David R. Sands
Articles by David R. Sands
DAVID R. SANDS: Felipe El Debs tops field at Washington Chess Congress
There was an unfamiliar name at the top of the leaderboard as GM Felipe El Debs emerged as the sole winner of the second annual Washington Chess Congress last month at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, going 71/2-11/2 in the 47-player Premier section field that included five grandmasters and a number of other titled entrants. Published November 3, 2015
DAVID R. SANDS: Fearsome attacker Emory Tate, a local chess favorite, dies at 56
This column lost a good friend — and a reliable source of Grade-A material — with the untimely passing of IM Emory Tate earlier this month at the age of 56 Published October 27, 2015
DAVID R. SANDS: Bobby Fischer’s priestly second shines in new biopic
The Bobby Fischer biopic "Pawn Sacrifice," which we wrote about here last week, offers another extra kick for the serious chess fan, giving the full Hollywood treatment to one of the American game's most interesting and underappreciated players — William Lombardy, who was Bobby's sorely tried second in the 1972 title match with Spassky in Reykjavik. Published October 20, 2015
Jim Webb raising money off ‘rigged’ CNN Democratic debate
Still fuming over his lack of airtime in Tuesday's CNN-moderated debate, Democratic presidential hopeful Jim Webb is trying to raise campaign cash over what he calls a "rigged" debate. Published October 16, 2015
DAVID R. SANDS: Chess in the dark — should we accept ‘Pawn Sacrifice’?
Watching the new Bobby Fischer movie "Pawn Sacrifice" as a professional writer on chess is an interesting experience. While the rest of the audience was focused on whether Fischer (played by Tobey Maguire) could overcome his personal demons and persecution complex to achieve his dream of greatness, I was far more moved when Fischer was considering whether to take that poisoned pawn with his bishop in the famous Game 1 of his 1972 title match with Boris Spassky. Published October 13, 2015
Asian investors fret over ‘Hillary risk’
She's having enough trouble trying to calm nervous Democrats about the state of her 2016 presidential bid, but now front-runner Hillary Clinton has another constituency that needs reassurance -- Asian financial markets. Published October 13, 2015
Cyprus inches towards reunification
It ranks among the world's oldest frozen conflicts, but an "unusual alignment of the stars" is raising new hopes that Cyprus may soon be on the road to reunification, the top diplomat of the divided island's Turkish Cypriot government said in an interview. Published October 6, 2015
DAVID R. SANDS: Karjakin KOs Svidler to win FIDE World Cup chess title
Chess might have a future as a spectator sport if more matches went like this. Published October 6, 2015
DAVID R. SANDS: A knockout format in chess that packs a punch
The knockout format has its drawbacks, but it can make for the kind of drama that the traditional round-robin and Swiss formats can't provide. Published September 29, 2015
DAVID R. SANDS: Wild game highlights what D.C. is missing in chess league play
We have professional franchises in all the major sports, a men's and women's soccer team, a men's and women's basketball team, even a pro tennis franchise. So why can D.C. get a slot in the U.S. Chess League? Published September 23, 2015
Israel needs U.S. military aid, intelligence sharing in wake of Iran deal, top lawmaker says
NEWSMAKER INTERVIEW: Having struck a nuclear deal with Iran over Israel's strong objections, the Obama administration and its allies now must step up to ensure the security of the Jewish state through military aid and greater intelligence-sharing, a top foreign policy voice for Israel's opposition Labor Party said in an interview. Published September 22, 2015
Pope Francis’ views on climate change, immigration, income inequality, sexuality may be divisive
The messenger will be guaranteed a warm welcome, but his message may prove more divisive as America's Catholics prepare to greet Pope Francis for a history-making six-day visit starting Tuesday. Published September 21, 2015
Nobel panel slaps down secretary for leaking Obama prize doubts
The former secretary of the Nobel Peace Prize committee is in hot water once again for going public with the panel's disappointment over its decision to give President Obama the 2009 award. Published September 21, 2015
DAVID R. SANDS: Russian Mikhail Antipov surges to win world junior title
It's lost a little of its juice in recent years, but the title of "World Junior Champion" is still a pretty cool line to have on your resume. Published September 15, 2015
Kremlin: No plans for Putin, Obama to meet at U.N. gathering
He has Pope Francis on his schedule, but Russian President Vladimir Putin right now has no plans to meet with President Obama when he travels to New York later this month for the 70th anniversary of the founding of the U.N. General Assembly, the Russian leader's spokesman said Thursday. Published September 10, 2015
DAVID R. SANDS: Magnus Carlsen, chess champ, comes up short in second straight event
It may not qualify as a slump yet, but Magnus has been just a bit less magnificent in recent days. Published September 8, 2015
China’s economic woes provide India with ‘great opportunity’
India's economy has long labored in the shadow of its great Asian rival, but now officials in New Delhi and private economists say Beijing's recent stumbles could provide a big opportunity for India to close the gap. Published September 3, 2015
Italian soccer league to introduce ‘green card’ for good behavior on pitch
Italian soccer players will soon be able to get a different kind of recognition from the referees. The Serie B will introduce a "green card" to recognize good sportsmanship and other "acts of virtue" on the pitch. Published September 3, 2015
China woes send U.S. stock markets plummeting
Fresh economic data showing softness in the Chinese economy sent U.S. and global stocks plummeting Tuesday, with the blue-chip Dow Jones index of top stocks down some 469 points, or 2.84 percent, to 16,058, and the broader S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq market also posting losses of more than 2 percent for the day. Published September 1, 2015
Vladimir Putin seeks to dump the dollar in regional trade
Russian President Vladimir Putin has a new target in the revived cold war with Washington -- the U.S. dollar. Published September 1, 2015