David R. Sands
Articles by David R. Sands
Seesaw battle leads to second draw to open world chess title match
Both players had chances in a sharp struggle, but the result was 58-move draw in the second game of the 14-game world chess championship match between titleholder Magnus Carlsen of Norway and challenger Ian Neponiachtchi of Russia Saturday in Dubai. Published November 27, 2021
Carlsen presses but held to draw in world chess championship match’s first game
World chess champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway, playing the Black pieces, survived some early pressure and then mismanaged a favorable position to draw Russian challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi in the first game of the scheduled 14-game title match in Dubai Friday. Published November 26, 2021
‘Squid Game’ smuggler gets death sentence as North Korea cracks down
In totalitarian North Korea, it's not just the fictional characters competing in "Squid Game" who are in mortal danger. Published November 25, 2021
Carlsen, Nepomniachtchi square off for chess crown this week
Magnus Carlsen is sounding a little cocky -- and history suggests he may have a right to preen. There have been some 60 or so world championship matches (the numbers get a little fuzzy with the Split Crown Era of the late 1990s and early 2000s) since the mid-19th century, and there have been no real shocking upsets on the order of Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson or the 1969 Mets winning the World Series. Published November 23, 2021
Missing Chinese tennis star surfaces in video from Beijing tournament
Chinese female tennis star Peng Shuai has been seen publicly for the first time in weeks Published November 21, 2021
Vets get a big jump in retirement pay to help fight inflation
In another sign that the U.S. military is facing the same economic headwinds as the civilian population, the Defense Department announced Friday that military retirees and survivors will receive a 5.9% cost-of-living boost in pay and survivor benefits. Published November 19, 2021
China fuming over Biden’s talk of U.S. Olympic boycott, sends invite to Putin
China's Foreign Ministry Friday sharply criticized President Biden's comments that he is weighing a modified boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, accusing Washington of politicizing the global sports event. Published November 19, 2021
Patricia Posey, a smiling presence with The Times from the start, dies at age 72
Patricia Posey, who mixed professional competence with relentless good cheer as a charter employee of The Washington Times, has died at the age of 72. Published November 16, 2021
Middle East dispatch: Chess on the rise again in a cradle of the game
A cradle of chess may be celebrating a new birth. Published November 16, 2021
Russia’s Lavrov rejects U.S. complaints on satellite strike
Russia's top diplomat on Tuesday rejected sharp U.S. criticism of a test of a satellite-killer missile that left a large trail of debris in outer space, arguing Washington was to blame for blocking global efforts to contain the militarization of outer space. Published November 16, 2021
Meet the candidates: Firouzja, Caruana, Lei book chess title tourney slots
Alireza Firouzja has been tipped as a future world champion contender since he burst on the scene by winning Iran's national championship in 2016 at the tender age of 12, earning his grandmaster spurs two years later. Published November 9, 2021
Couple in France awarded ‘turbine syndrome’ damages from nearby wind farm
In what may be the first decision of its kind, a court has ruled that a Belgian couple living in France is entitled to some $127,000 in damages for health problems they say were caused by a nearby energy-producing wind farm. Published November 8, 2021
Kremlin: Western reports of troop buildup near Ukraine ‘fake news’
The Russian government Tuesday dismissed as "cheap, fake news" reports of a major buildup of troops and weaponry near the country's tense borders with Ukraine and Belarus. Published November 2, 2021
Savoring the mellow joys of positional chess
It is autumn in earnest, Keats' "season of mists and mellow fruitfulness," and a columnist's fancy naturally turns to thoughts of positional chess. Published November 2, 2021
At the chessboard, one bad move among hundreds can bring despair
Chess is a beguiling but demanding taskmaster, brutally punishing even a moment's inattention. Published October 26, 2021
Yip glides, So grinds on way to U.S. national chess titles
The queen arrived early, but the king took his time. Published October 19, 2021
Inhofe demands Pentagon halt COVID vaccine mandate for troops
The top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee is demanding the Defense Department abandon its mandate that all troop and civilian personnel get vaccinated against COVID-19. Published October 19, 2021
U.S. envoy to Afghanistan under Trump, Biden quits
Zalmay Khalilzad, the veteran Afghan-born diplomat who was the point man for negotiations with the Taliban insurgency under both Presidents Trump and Biden, said Tuesday he was stepping down from his post, just weeks after the collapse of the U.S.-backed government in Kabul and the chaotic U.S. and allied military withdrawal from the country. Published October 19, 2021
Hall of Famers: Sinquefields honored for contributions to chess
Hours before his well-deserved induction into the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame last week, Rex Sinquefield's thoughts were turning to another seemingly underachieving Hall of Famer, pro baseball catcher Bob Uecker. Uecker famously mocked his modest on-field skill set, but he got a ticket to Cooperstown for his long career as a broadcaster, comedian, pitchman and ambassador for the game. Published October 12, 2021
Kremlin tries to take high road over Russian Nobel peace winner
The Russian government tried to take the high road Friday following the announcement that a Russian journalist hailed for his work in the face of official intimidation was named a co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize Friday. Published October 8, 2021
