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Christopher Yoo—a 17-year-old chess grandmaster—was taken into custody and banned from the U.S. Chess Championship aft hitting a videographer pursuing his nonaccomplishment to chap subordinate Fabiano Caruana.
By Leah Degrazia Oct 24, 2024 8:54 PMTags
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Christopher Yoo was enactment successful check.
The 17-year-old chess grandmaster was arrested and expelled from the U.S. Chess Championship successful St. Louis connected Oct. 16 aft hitting a pistillate erstwhile helium mislaid a lucifer to four-time champion Fabiano Caruana, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department told NBC News.
In a video shared to YouTube Oct. 17, Yoo was seen crumpling up his scoresheet, stuffing it successful his pouch and storming retired of the tourney hallway pursuing his loss. And portion his exit wasn't caught connected camera, the Saint Louis Chess Club said successful a connection that helium proceeded to "strike a videographer from behind" connected his mode out.
"The Saint Louis Chess Club instantly provided assistance to the videographer," the club's connection shared to X (formerly Twitter) Oct. 16 continued, "and called the constabulary who responded."
And the tourney officials besides took enactment against Yoo, who was charged with a misdemeanor of fourth-degree battle by authorities earlier being released backmost to 1 of his parents successful accordance with the Juvenile Courts, officials told NBC News.
"Chief arbiter Chris Bird expelled Yoo from the tourney owed to gross violations of our codification of behaviour and the U.S. chess harmless play policy," the Saint Louis Chess Club explained earlier noting that the enactment "fully supports this determination and has banned Yoo from the club."
"Yoo's results from rounds 1-5 volition beryllium annulled, and the tourney standings volition beryllium adjusted accordingly," the nine continued. "Players scheduled to look Yoo successful the remaining rounds volition person a bye, granting them an further remainder day."
The nine added, "We instrumentality subordinate behaviour earnestly and bash not tolerate violations of our standards. We acted swiftly to code this situation, ensuring a respectful and harmless situation for everyone progressive successful the tournament."
Business Wire via AP
Following the incident, Yoo—who became the youngest American maestro astatine 9 years aged successful 2016 and the youngest International Master astatine 12 years aged successful 2019—apologized for his actions astatine the tournament, calling his behaviour a "serious mistake."
"I americium truly atrocious for hitting the videographer," Yoo wrote successful a connection shared to his parents' Facebook Oct. 21. "I was disappointed losing the crippled to Caruana and mislaid my temper. That’s nary excuse, I know."
He added, "Every time I privation I could spell backmost successful clip and undo it, but I can’t."
Noting that helium accepted the consequences, the teen went connected to committedness to "be amended from present on."
"Best of luck to Caruana. I americium atrocious this happened aft our game," helium continued. "And champion of luck to the different players and champion wishes to the St. Louis Chess Club."
And his parents echoed his apology to the videographer successful their ain statement, expressing their interest for Yoo's unexpected lash out.
"Something similar this has ne'er happened before," they wrote successful an Oct. 19 connection connected Facebook, "and helium volition beryllium getting therapy to assistance marque definite his intelligence well-being is decently cared for and that thing similar this volition not hap again."
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