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Chess Grandmaster Arrested After Allegedly Pushing Videographer in Post-Loss Meltdown

Teenage phenom Christopher Yoo is facing expulsion from the U.S. Chess Championship.

Patrick Andres

Chess pieces on a board.
Chess pieces on a board. / DENNY SIMMONS / COURIER & PRESS

Christopher Yoo, a 17-year-old chess grandmaster, was arrested and charged with fourth-degree assault after allegedly striking a videographer Wednesday at the U.S. Chess Championship in St. Louis.

The incident is said to have taken place following a loss to fellow grandmaster Fabiano Caruana in the fifth round of the tournament. Per the Saint Louis Chess Club, which is hosting the tournament, Yoo "crumpled his scoresheet, stormed out of the tournament hall and struck a videographer from behind."

Yoo, a native of Fremont, Calif., has been expelled from the tournament. One of only 14 Americans to have achieved the title of grandmaster this decade, he did so at the then-record-low age of 12.

"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," the Saint Louis Chess Club said in its statement.

Per KSDK-TV in St. Louis, "the matter (will) be handled in juvenile courts."

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Patrick Andres
PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .

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