David R. Sands

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

SANDS: A Rocky-like chess bout from the Romantic era

World champion visits Philadelphia. Sportingly agrees to a match with a local star. Gets clocked. Published March 11, 2014

SANDS: Going old school: Big chess milestones for 2014

With the history of organized tournament play dating back to the mid-19th century, we're hitting some pretty significant milestones in the history of the game this year. Published February 25, 2014

SANDS: If you knew Sochi like chess players knew Sochi

Sochi was on the chess players' map long before the lugers, ice dancers and speedskaters showed up. Published February 18, 2014

SANDS: Chess champion Magnus Carlsen finally shows a little imperfection

He can be beaten. Norway's Magnus Carlsen claimed the world title in October without dropping a game in his 10-game match with India's Viswanathan Anand. In his first return to competitive play since then, he breezed through the first half of the Zurich Chess Classic that ended last week with three wins and two draws at classical time controls, against one of the strongest fields ever assembled. Published February 11, 2014

SANDS: Carlsen, Aronian set the pace at Zurich Chess Challenge

The world's very best are squaring off at the Zurich Chess Challenge now underway in the Swiss city, with world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway showing no signs of coasting after capturing the crown in November. Carlsen and world No. 2 Levon Aronian of Armenia dominated the classical portion of the six-grandmaster event, which will feature a separate rapid round-robin event this week. Published February 4, 2014

SANDS: Aronian dominates in Tata kickoff chess tournament

While new world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway was taking a Silicon Valley victory lap, GM Levon Aronian of Armenia was winning the first major tournament of 2014 and in the process making a strong statement that he might be Carlsen's most dangerous challenger in the candidates' cycle ahead. Published January 29, 2014

SANDS: Smith, Huseynov share the chess honors at 40th Eastern Open

He finished alone in third, but Georgian-born New York GM Mikheil Kekelidze wasn't exactly given a warm welcome by the locals at last month's 40th Eastern Open, the traditional year-end giant Swiss event that moved from its longtime home in downtown Washington to the DoubleTree Hotel in suburban Bethesda. Published January 21, 2014