David R. Sands
Articles by David R. Sands
Yip glides, So grinds on way to U.S. national chess titles
The queen arrived early, but the king took his time. Published October 19, 2021
Inhofe demands Pentagon halt COVID vaccine mandate for troops
The top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee is demanding the Defense Department abandon its mandate that all troop and civilian personnel get vaccinated against COVID-19. Published October 19, 2021
U.S. envoy to Afghanistan under Trump, Biden quits
Zalmay Khalilzad, the veteran Afghan-born diplomat who was the point man for negotiations with the Taliban insurgency under both Presidents Trump and Biden, said Tuesday he was stepping down from his post, just weeks after the collapse of the U.S.-backed government in Kabul and the chaotic U.S. and allied military withdrawal from the country. Published October 19, 2021
Hall of Famers: Sinquefields honored for contributions to chess
Hours before his well-deserved induction into the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame last week, Rex Sinquefield's thoughts were turning to another seemingly underachieving Hall of Famer, pro baseball catcher Bob Uecker. Uecker famously mocked his modest on-field skill set, but he got a ticket to Cooperstown for his long career as a broadcaster, comedian, pitchman and ambassador for the game. Published October 12, 2021
Kremlin tries to take high road over Russian Nobel peace winner
The Russian government tried to take the high road Friday following the announcement that a Russian journalist hailed for his work in the face of official intimidation was named a co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize Friday. Published October 8, 2021
Bullish Johnson rejects ‘uncontrolled’ immigration to ease economic strains
Famously optimistic British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is again looking on the bright side, telling his ruling Conservative Party on Wednesday that good economic times are ahead and there will be no going back to what he said was the low-wage, high-immigration model of the pre-Brexit U.K. Published October 6, 2021
Fall season heats up with U.S. title tourneys, Washington Chess Congress
The fall chess season is in full swing, with strong national and local events on tap in the coming days and a world title match to look forward to in November. Published October 5, 2021
Johnson won’t ease Brexit immigration curbs despite gas woes
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he will not ease Brexit-related rules on immigration to address a lack of truck drivers. Published October 3, 2021
China stages aerial ‘military parade’ with record sorties near Taiwan
China's military staged a massive show of intimidation over the Taiwan Strait over the weekend, dispatching bombers, fighter jets and other aircraft into Taiwan's defensive air space in two waves Friday and Saturday, by far the biggest such incursion in recent years. Published October 3, 2021
Kishida in line to be Japan’s next prime minister after close party vote
Former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida has won a hotly contested leadership race to head Japan's long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party, putting him on track to succeed resigning Yoshihide Suga as prime minister of a key U.S. ally. Published September 29, 2021
Local chess star Kaufman serves up engaging ‘Options’ in new memoir
Growing up in the DMV, I recall competing in a lot of tournaments with GM Larry Kaufman -- and by "with" I mean in the same giant hotel ballroom or church social hall, though Kaufman was likely to be playing on Board 1 or 2, while I was off trying to snare some Class B money out on Board 176. Published September 28, 2021
Huawei exec cuts deal with U.S. prosecutors, poised to return home after long extradition battle
A legal battle spanning three countries that soured China's relations with the U.S. could be ending as a top executive of Chinese high-tech giant Huawei reached an agreement with federal prosecutors. Published September 24, 2021
Scintillating attack helps Russia to gold in Online Olympiad
While some traditional over-the-board tournaments are now coming back to life, the COVID-19 scare is still proving too much for the biennial Chess Olympiad, given the logistical and safety concerns of hosting nearly 200 open and women's teams from around the world. Published September 21, 2021
Gen. Milley defends China calls as ‘perfectly within the duties’ of job
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley of Friday defended calls he made to his Chinese counterpart in the final days of the Trump administration as "routine" and necessary to "ensure strategic stability" in a deeply uncertain time. Published September 17, 2021
Iran angling for invite to Chinese-led security pact after years of waiting
Iran looks likely to get a long-delayed invitation to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization when leaders of the 20-year-old Chinese-led security forum meet over the next two days in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Published September 16, 2021
North, South Korea trade charges after dueling missile tests
North and South Korea are trading rhetorical volleys just hours after the hostile neighbors staged near-simultaneous missile tests that sent tensions surging once again on the divided Korean Peninsula. Published September 15, 2021
Chess champ, challenger square off in rare pre-match battle
Another week, another unwritten rule of the game thrown on the ash heap of history. We wrote last week of the unusual sight of world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway and challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia actively competing on the world chess scene with their title match barely more than two months away. Time was when the prospective gladiators would withdraw totally from the arena, working in secret with seconds and trainers in preparation for the Big Match. Published September 14, 2021
Dissident summit sparks Iran regime’s ire
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a parade of former officials and current lawmakers told a mass virtual gathering of Iranian exiles over the weekend that the regime in Tehran was weak, illegitimate, incompetent and not long for this world. Published September 13, 2021
Neighbors wary as Russia, Belarus kick off major joint military drill
Russian military officials said Thursday they have formally begun a major military exercise with neighboring Belarus, despite the unease expressed by a number of countries in the region. Published September 9, 2021
Carlsen stays in the arena with chess title match looming
That he won another chess tournament doesn't surprise anyone. But that world champion Magnus Carlsen is even playing these days -- just over two months before the Norwegian great makes his fourth title defense against Russian challenger GM Ian Nepomniachtchi -- might have a few old-school masters turning over in their grave. Published September 7, 2021