David R. Sands
Articles by David R. Sands
SANDS: Fiercest fights often play out far from top boards
Some of the fiercest competition at your typical chess tournament can be found far from the top boards. Published July 17, 2012
SANDS: Shabalov, Sokolov are on top of the World
Holding off a battalion of younger challengers, a pair of well-seasoned veterans secured the top places on the chess leaderboard at the 40th World Open, which wrapped up Sunday at its traditional home in Philadelphia. Published July 10, 2012
SANDS: U.S. Chess Center, founder to be honored
Congratulations to the U.S. Chess Center and its founder, David Mehler, who will be honored for their work with area youths at the U.S. Chess Federation 2012 annual awards next month in Vancouver, Wash. Published July 3, 2012
SANDS: National Open kicks off summer rush of chess tournaments
While much of the rest of the world is checking out vacation schedules and beach condo rental rates, the U.S. chess world is gearing up for perhaps its busiest stretch of the year, with tournaments galore in the coming days to keep a columnist busy. Published June 26, 2012
SANDS: Maryland hosts string of top chess events in July
For two weeks and two days starting late next month, the Rockville Hilton will be the chess epicenter of the country as Maryland Chess Association officials plan five major events in the space of 16 days, including a strong open tournament featuring former U.S. champion Gata Kamsky and Potomac-based former world senior champ GM Larry Kaufman. Published June 19, 2012
SANDS: Top GMs mix it up in Moscow in spirit of Tal
Mikhail Tal, the great Soviet world champion, rarely lacked the will or the inclination to mix it up, but the same thing cannot always be said of his elite peers. Published June 12, 2012
TWT polls: Rubio is conservatives’ top pick for Romney’s running mate
Sen. Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants and a rapidly rising star in the Republican Party, emerged this weekend as the clear favorite potential vice presidential pick of conservative activists, according to two polls sponsored by The Washington Times. Published June 10, 2012
TWT Poll: Rubio top conservative pick for Romney’s running mate
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio emerged as the clear first choice of conservative activists as a running mate for GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney this fall, beating out his nearest rival by a margin of 2-to-1, according to a Washington Times-sponsored poll of more than 500 attendees of the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) gathering in Chicago on Friday. Published June 8, 2012
SANDS: Anand retains chess crown by slimmest of margins
By the narrowest of margins, world chess champion Viswanathan Anand of India has retained the crown he has held since 2007, defeating a game Israeli GM Boris Gelfand in a four-game rapid playoff Thursday in Moscow after the two deadlocked 6-6 in their classical title match. Published June 5, 2012
Indian Anand retains world chess title
Indian world chess champion Viswanathan Anand successfully defended his crown Wednesday, winning a four-game playoff in Moscow over challenger Boris Gelfand, who was seeking to become the first Israeli grandmaster ever to hold the title. Published May 30, 2012
SANDS: World chess championship heads for rapid playoff
The FIDE world championship match is headed into overtime as Indian champ Viswanathan Anand and Israeli challenger Boris Gelfand drew their final game Monday to finish knotted at 6-6. Aside from a brief dust-up that produced victories for each player in Games 7 and 8, the two players resembled a pair of soccer teams content to settle things with penalty kicks, unwilling to take any risks to try to score a goal. Published May 29, 2012
SANDS: Nakamura, Krush reclaim U.S. chess titles
Two ex-champions are back atop the heap in American chess and we finally got a little action in the world title match as well, in what proved to be an exceptionally eventful week for the game. Published May 22, 2012
SANDS: No blood spilled in Moscow’s early chess clashes
The world championship chess match in Moscow between Indian titleholder Viswanathan Anand of India and challenger Boris Gelfand of Israel has reached the quarter post, with a few fireworks but no decisive results in the first three games of the scheduled 12-game match. Published May 15, 2012
SANDS: World, U.S. chess titles up for grabs this week
It may not be the sexiest chess pairing of all time, but we have a legitimate world championship match on tap and one that could prove more entertaining than some anticipate. Published May 8, 2012
SANDS: Spirited chess battle a draw for Kramnik, Aronian
The six-game match between Russian GM Vladimir Kramnik and Armenian GM Levon Aronian that wrapped up in Zurich on Sunday proved unexpectedly entertaining. The world's No. 2 and No. 3 players, evenly matched and theoretically armed to the teeth, showed a refreshing willingness to mix it up and take risks before settling for a 3-3 tie after Kramnik just missed a win in Sunday's final round. Published May 1, 2012
SANDS: Catching a chess champion when he’s distracted
Champions may be most vulnerable right before they defend their titles. Deep into the preparation for his 12-game match against challenger GM Boris Gelfand of Israel starting May 11 in Moscow, titleholder Viswanathan Anand of India took a little timeout this month to hold down first board for the Baden-Baden team in final rounds of the powerful German chess Bundesliga. Published April 24, 2012
SANDS: Chess champion Kaufman offers new, improved opening book
Intending to update his highly praised 2003 book "The Chess Advantage in Black and White," Potomac GM and former world senior champion Larry Kaufman instead has produced a major new opening book likely to prove useful for competitors from casual club players to experienced masters. Published April 17, 2012
SANDS: Buzzer-beater clinches chess title for Texas Tech
To the disappointment of basketball fans everywhere, this year's hardwood version of the collegiate Final Four featured no buzzer-beaters, no last-minute 3-pointers to win the game. Happily, the collegiate chess version of the Final Four, won for the second straight year by the Texas Tech Knight Raiders earlier this month, offered a bit more excitement as the clocks ticked down on the decisive game. Published April 10, 2012
SANDS: Chess players who didn’t spring forward fall back
They can analyze complex positions 15 moves deep, memorize reams of opening variations and endgame theory, rattle off the moves of games played a decade ago — but they can't remember to set their clocks an hour ahead. Published April 3, 2012
SANDS: Rising stars light up Euro chess championship
Cue the chorus of "Sunrise, Sunset." In one more sign that kids grow up fast these days, 17-year-old prodigy GM Anish Giri had what for him rates as a novel experience: losing to a younger player. At the 13th European Individual Championship now under way in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, the reigning Dutch national champ fell to 15-year-old fellow prodigy GM Ilya Nyzhnyk from Ukraine. Published March 27, 2012
