Christopher Yoo lost both his match and his temper on Wednesday, October 23, during the United States Chess Championship in St. Louis, Missouri.
After being defeated by fellow grandmaster Fabiano Caruana, Yoo, who had only earned one point in his first five games, was filmed crumpling his scoresheet in frustration.
As he left the hall, he was seen striking the female photographer from behind in anger. In response, the St. Louis Chess Club expelled him from the tournament and prohibited him from the facility for “gross violation of code of conduct and the US Chess safe place policy.”
The US Chess Federation reported that the 17-year-old was charged with fourth-degree assault and was subsequently released into his parents’ custody. The police stated that he had hit the 24-year-old woman with his fist, and the case will be handled in the juvenile justice system.
Yoo later issued a statement expressing his remorse for the incident. He said, “I’m really sorry for hitting the videographer. I was disappointed about losing the game to Caruana and lost my temper. That’s no excuse, I know. I deeply regret my actions.
“Every day, I wish I could go back in time and undo it, but I can’t. I hope the videographer is okay. I understand that what I did is unacceptable, and I accept the consequences of my actions. All I can do is improve from now on. I promise this won’t happen again.”
The St. Louis Chess Club also released a statement on social media, stating, “We immediately assisted the videographer and contacted the police, who responded. Chief arbiter Chris Bird expelled Yoo from the tournament due to gross violations of our code of conduct and the US Chess safe play policy. The St. Louis Chess Club fully supports this decision and has banned Yoo from the club.”
Yoo had been recognized as one of the brightest young talents in chess, having become the youngest International Master in American history.
