David R. Sands

Raised in Northern Virginia, David R. Sands received an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and a master's degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He worked as a reporter for several Washington-area business publications before joining The Washington Times.

At The Times, Mr. Sands has covered numerous beats, including international trade, banking, politics and Capitol Hill, and spent eight years on the foreign desk as senior diplomatic correspondent. He is currently the deputy editor for politics. In addition, he has reviewed books and written feature stories for the newspaper and authored The Times' weekly chess column since 1993. He is also senior writer for Washington GolfStyles, a monthly publication covering the Mid-Atlantic golf scene.

Articles by David R. Sands

IMF plans talks with Pakistan on debt help

A team of experts from the International Monetary Fund will travel to Islamabad in the coming weeks to discuss a possible financial assistance package for Pakistan -- despite warnings from U.S. lawmakers and the Trump administration that the money would be used to pay off massive debts Pakistan has run up with China. Published October 11, 2018

China scores rare double gold, U.S. earns silver at Chess Olympiad

For the first time in more than three decades, one nation went home with two team gold medals at the biennial Chess Olympiad this year. Published October 9, 2018

Chinese Open, women’s teams take gold; U.S. earns silver at chess Olympiad

China scored a rare double as its Open and women's teams both claimed the gold medal at the 43rd Chess Olympiad that concluded Friday in Batumi, Georgia. Published October 5, 2018

U.S. cancels 1950s treaty with Iran after international court rules against sanctions

The Trump administration is pulling out of an "obsolete" 63-year-old friendship treaty with Iran, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Wednesday, just hours after an international tribunal ruled the U.S. government must roll back some of the economic sanctions it has imposed on Tehran over its nuclear and missile programs. Published October 3, 2018

U.S. chess teams off to strong starts in Batumi Olympiad

In an event where a single early setback can put a team irretrievably behind the 8-ball, the U.S. open and women's teams have been taking care of business and are still very much in the running for some medal hardware at the 43rd Chess Olympiad now just past the halfway point in Batumi, Georgia. Published October 2, 2018

Mexico, Canada trade deal gives Trump China leverage

President Trump's ability to wangle a new deal from NAFTA partners Mexico and Canada will give the White House leverage to take a harder line in the escalating trade war with China, administration backers said Monday. Published October 1, 2018

Justin Trudeau calls updated NAFTA deal win for Canada

Just an hour after President Trump hailed the proposed revision of the North American Free Trade Agreement as a win for U.S. workers and a vindication of his hard-edged approach to trade, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau predicted the new deal would be "profoundly beneficial" for Canadian families and the middle class. Published October 1, 2018

Anglo-American school dating to Cold War shutting after four decades in Russia

An Anglo-American school that has operated in St. Petersburg since the depths of the Cold War is closing its doors, the latest apparent victim of the deep chill in more recent relations between Russia and the West. Published September 28, 2018

U.S. chess team starts strong in defense of Olympiad gold in Georgia

The defending champion U.S. chess squad got off to a nice start Monday as play began for the 43rd Olympiad in Batumi, Georgia, efficiently dispatching an outranked Panama as they pursue a second consecutive gold medal. Published September 26, 2018

Iran’s Parham Maghsoodloo scores breakthrough win at junior world chess championship

It may have a few problems on some other fronts, but Iran's chess future looks bright these days. Already the strongest chess-playing nation in the Middle East, Iran now has a bona fide world champion -- junior division. Published September 18, 2018

Allies plan U.N. meeting to work around Trump Palestinian aid cut-off

A group of European and Middle Eastern allies of the United States announced plans to meet on the sidelines of next week's U.N. General Assembly gathering in New York to discuss how to make up the shortfalls after the Trump administration cut off all funding for aid to Palestinian refugees. Published September 18, 2018

Russian lawmakers to weigh new regulations on dueling

Would-be Russian duelists had better be en garde -- the government is watching. Published September 14, 2018

Central control: U.S. Chess Center celebrates new digs in suburban Maryland

With more than 100 area elementary and secondary students on hand and a virtual visit from the former world champion Garry Kasparov, the U.S. Chess Center got off to a rousing start at its new home in downtown Silver Spring Saturday, a location organizers hope will boost the Center's visibility and accessibility for chess players around the Washington region. Published September 11, 2018

Hard labor — a chess champ’s work ethic pays off

It's supposed to be a game, but on this Labor Day week, let's celebrate the hardest-working man in chess -- who just happens to be the world champion. Published September 4, 2018

Ample chess skill, low drama sometimes when the best play the best

The plague of draws that infected the 6th Sinquefield Cup that wraps up this week illustrates that paradox that pairing off the world's greatest players doesn't always produce the world's most scintillating chess. The St. Louis field, with an average rating of 2788, boasted world champion Magnus Carlsen, top-rated American challenger GM Fabiano Caruana and eight more of the planet's very best players. Published August 28, 2018

Trump cancels Pompeo’s North Korea visit: ‘We are not making sufficient progress’

President Trump announced Friday that he instructed Secretary of State Mike Pomepo not to go to North Korea, citing a lack of progress towards denuclearization. Published August 24, 2018

Russia gun legend Kalashnikov takes aim at Tesla with electric car

The most famous name in Russian armaments is taking direct aim at Elon Musk and his Tesla electric car. Published August 24, 2018

A chess queen sacrifice with a double degree of difficulty

Sacrificing the queen is the showiest tactic there is -- except, of course, for when you can sacrifice two queens in the same game. Published August 21, 2018

Timur Gareyev turns back hometown chess hero Awonder Liang to win U.S. Open

It was all set up for the local hero to shine until GM Timur Gareyev spoiled the party. The Uzbek-born California GM on Sunday captured the 119th U.S. Open in Madison, Wisconsin, with a tough last-round victory over Madison-born GM Awonder Liang. Published August 8, 2018

More demolition work at key North Korean missile site: Report

North Korea has reportedly taken more steps to dismantle a key launch facility that is being cited as evidence Pyongyang is moving to fulfill commitments made to President Trump at the June 12 summit in Singapore. Published August 7, 2018