Christopher Yoo temporarily suspended by FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission

by ChessBase
5/13/2025 – FIDE's Ethics and Disciplinary Commission has imposed a provisional 60-day suspension on GM Christopher Yoo, effective from 9 May 2025, following a second complaint alleging harassment. The suspension relates to two separate complaints, including one filed by the US Chess Federation (USCF), which previously banned Yoo for a year and placed him on five years' probation. The USCF has requested that FIDE recognise and enforce its sanction globally, a matter still under investigation by the EDC. | Photo: Niklesh Jain / ChessBase India
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Press release by FIDE

The FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission (EDC) has announced a provisional 60-day suspension of GM Christopher Yoo, effective from May 9, 2025. This action follows the submission of a second complaint alleging harassment, currently under preliminary review.

The suspension stems from two separate complaints alleging violations of the FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Code. Case 5/2025 (A), filed by the United States Chess Federation (USCF), and an additional recent complaint - whose details and complainant remain confidential due to the sensitive nature of the allegations - are both under investigation by the EDC.

On November 14, 2024, the US Chess Federation imposed a one-year ban prohibiting GM Christopher Yoo from participating in tournaments under the auspices of USCF. This sanction also includes a five-year probationary period extending through November 14, 2030.

Under Article 26.12 of the FIDE Charter, national sanctions may be extended internationally if a member federation requests it and if the decision complies with fundamental legal principles and fair trial standards. In line with this, the USCF formally submitted a request for FIDE to recognize and globally enforce its ban, pursuant to Article 4.15 of the FIDE Ethics Code. This request remains under investigation.

Given the gravity of the allegations and the ongoing proceedings, the Chair of the Ethics and Disciplinary Commission has enacted a temporary suspension of GM Yoo to safeguard the integrity of the investigative process. Both GM Yoo and the USCF have been formally notified of this decision. The suspension may be extended if a final resolution is not reached within the initial 60-day period.

This decision aligns with FIDE's commitment to safeguarding everyone involved in chess and sends a clear message about the importance of fostering a respectful environment for the entire chess community, regardless of gender, age, or status.

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Christopher Yoo outright winner in Sardinia

5/3/2025 – Christopher Yoo, aged 18, obtained outright victory at the 2025 Sardinia World Chess Festival with a final score of 7½ out of 9. He remained unbeaten, finishing ahead of Ukrainian GM Ihor Samunenkov and Italian GM Lorenzo Lodici, who shared second place on 7 points. Yoo's recent career has drawn attention for an incident at the 2024 US Championship, where he was suspended for a year by the US Chess Federation following misconduct. | Photo: Niklesh Jain / ChessBase India
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Interview with Ebru Ceylan – Mental Coach

4/25/2025 – At the U.S. Championship in October 2024, Christopher Yoo—one of the greatest talents in U.S. chess—seriously damaged his career. After losing to Fabiano Caruana in round five, he struck a videographer from behind while leaving the venue. As a result, he was banned from the St. Louis Chess Club, faced a charge of fourth-degree assault, and was suspended by the USCF for one year. Yoo later publicly apologized, explaining that he had lost his temper after the defeat. He subsequently hired mental coach Ebru Ceylan. During the Grenke Open in Karlsruhe, Arne Kähler took the opportunity to speak with her.
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Video

60m The Two Knights

This entry into the 60 minutes series concentrates on the Modern variation of the Italian game where White opens the centre early : 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Nf6 4 d4 exd4 5 e5!. This line can be reached by various move orders, most frequently from the Scotch 3 d4 exd4 4 Bc4. It's a sharp variation and Grandmasters such as Evgeny Sveshnikov have used it frequently,with very good results. It's a perfect line for club players to adopt which is relatively easy to learn and which contains many traps. All the main responses are covered here, including 5...d5, 5...Ng4 and 5...Ne4 and the conclusion is that is is difficult for Black to equalize in a straightforward way. Problems are being posed, which over the board might prove tough to solve.
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