already controversial, with lawmakers in Congress pressuring the Biden administration not to allow him to travel to the U.N. gathering. Published September 18, 2022
Bidens join world leaders in London to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden joined more than 100 global leaders and foreign dignitaries in London Sunday, as the world gathered for Queen Elizabeth II's funeral Monday after a record 70-plus years on the throne. Published September 18, 2022
Marines won’t dismiss troops rejecting COVID-19 shot on religious grounds
The Marine Corps has quietly dropped a legal campaign challenging those in the ranks who have cited religious objections to getting the COVID-19 vaccination. Published September 18, 2022
In some border areas, it’s Russian residents who fear for safety in Ukraine fighting
Russians living along the border with Ukraine are now experiencing some of the fear and uncertainty their Ukrainian neighbors have been enduring for the past nearly seven months. Published September 18, 2022
Firouzja survives controversy-filled Sinquefield Cup to claim chess title
Amid all the Sturm und Drang -- a world champion losing a game and quitting the tournament after just three rounds; a voluble rising American star now shadowed by accusations of cheating at the highest level; rule changes that strongly implied something fishy was going on; even a social media flame war over weird accents -- they did manage to play the 9th Sinquefield Cup and produce an over-the-board winner. Published September 13, 2022
Antony Blinken says Iran’s latest stance on nuclear deal a step ‘backwards’
Tehran's latest response on a proposed compromise to revive the troubled 2015 Iran nuclear deal has made it harder to reach an agreement, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday. Published September 9, 2022
U.S. congressional delegation visits Taiwan as Xi announces trip
A U.S. congressional delegation has arrived unannounced in Taiwan, extending a string of official contacts that have infuriated mainland China and sent tensions soaring across the Taiwan Strait and the region. Published September 7, 2022
Champ Carlsen’s shock withdrawal after Niemann loss rocks Sinquefield chess tourney
Breaking (and shocking) news ... Norwegian world champion Magnus Carlsen abruptly withdrew from the 9th Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis Monday, a day after a painful Round 3 loss to young American GM Hans Moke Niemann. Published September 6, 2022
Queen Elizabeth II passes on attending traditional Highland Games event
Just days before she faces one of her biggest constitutional duties, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II will not attend a popular Scottish festival that has long been an annual fixture on her calendar. Published September 2, 2022
Hail the conquering American! Marking 50 years since Fischer’s epic win over Spassky
The times being what they were, I first learned the result from the newspaper I was delivering. The afternoon Washington Evening Star's front-page, top-of-the-fold headline for Sept. 1, 1972 -- exactly 50 years ago this Thursday -- proclaimed that Russian Boris Spassky had conceded the adjourned 21st game of the stormy match in Reykjavik, Iceland, by phone making Bobby Fischer the 11th official world chess champion and the first American to wear the crown. Published August 30, 2022
Burke, fellow Yanks score high in Maryland’s ‘International’ chess showcase
It was the Washington-area's 9th International Tournament, but it was the Americans who claimed some of the top honors. Published August 23, 2022
Indiana Gov. Holcomb latest U.S. official to spark Chinese ire with visit to Taiwan
Indiana Gov. Eric J. Holcomb became the latest U.S. political figure to make a high-profile trip to Taiwan, as tensions between the U.S. and China over the island democracy's status continue to soar. Published August 21, 2022
Russia hawks blame Ukraine for car bomb that killed Putin adviser’s daughter
Russian hardline nationalists rushed to blame Ukrainian agents for a stunning car bomb attack just outside Moscow on Saturday night that killed the daughter of a leading ideological thinker believed to be a major influence on the foreign policy of President Vladimir Putin. Published August 21, 2022
A passel of chess games to get us through the dog days
It's the middle of August and a good time for a vacation, so we'll let the players do the heavy lifting today. Fortunately, the dog days of summer are a boom time for chess, and we have a ton of fine games to fill some column inches from the recent World Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India and, closer to home, the 122nd U.S. Open in Rancho Mirage, California. Published August 17, 2022
Russian, U.S. officials talking over Griner prisoner swap, Moscow says
The Kremlin acknowledged for the first time Thursday that U.S. and Russian officials are in talks on a swap that would potentially free women's basketball star Brittney Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan from Russian jails. Published August 11, 2022
