Saint Louis Chess Club Suspends GM Christopher Yoo for Assaulting Videographer Post-Match

Grandmaster chess player Christopher Yoo was removed from the Saint Louis Chess Club after displaying aggressive behavior following a loss to an opponent.

On October 16, during the fifth round of the U.S. Chess Championship, 17-year-old Yoo faced off against Fabiano Caruana and suffered a defeat.

In a display of frustration after the match, Yoo crumpled his scoresheet and left the tournament venue in a huff.

During this impulsive exit, he struck a videographer in the back. Tournament organizers alerted law enforcement, but it remains unclear whether any legal steps were taken.

As a result of his actions, Yoo has been disqualified from the remainder of the U.S. Chess Championship’s six rounds. His previous match results will be rendered null and void, and subsequent player standings will be recalibrated accordingly.

The hosting entity, Saint Louis Chess Club, issued a statement addressing Yoo’s exclusion from their events.

Saint Louis Chess Club official statement regarding the expelling of GM Christopher Yoo from the 2024 U.S. Chess Championship. pic.twitter.com/BvolnLYaQ5

— Saint Louis Chess Club (@STLChessClub) October 17, 2024

According to the statement from Chief Arbiter Chris Bird, Yoo was removed for serious breaches of the club’s code of conduct and the U.S. chess safe play policy. “The Saint Louis Chess Club stands firmly behind this decision and has imposed a ban on Yoo from the club,” the statement noted.

Players scheduled to compete against Yoo will receive a bye, giving them an extra day of rest. The club emphasized the importance of maintaining player conduct standards and stated, “We addressed this issue promptly to ensure a respectful and safe atmosphere for all participants in the tournament.”

In September, another grandmaster experienced a ban after a disturbing incident. Following a loss in a Titled Tuesday match, Vladimir Kramnik was expelled by Chess.com for making unfounded accusations of cheating against his opponents. He received a one-month ban for violating community guidelines.

Additionally, just a month earlier, Amina Abakarova had been suspended by the Russian Chess Federation after an incident involving the poisoning of her opponent’s chess pieces. She now faces criminal charges for “intentional infliction of bodily harm,” which could lead to a three-year prison sentence.

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