A Korean-American chess player who received worldwide attention for his outstanding chess skills at a young age was suspended for a year after causing a controversial incident involving assault.
The US Chess Championship has announced that 17-year-old Grandmaster Christopher Yoo will be banned from participating in national tournaments for one year. The decision to impose the severe penalty was made because the player was deemed to have acted in a way that interfered with fair play.
As a result, Yoo will not be able to participate in the championship-hosted competitions until November 14, 2025. US Chess also handed 5 years of probation until 2030.
On October 16, Yoo was expelled from the tournament for violating the rules of the competition, including assaulting a videographer after losing the fifth round of the US Chess Championship.
Yoo’s father, Young Kyu Yoo, said immediately after the announcement of the disciplinary action, “We thought the sanctions are tough but fair.”
Born in California, Yoo is considered one of the youngest grandmasters in the U.S. who won the National Junior Chess Championship.
BY BRIAN CHOI, HOONSIK WOO [woo.hoonsik@koreadaily.com]
