David R. Sands

Barack H. Obama drops Hussein from inauguration ceremony

The Barack Hussein Obama of 2009 has been replaced in President Obama's second inaugural celebration by "Barack H. Obama." Published January 21, 2013

SANDS: Tradition chess towns host strong events

The first great tournament of the new year kicked off Saturday with the 75th Tata Steel Tournament in the fabled Dutch chess town of Wijk aan Zee, with an all-star field in the premiere event capped by world No. 1 seed Magnus Carlsen of Norway, Armenian star Levon Aronian and U.S. champion Hikaru Nakamura. Published January 14, 2013

Tennessee chamber sets quota on bills for members

Taking the concept of limited government to the next level, the Republican-controlled Tennessee House of Representatives this week passed a rule capping the number of bills a member can introduce each year at 15. Published January 12, 2013

Deal saves Wonder Bread; Twinkies still in limbo

Bankrupt bakery giant Hostess Brands Inc. has announced a tentative agreement to sell its Wonder Bread brand to archrival Flower Foods Inc., maker of Tastykakes, while it continues to seek a buyer for its iconic snack line of Twinkies, Devil Dogs and Ho Hos, among others. Published January 12, 2013

Report: Armstrong to confess doping to Oprah

Disgraced cycling star Lance Armstrong is poised to admit he took performance-enhancing drugs during a career that included seven Tour de France victories, according to a published report. Published January 12, 2013

Obama: Sorry, no Death Star for you

While conceding its potential contributions to job creation and defense against intergalactic threats, the Obama administration officially announced this week that a U.S. Death Star "is not on the horizon." Published January 12, 2013

Obama: Time to come home from Afghanistan

A day after meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai at the White House, President Obama used his weekly radio address to highlight the progress made in the fight against terrorists there and make the case it is time for the U.S. involvement to end. Published January 12, 2013

GOP’s Fischer takes tough line on debt hike

Count freshman Sen. Deb Fischer as one more Republican lawmaker determined to use the looming deadline to raise the federal borrowing limit to force through major cuts in government spending. Published January 12, 2013

SANDS: Class winners shine at D.C.’s Eastern Open in chess

As promised last week, here is a list of all the winners at last month’s Eastern Open in Washington, D.C., as well as a nice game from Open section champion IM Daniel Ludwig. Published January 8, 2013

113th Congress mirrors  increasingly diverse U.S.

The changing face of Congress can be seen in the changing faces of Congress. Published January 7, 2013

SANDS: Ludwig wins Eastern Open in chess; UMBC in Final Four

Congratulations to IM Daniel Ludwig, who took clear first Sunday night in the 2012 Eastern Open downtown at the Westin Washington Hotel with an undefeated 6½-1½ score, a full point ahead of a quartet of challengers. Published January 1, 2013

SANDS: Celebrating a trio of Christmas babies who contributed to chess

For all the blessings of the day, there’s no denying it can be a drag sharing a Dec. 25 birthday with you-know-who. So we thought we’d pass on a little yuletide cheer to a trio of Christmas babies for their contributions to the game. Published December 25, 2012

SANDS: Chess Eastern Open to kick off Dec. 27

'Tis the season to roll up the board, pack up the pieces and put some fresh batteries in the old chess clock: The 39th annual Eastern Open, a four-day extravaganza, kicks off Dec. 27 at its longtime home at the Westin Washington D.C. City Center hotel at 1400 M St. NW. Published December 18, 2012

Gunman kills dozens, including 20 children, in Connecticut school shooting

In one of the most grisly and terrifying school shootings in the nation's history, a lone gunman entered a small-town Connecticut elementary school Friday morning and killed more than 26 people, including 20 children in his mother's kindergarten classroom and another room, according to law enforcement officials and multiple press reports. Published December 14, 2012

SANDS: Tough day for the locals in London’s Chess Classic

The fourth annual London Chess Classic is shaping up as one of the best events in many a year, but it was a dark day for British chess when the players sat down for Thursday's Round 4. All three Britons in the field — GMs Michael Adams, Gawain Jones and Luke McShane — went down to defeat on a rare day when every game ended in a decisive result. Published December 11, 2012

SANDS: High drama as Ushenina takes women’s world crown in chess

They packed a maximum of drama into a minimum of games at the finals of the FIDE Women's World Cup last week in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. Published December 4, 2012

SANDS: Women’s chess champ Akhmilovskaya dies of cancer

She was the U.S. women's chess champion three times in the space of five years, played the great Maya Chiburdanidze for the women's world crown in 1986 and was a star on Olympiad teams for both her native Soviet Union and her adopted American homeland. But Elena Akhmilovskaya, who died last week at the too-young age of 55 after a long battle with brain cancer, may be best remembered for her starring role in a dramatic Cold War love story. Published November 27, 2012