Category - Kids
Chess Grandmaster, 17, Charged With Assaulting Woman After Loss
A teenage chess grandmaster was expelled from the 2024 U.S. Championship after he allegedly assaulted a woman following his loss at an event in St. Louis, People reported.
Christopher Yoo, 17, was defeated on Oct. 16 by four-time American chess champion Fabiano Caruana. After the loss, Yoo reportedly "crumpled his scoresheet, stormed out of the tournament hall, and struck a videographer from behind," the Saint Louis Chess Club announced X (formerly Twitter).
"Chief arbiter Chris Bird expelled Yoo from the tournament due to gross violations of our code of conduct and the U.S. Chess Safe Play Policy,” the statement explained. “The Saint Louis Chess Club fully supports this decision and has banned Yoo from the club." The venue stated that “immediate assistance” was provided to the videographer by staff on the scene. Yoo was arrested and charged with fourth degree-assault before being released back to one of his parents.
"Players scheduled to face Yoo in the remaining rounds will receive a bye, granting them an additional rest day," the statement read. “We take player conduct seriously and do not tolerate violations of our standards. We acted swiftly to address this situation, ensuring a respectful and safe environment for everyone involved in the tournament.”
On Oct. 21, Yoo released an apology. "I am really sorry for hitting the videographer. I was disappointed losing the game to Caruana and lost my temper. That's no excuse, I know. I am really sorry for what I did. It was a serious mistake. Every day I wish I could go back in time and undo it, but I can’t. I am very sad for what I did and I hope the videographer is okay. I know that it’s not acceptable to do what I did. I accept the consequences for my actions," Yoo said
"All I can do is to be better from now on. I promise that this won't happen again," Yoo continued. "Best of luck to Caruana. I am sorry this happened after our game. And best of luck to the other players and best wishes to the St. Louis Chess Club."
Yoo’s parents also released a statement which read, "Christopher is not good with words and expressing emotions, but his remorse is very real." In a separate statement from Oct. 18, Yoo’s parents explained that the teenager would be "getting therapy to help make sure his mental well-being is properly cared for and that something like this will not happen again."
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
