David R. Sands
Articles by David R. Sands
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
Bullish Johnson rejects ‘uncontrolled’ immigration to ease economic strains
Famously optimistic British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is again looking on the bright side, telling his ruling Conservative Party on Wednesday that good economic times are ahead and there will be no going back to what he said was the low-wage, high-immigration model of the pre-Brexit U.K. Published October 6, 2021
Fall season heats up with U.S. title tourneys, Washington Chess Congress
The fall chess season is in full swing, with strong national and local events on tap in the coming days and a world title match to look forward to in November. Published October 5, 2021
Johnson won’t ease Brexit immigration curbs despite gas woes
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he will not ease Brexit-related rules on immigration to address a lack of truck drivers. Published October 3, 2021
China stages aerial ‘military parade’ with record sorties near Taiwan
China's military staged a massive show of intimidation over the Taiwan Strait over the weekend, dispatching bombers, fighter jets and other aircraft into Taiwan's defensive air space in two waves Friday and Saturday, by far the biggest such incursion in recent years. Published October 3, 2021
Kishida in line to be Japan’s next prime minister after close party vote
Former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida has won a hotly contested leadership race to head Japan's long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party, putting him on track to succeed resigning Yoshihide Suga as prime minister of a key U.S. ally. Published September 29, 2021
Local chess star Kaufman serves up engaging ‘Options’ in new memoir
Growing up in the DMV, I recall competing in a lot of tournaments with GM Larry Kaufman -- and by "with" I mean in the same giant hotel ballroom or church social hall, though Kaufman was likely to be playing on Board 1 or 2, while I was off trying to snare some Class B money out on Board 176. Published September 28, 2021
