David R. Sands
Articles by David R. Sands
Caruana, Yu shine at the chessboard; Niemann fight heads to the courts
They took very different paths to get there, but GM Fabiano Caruana and Northern Virginia's own WGM Jennifer Yu both claimed their second national titles at the U.S. Championship and U.S. Women's Championship tournaments that wrapped up last week at the St. Louis Chess Club. Published October 25, 2022
Expensive gambit: U.S. chess master Hans Moke Niemann sues world champ over cheating charges
U.S. chess grandmaster Hans Moke Niemann, the target of cheating allegations at the highest level of the game, has made a counter-move against his accusers, filing a $100 million-plus lawsuit accusing world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway, top U.S. grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura and one of the biggest online chess-playing services of "colluding to blacklist" him from competing. Published October 20, 2022
Foggy day in London as Truss quits, Conservatives ponder grim future
The shortest prime ministership in Britain's history is leaving the ruling Conservative Party and the country facing a long list of questions. Published October 20, 2022
Niemann, rivals keep U.S. championship drama confined to the chessboard
There's been no shortage of gripping drama so far at the U.S. national and U.S. women's chess championships, now entering the final lap this week at the St. Louis Chess Club. Published October 18, 2022
Pakistan fumes over Biden’s ‘most dangerous nation’ comment
Officials in Pakistan summoned the U.S. ambassador over the weekend to explain why President Biden considers their country "one of the most dangerous in the world." Published October 16, 2022
Five more years: Xi sticks to his guns as party congress opens in Beijing
Chinese President Xi Jinping kicked off a weeklong Communist Party Congress strongly defending his economic and COVID policies, while vowing to stamp out democratic dissent in Hong Kong and pursue the "reunification" of Taiwan. Published October 16, 2022
British PM Truss totters as Conservatives meet this week on possible ouster
British Prime Minister Liz Truss's time at 10 Downing Street may be over before she has time to plan a housewarming party. Published October 16, 2022
Reeling Truss fires finance chief as new British government totters
New British Prime Minister Liz Truss has sacked her top finance minister just weeks into her new government, the latest policy U-turn for the Conservative leader after markets panned her program of deep, unfunded tax cuts and deregulation. Published October 14, 2022
The plot thickens — and sickens — in Niemann chess cheating controversy
The U.S. open and women's annual national championship tournaments are now underway at the St. Louis Chess Club and the Hans Moke Niemann cheating controversy remains, unfortunately, the all-consuming storyline. Published October 11, 2022
Chess in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons as cheating controversy smolders
Well, our beloved game is generating front-page headlines, getting coverage on the big network broadcasts and serving as the focus for deep-think pieces from pundits the world over. Yay? Published October 4, 2022
Defiant Putin hails annexation of Ukrainian regions, says West wants Russia as ‘colony’
In a ceremony meant to mark the carving up of parts of Ukraine, Russian President and judo master Vladimir Putin told a Kremlin audience that it was the U.S. and its Western allies who were trying to carve up Russia. Published September 30, 2022
Compartmentalizing Carlsen wins at the chessboard while fanning cheating controversy
He may be at the center of a raging global scandal with his accusations of possible cheating by a fellow grandmaster, but world champion Magnus Carlsen is showing no signs of stress at the chessboard. Published September 27, 2022
Putin gives leaker Snowden citizenship in defiance of U.S.
America's most famous fugitive leaker found a permanent refuge Monday as the government of President Vladimir Putin granted Russian citizenship to former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. Published September 26, 2022
North Korea denies U.S. reports it is selling arms to Russia
A couple of weeks later, North Korea is angrily denying widely disseminated U.S. intelligence findings that it has agreed to sell large amounts of arms and munitions to Russia in support of President Vladimir Putin's troubled invasion of Ukraine. Published September 22, 2022
A century later, a chess champ in his prime still inspires awe
This month we had the spectacle of a world champion walking out on a tournament, when Norway's Magnus Carlsen dropped out of the 9th Sinquefield Cup after three games under still controversial circumstances. Published September 20, 2022
Carrying a grudge: Chess champ quits after one move against U.S. rival amid cheating controversy
The cheating controversy roiling the world of elite chess shows no signs of cooling down as Norwegian world champion Magnus Carlsen played one move and then quit in apparent protest in his game against young American rival Hans Moke Niemann Monday. Published September 19, 2022
Iranian leader nixes any Biden meeting during U.N. gathering
The trip to New York by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was already controversial, with lawmakers in Congress pressuring the Biden administration not to allow him to travel to the U.N. gathering. Published September 18, 2022
Bidens join world leaders in London to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden joined more than 100 global leaders and foreign dignitaries in London Sunday, as the world gathered for Queen Elizabeth II's funeral Monday after a record 70-plus years on the throne. Published September 18, 2022
Marines won’t dismiss troops rejecting COVID-19 shot on religious grounds
The Marine Corps has quietly dropped a legal campaign challenging those in the ranks who have cited religious objections to getting the COVID-19 vaccination. Published September 18, 2022
In some border areas, it’s Russian residents who fear for safety in Ukraine fighting
Russians living along the border with Ukraine are now experiencing some of the fear and uncertainty their Ukrainian neighbors have been enduring for the past nearly seven months. Published September 18, 2022
