David R. Sands
Articles by David R. Sands
Naming rights: Star chess players live on in memorial events
For some players, great and maybe not-so-great, the name lives on long after they have punched the final chess clock. Published June 28, 2016
Alexis Tsipras, Greek PM: EU needs ‘change of course’ in light of British exit vote
With many speculating that his country might be the next to defect from the European Union, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Friday that the EU must make a major course correction if it wants head off a deeper crisis following Britain's vote Thursday to leave the bloc. Published June 24, 2016
U.S. stocks plummet at opening after U.K. Brexit vote
The Dow Jones index of leading stocks fell nearly 500 points, or 3 percent, in the first minutes of trading Friday morning, as traders were still reeling from the shock vote the day before that will take Britain out of the European Union. Published June 24, 2016
Brian Williams of MSNBC covers Trump speech savaging Brian Williams
That was one awkward moment for cable news channel MSNBC and anchor Brian Williams during their coverage of Donald Trump's speech Wednesday attacking the record of Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in New York. Published June 22, 2016
In Kopec’s games, a lesson from the (international) chess master
Great players don't always make great teachers. Published June 21, 2016
Viktor Korchnoi enjoyed record chess run at the top
Aside from lots of checking, there isn't really much that hockey and chess have in common. Published June 14, 2016
Chinese Communists: Comrades, our propaganda stinks
Long a world leader in the field, Chinese Communist Party officials are now openly complaining that their propaganda machine isn't firing on all cylinders these days. Published June 9, 2016
Trump tops Clinton in latest poll — among Russians
The first major poll since Hillary Clinton was declared the presumptive Democratic nominee this finds her trailing Republican rival Donald Trump -- among voters in Russia, at least. Published June 7, 2016
DAVID R. SANDS: When mismatches make for chess masterpieces
Odd but true: Some of the most brilliant and most anthologized games in the history of chess were distinct mismatches, the equivalent of Stephen Strasburg pitching a no-hitter against a Double-A minor league team. Published June 7, 2016
DAVID R. SANDS: A chess match from an age when titans came ready for battle
The world title match between Norwegian champion Magnus Carlsen and Russian challenger Sergey Karjakin, set for New York City in November, will almost certainly be more subtle, more sophisticated, more finely balanced than the world title match that was played 150 years ago this month in London. Published May 31, 2016
U.S. drops from first to third in global competitiveness ranking
The U.S. economy is no longer the most competitive and pro-business in the world, after holding the top spot for the previous three years, according to a comprehensive new survey. Published May 31, 2016
Putin-Elton John summit on gay rights won’t come off after all
A highly anticipated meeting between Russia President Vladimir Putin and British pop superstar Sir Elton John won't be held next week after all, Mr. Putin's spokesman revealed Thursday. Published May 26, 2016
Hardliner to head board that picks Iran’s next supreme ayatollah
An 89-year-old cleric with a reputation as a fiercely anti-Western ultraconservative on Tuesday won the election to head the key government body charged with picking a successor to Iran's longtime supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Published May 24, 2016
DAVID R. SANDS: A generous chess GM saves something for himself
Call it karma, or at least a little reward from Caissa for a good deed done. Published May 24, 2016
DAVID R. SANDS: Sometimes a chess grandmaster proves a friend in need
If you want a friend in this game, queen a pawn. OK, that's not a real chess saying, but there is this idea out there that it's an every-man-for-himself world out there among elite grandmasters, that the top players are lone wolves forced to hunt solo to survive. The reality is far different. Published May 17, 2016
DAVID R. SANDS: Mirror image: Chess champ, challenger offer complementary styles
The world championship match November in New York City may be a case of the immovable object meeting the immovable object. Published May 10, 2016
Zimbabwe economic crisis deepening, IMF report says
Wracked by drought, deflation and falling world commodity prices, the Zimbabwean economy faces deepening economic difficulties with little relief in sight, the International Monetary Fund said in a new report Wednesday. Published May 4, 2016
Flint water crisis may trigger racism investigations by U.N.
As President Obama travels to Flint, Michigan, Wednesday to highlight the city's water contamination crisis, the United Nations said it might initiate a human rights complaint in the case based on racism and class bias, a narrative the White House didn't dispute. Published May 3, 2016
U.S. racism, class discrimination to blame for Flint water scandal: U.N.
The United Nations is weighing whether to insert itself in the probe into contaminated drinking water for residents of Flint, Michigan, after a trio of U.N. human rights experts in Switzerland said that racism and class discrimination may have played a key role in the scandal. Published May 3, 2016
DAVID R. SANDS: With Krush crush, Paikidze wins chess crown the hard way
America's new queen of chess is a proud daughter of Maryland. Baltimore WGM Nazi Paikidze, an alumna of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County and its powerhouse chess team, captured her first women's national crown just over a year after switching her allegiance from her Georgia homeland to the U.S. Published May 3, 2016
