David R. Sands
Articles by David R. Sands
SANDS: Cadets battle as D.C. summer chess scene heats up
With the D.C. International and the World Open just behind us, and a slew of events underway and on the way, the Washington area is emerging as one of the nation's premier summer hot spots for top-flight chess. Published July 22, 2014
SANDS: Winners take three paths to the top at the 42nd World Chess Open
There are many paths to world domination. The 42nd World Open, held earlier this month at the Hyatt Regency in Crystal City, produced a three-way tie at the top, with GMs Ilya Smirin of Israel, Illya Nyzhnyk of Ukraine and Conrad Holt sharing the honors in the Open section with 7-2 scores. Smirin would claim the official title after a playoff. Published July 15, 2014
SANDS: Ortiz Suarez wins D.C., Smirin wins the World
It sometimes gets billed as the "warm-up" to the World Open, but the D.C. International Tournament doesn't have to accept second billing to any other event these days. Published July 8, 2014
SANDS: Fourth time a charm as Troff captures U.S. junior chess title
America's newest grandmaster is also its 2014 junior champion. Published July 1, 2014
SANDS: Campaigning and competing on Capitol Hill
Appropriately, there was a lot of lobbying, some politicking and a little competing at the first public meeting of the Congressional Chess Caucus last week, held in a committee room at the House Rayburn Office Building. Published June 25, 2014
SANDS: Kasparov, new caucus mark first congressional chess tourney
There will be some bipartisanship at the board this week on Capitol Hill, as the newly hatched Congressional Chess Caucus on Wednesday, June 18 hosts the inaugural Congressional Chess Tournament, with former world champion Garry Kasparov on hand to enforce the touch-move rule. Published June 17, 2014
SANDS: Sometimes a chess queen is too powerful for her own good
As the great chess theorem we just invented puts it: More power, more problems. Published June 10, 2014
SANDS: As chess player and teacher, Velimirovic made his mark
Great players leave a double legacy — the games they play and the players they influence. One can see that in spades in the career of the fine Serbian GM Dragoljub Velimirovic, who passed away late last month at the age of 72. Published June 4, 2014
SANDS: In the end, Kamsky, Krush repeat as U.S. chess champions
They made it interesting for the longest time, but in the end it was the favorites raising the trophies at last week's U.S. national championship tournaments at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis. Published May 27, 2014
SANDS: Kamsky, Krush win playoffs for U.S. chess titles
Favorites GM Gata Kamsky and GM Irina Krush have repeated as U.S. men's and women's champions, with both winning three-way playoffs at the U.S. title tournaments in St. Louis Tuesday afternoon. Published May 20, 2014
SANDS: Chess is a war game devastated by war
Chess is a war game that doesn't do well in wartime. Published May 13, 2014
SANDS: Carlsen continues mastery of Nakamura at Gashimov Memorial chess tournament
History suggests you can win a world championship without having beaten the world champion before. Published May 6, 2014
SANDS: A big loss for the D.C. chess community
The Washington chess community suffered a big loss last month with the sudden passing of Life Master Bill Mason at the much-too-young age of 49. Published April 30, 2014
SANDS: Fields set for next month’s U.S. championship chess tourneys
U.S. No. 1 Hikaru Nakamura won't be there this year, but it will still be a strong field for next month's U.S. Chess Championship, to be held at its familiar home at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis. Published April 22, 2014
SANDS: High-powered Webster claims second straight college chess crown
In college football, the big names include Alabama, Ohio State and Notre Dame. In college chess, the big names on campus are the likes of Webster University, Texas Tech and the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. Published April 15, 2014
SANDS: Rematch point: Chess champions, challengers often meet again
Indian GM Viswanathan Anand's easy win in the FIDE Candidates Tournament that wrapped up late last month in Russia took many by surprise. Published April 8, 2014
SANDS: Steady Anand earns rematch with Carlsen for world chess title
If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, you just might get another shot at being the world champion. Published April 1, 2014
Anand earns rematch against Carlsen for chess title
Published March 29, 2014
SANDS: Anand in command as candidates tourney nears chess finale
The chess world may have written off the ex-champ a little too soon. Published March 25, 2014
SANDS: Politics can make for some dicey chess pairings
With more than 170 member nations, the Paris-based chess federation FIDE is one of the largest sporting organizations in the world. Published March 18, 2014
