David R. Sands

Timur Gareyev turns back hometown chess hero Awonder Liang to win U.S. Open

It was all set up for the local hero to shine until GM Timur Gareyev spoiled the party. The Uzbek-born California GM on Sunday captured the 119th U.S. Open in Madison, Wisconsin, with a tough last-round victory over Madison-born GM Awonder Liang. Published August 8, 2018

More demolition work at key North Korean missile site: Report

North Korea has reportedly taken more steps to dismantle a key launch facility that is being cited as evidence Pyongyang is moving to fulfill commitments made to President Trump at the June 12 summit in Singapore. Published August 7, 2018

Hassan Rouhani, Iranian president, refuses U.S. talks, calls Trump sanctions move political

Iran's president in a nationally televised address Monday slammed President Trump's decision to restore U.S. economic sanctions lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal and accused Mr. Trump of playing politics at home while trying to sow "chaos" in Iran. Published August 6, 2018

Turkish party: Seize Trump’s hotel to protest sanctions

A leading Turkish opposition party wants to make it personal in the increasingly nasty clash between Ankara and Washington, saying Turkey should retaliate for economic sanctions imposed by the Trump administration by seizing the Trump Towers complex that are one of the most prominent features of the Istanbul skyline. Published August 2, 2018

Poll finds warmer feelings for America in Russia after Putin-Trump summit

It inspired another national round of hand-wringing over malign Russia influence and intentions in the U.S., but the recent Helsinki summit between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin has actually boosted America's image in Mr. Putin's Russia. Published August 2, 2018

Memorial chess tournaments are used to honor some of the game’s greats

It's one of the more civilized traditions of the game -- the memorial chess tournament that allows us to recall some of the greats we have lost and gives us an excuse to replay some of their greatest hits. Annual events are held to honor such past stars as Tal, Keres, Menchik and Capablanca. Published July 31, 2018

U.S. juniors, seniors shine in chess battles

The generation-spanning appeal of chess was on full display this month, as rising U.S. stars took their noses out of their iPhones long enough to battle for the national junior championships in St. Louis, while a U.S. men's over-50 squad stopped yelling at people to get off their lawns long enough to snag the gold medal at the sixth World Senior Team Championships in Dresden, Germany. Published July 24, 2018

Jennifer Yu breaks through as Virginia’s first female chess grandmaster

Ashburn, Virginia, is the cradle of champions. Ashburn's true world beater these days is Jennifer Yu, the 14-year-old junior star who just became the first Virginia woman ever to earn the women's grandmaster title. FIDE, the international chess federation, made it official at its most recent board meeting in Bucharest this month. Published July 17, 2018

After Putin meeting, Iranian says Tehran in Syria to stay

A top foreign policy adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei said Friday after a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that Iranian forces will remain in Syria despite protests from Israel and the Trump administration. Published July 13, 2018

World Cup winners can expect GDP boost to economy

As France and Croatia prepare for the final in soccer's monthlong World Cup extravaganza in Moscow, data suggest that this year's champion will get a nice boost in the pocketbook back home as well. Published July 12, 2018

What the Royal Game can teach the Beautiful Game

With soccer's World Cup down to the frenzied matches as this is being written, let us recount all the things the Royal Game and the Beautiful Game have in common. Published July 11, 2018

Corneille Nangaa, Congo’s election chief, welcomes challenge of December vote

Corneille Nangaa laughs but doesn't exactly disagree when it's suggested he has been handed one of the world's worst jobs. Published July 10, 2018

Birthday boy Benko has left a lasting mark on the game of chess

In the popular imagination, he's perhaps most famous for the tournament in which he didn't play. Pal Benko, the Hungarian-American GM who turns 90 on July 14, willingly gave up his slot in the 1970 Interzonal Tournament to Bobby Fischer, putting Fischer on track to win his epic world title match against Boris Spassky two years later. Published July 3, 2018

H.E. Bird displayed a healthy appetite for chess brilliance

'I never beat a healthy man." That wry old observation, attributed to the great British 19th-century master H.E. Bird, came to mind recently on the news that Chinese GM Ding Liren fractured his hip in a bicycle accident and had to withdraw midway through the strong Altibox Norway Chess tournament last month. Published June 26, 2018

A splendid little skirmish from NATO’s chess championship

As the generals say, there's a lot to be learned from a little war. Take, for example, today's first game from the recent 29th NATO Chess Championship, held in Lubbock, Texas. Published June 19, 2018

Sam Shankland snares third chess title in a row

As it seems we have been reporting for the past two months, red-hot American GM Sam Shankland has won another tournament with yet one more undefeated, dominating performance. Published June 12, 2018

For Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, familiarity breeds respect

Time was when chess world championship matches included a lengthy getting-to-know-you phase. Published June 5, 2018

George Soros, Budapest-born financier, shined in spotlight with ‘Stop Soros Bill’

George Soros has become so prominent in the Hungarian domestic political debate that the crackdown on illegal immigration pushed by nationalist prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party in parliament this week is widely being described as the "Stop Soros Bill." Published May 31, 2018

Hungary a ‘natural ally’ of Trump as Pompeo, Peter Szijjarto meet

NEWSMAKER INTERVIEW: Hungary has no intention of joining the "U.S.-bashing chorus in Europe," in part because Budapest and Washington now are singing from the same page on issues such as immigration, security and the right of sovereign nations to set their own policies, Hungary's foreign minister said in an interview. Published May 31, 2018