David R. Sands
Articles by David R. Sands
Quick thinking: Nakamura dominates rapid and blitz chess in St. Louis
So much of greatness in sports and the arts comes down to how you measure it. Take the case of American GM Hikaru Nakamura. Published August 17, 2021
U.S., allies join Canada in blasting Chinese verdict on prisoner
The U.S. and some two dozen nations Wednesday joined in a condemnation of China for its sentencing of Canadian businessman Michael Spavor, who was convicted of espionage in a closed court proceeding Tuesday and given an 11-year prison term. Published August 11, 2021
Almost perfect: Alex Lenderman just misses a shutout in U.S. Open chess win
He lost his perfect chess game in -- almost literally -- the bottom of the ninth, but GM Alex Lenderman still emerged with the victory in the just-concluded 121st U.S. Open, held this year in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Published August 10, 2021
Sam Shankland shines in defeat at World Cup chess knockout tourney
The Sam Shankland secret is starting to get out. Long known as one of the best American players, the low-profile California GM is starting to make a name for himself across the pond as well. Shankland captured the Prague Masters tournament in June over a world-class field and just made a strong run in the 128-player FIDE World Cup knockout tournament in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia. Published August 3, 2021
Russian envoy puts blame on Iran for nuke deal stalemate
A top Russian diplomat said Iran bears much of the blame for the failure to cut a deal with the Biden administration and restore the 2015 multilateral nuclear deal that President Trump repudiated in 2018. Published August 2, 2021
U.S. says Iran to blame for deadly drone attack on oil ship
The Biden administration is joining its allies in putting the blame on Iran for an apparent drone attack last week that killed two crewmembers aboard a petroleum tanker in the tense Arabian Sea off the coast of Oman. Published August 1, 2021
Russia cites Olympics medal haul amid anti-doping scandals
Russian sports officials are employing the familiar American sports taunt "Scoreboard" against those who would question their athletes about doping. Published August 1, 2021
North Korea warns U.S.-South Korea military drills will damage ties
North Korea warned Sunday that "hostile" U.S.-South Korean military drills planned for later this month could seriously damage the recent push to improve relations between the two Koreas. Published August 1, 2021
Pentagon chief Austin hails arrival of first evacuation flight of Afghans who helped U.S. forces
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday welcomed the arrival in the U.S. of the first contingent of Afghan nationals who aided the 20-year U.S. combat mission in their country and now face potential revenge attacks from insurgent Taliban forces. Published July 30, 2021
Dismantled oil giant Yukos wins $5 billion judgment against Russia
An international tribunal has ruled that the Russian government owes onetime energy giant Yukos Oil $5 billion in compensation for illegally expropriating its assets and denying it justice in Russian courts. Published July 29, 2021
Austin calls out China, promises aid to allies on Asian tour
The U.S. military will strongly defend Taiwan and its other Asian allies and rejects China's expansive sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told a high-powered Asian security conference Tuesday. Published July 27, 2021
Crowning achievement: Niemann, Wang and Kaidanov claim chess titles
July proved a disorienting month for patriotic American chess players. We opened the month celebrating our declaration of independence from a foreign king and closed the month with a triple coronation right here at home. Published July 27, 2021
UN strips famed Liverpool docks of historic designation
The United Nations' lead cultural agency has unceremoniously stripped the British city of Liverpool of its coveted status as a world heritage site, ruling that new commercial development has robbed the port's famed Victorian-era docks of their unique cultural and architectural value. Published July 21, 2021
For a weekly chess columnist, an embarrassment of riches
"How do you find enough material to fill a weekly column?" The question comes up surprisingly frequently from my poor, deprived non-chess-loving friends. Published July 20, 2021
U.S. forges new alliances to prep for post-Afghan War reality in Central Asia
The Biden administration has announced plans for a new formal relationship with Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Central Asian nation of Uzbekistan, the latest signs of geopolitical tug of war in the region in the wake of the U.S. and allied troop pullout from Afghanistan. Published July 16, 2021
Vive la France! Alireza Firouzja latest chess star to be given a Gallic welcome
France's Bastille Day, which we mark this week, celebrates the final days of a notorious royalist prison in 1789 that inmates were trying to escape from. Which for chessplayers is more than a bit ironic, as France ever since has represented a place to escape to. Published July 13, 2021
Rhetoric from ‘Free Iran’ summit strikes nerve, sparks regime’s ire
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a parade of former officials and current lawmakers from countries around the world told a mass virtual gathering of Iranian exiles over the weekend that the regime in Tehran was weak, illegitimate, incompetent and not long for this world. Published July 11, 2021
Kinzinger: U.S. military may have to return to Afghanistan
Departing American troops may soon have to return to Afghanistan as the security situation deteriorates and the Taliban step up their offensive against the U.S.-backed Kabul government, a key lawmaker said Sunday. Published July 11, 2021
Pope’s first public appearance closely scrutinized after surgery
Pope Francis on Sunday made his first public appearance after intestinal surgery last week, offering thanks for the prayers of the faithful. Published July 11, 2021
Pompeo calls for stepped-up pressure on ‘weak’ Iranian regime
Iran's theocratic government is at "its weakest point in its now 40 years of existence," former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told a global virtual rally of exiled regime opponents Saturday, arguing that now is the time for the U.S. and its allies to increase pressure on hardline President-elect Ebrahim Raisi as he prepared to take office. Published July 10, 2021
