David R. Sands
Articles by David R. Sands
A Rocky-like Philly chess brawl from the Romantic era
World champion visits Philadelphia. Sportingly agrees to a match with a local star. Gets clocked. It sounds like the plot of a "Rocky" movie, but I discovered Sylvester Stallone's screenplay eerily prefigured while perusing some 140-year-old chess columns from the Baltimore Sunday News. Published May 24, 2022
Watchdog: U.S. pullout ‘most important factor’ in Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan
The pullout of American forces begun by President Trump and accelerated under President Biden was the "single most important factor" in the rapid collapse of the U.S.-backed government in Afghanistan and the takeover of the country by the radical Islamist Taliban movement last summer, according to a new report by the chief U.S. watchdog over the failed 20-year American mission in Kabul. Published May 18, 2022
The mating game: Reaching a convincing conclusion
"'Shut up,' he explained." Novelist Ring Lardner's famed, unanswerable riposte has its analog in chess. Many amateurs can't fathom why a grandmaster would resign a game when he's down only a pawn with rooks, bishops and queens still on the board, even when a more experienced player can quickly see the hopelessness of the situation. Published May 17, 2022
Upstart newspaper proves skeptics wrong
If there is a signature image of the impact and influence The Washington Times has had over its four decades chronicling the city, the nation and the world, it came on the night of April 29, 1995, in a Washington ballroom packed with politicos, bureaucrats, journalists and celebrities. Published May 16, 2022
Putin’s troubled war sees battlefield, diplomatic reverses
Russian President Vladimir Putin's nearly 3-month-old invasion of neighboring Ukraine suffered reverses on the battlefield and in the halls of power Sunday as long-neutral Finland said it would apply to join the NATO military alliance and neighboring Sweden signaled it wouldn't be far behind. Published May 15, 2022
Sweden takes big step toward bid for NATO
Sweden took a major step toward ending its longstanding policy of neutrality Sunday as the ruling Social Democratic Party said it now favored applying for membership in the NATO military alliance. Published May 15, 2022
North Korea, once officially COVID-free, reports rising ‘fever’ cases, deaths
North Korea on Sunday acknowledged it was facing a spreading outbreak of COVID-19, after denying for more than a year that the virus had reached its shore. Published May 15, 2022
Finnish leader holds his ground on NATO in talk with Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin tried to ratchet up the pressure on Finland over its plans to apply for NATO membership, but Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said Russia's own actions were the reason Helsinki decided to change course. Published May 15, 2022
Tuneful revenge: Embattled Ukraine takes Eurovision song contest
Ukraine's entry reportedly overcame strong early performances by entries from Britain, Spain and Sweden. It is the third Eurovision victory for the Ukrainian entrant since the country joined the competition nearly two decades ago. Published May 15, 2022
Turkish leader Erdogan pours cold water on NATO membership for Finland, Sweden
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he opposed plans by Finland, and possibly Sweden, to apply to join NATO - an application which must be unanimously endorsed by the 27 countries of the Western military alliance to be approved. Published May 13, 2022
Russia fumes as NATO leaders welcome Finland bid to join alliance
Russian officials were quick to promise retaliation Thursday as Finland's top leaders confirmed they were ready to abandon decades of neutrality and apply to join the NATO military alliance "without delay." Published May 12, 2022
Fischer was a model of sanity and realism — at the chessboard
Incredibly for those of us who were first drawn to the game by the excitement and spectacle of the time, this year marks the 50th anniversary -- a full half-century -- of Bobby Fischer's epic run to the world chess title, culminating in the on- and off-board drama of Bobby's defeat of star-crossed Soviet world champion Boris Spassky in Reykjavik, Iceland. Published May 10, 2022
Channeling a champ at his own chess tournament
The great Cuban world champion Jose Raul Capablanca had a trademark touch that propelled some of his greatest victories -- the petite combinaison, the little tactical flourish designed not to mate a king or win a queen but to secure the tiniest of positional advantages such as control of a vital square or the trade of a bad bishop for a good knight. Published May 3, 2022
Macron talks to Putin as Germany’s Scholz shuns trip to Kyiv
French President Emmanuel Macron held a two-hour telephone conversation Tuesday morning with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid reports the Kremlin could be ready to declare breakaway parts of eastern Ukraine as part of Russia's sovereign territory. Published May 3, 2022
Battle for Mariupol back on after civilian convoy finally allowed out
Russian forces renewed their assault on the key Ukrainian port city of Mariupol on Sunday just hours after a convoy of civilian refugees was finally allowed to leave, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy greeted a U.S. congressional delegation headed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and accused the Kremlin of pursuing a "war of extermination." Published May 1, 2022
Civilian evacuation from besieged Ukrainian port of Mariupol underway, officials say
Civilians trapped in the grim battle for control of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol have been allowed to start leaving the city by besieging Russian forces, the United Nations and the Ukrainian government said Sunday. Published May 1, 2022
German push to cut Russian energy dependence shows results
Germany has made significant headway already in cutting its dependence on Russian fossil fuels since the start of the Ukrainian invasion in February, officials said Sunday. Published May 1, 2022
Leading Chinese drone maker DJI cuts off Russia, Ukraine
DJI Technology Co., the Chinese manufacturer who claims a massive share of the global market for commercial drones, said Wednesday it is suspending sales to Russia and Ukraine as the Kremlin's invasion of its neighbor enters its third month. Published April 27, 2022
U.S., allied military leaders defy Kremlin with new Ukraine aid plans
Russia's top diplomat and America's top defense official traded charges of saber-rattling Tuesday, as military leaders from the U.S. and more than three dozen allies met in Germany to discuss how to speed up arms flows to Ukraine as it seeks to halt a coming offensive by invading Russian troops in the east and south. Published April 26, 2022
American Cup represents a chess stress test
There is plenty of stress in classical chess, where the slightest misstep can lead to catastrophic loss and a single move can ruin seven hours of hard work. Published April 26, 2022
