Christopher Yoo outright winner in Sardinia

Samunenkov and Lodici score in the final round to reach the podium

The Sardinia World Chess Festival 2025, which took place from 27 April to 3 May, came to a close with US grandmaster Christopher Yoo emerging as the overall winner.

At 18 years of age, Yoo topped the standings with an impressive score of 7½ out of 9. Over the course of the nine-round tournament, he registered six wins and three draws. His campaign began in dominant fashion, with five consecutive victories setting the tone early on. After drawing in the sixth round, he faced Italian GM Francesco Sonis in round seven and secured a vital win. Two draws in the final rounds were sufficient to maintain his lead and secure first place outright.

Master Class Vol. 18: Max Euwe

Experts examine the games of Max Euwe. Let them show you which openings Euwe chose to play, where his strength in middlegames were, which tactical abilities he had or how he outplayed his opponents in the endgame.
Max Euwe became the fifth World Chess Champion after beating Alexander Alekhine in the 1935 World Championship match. A maths teacher by profession, Euwe remained an amateur throughout his life, but was still the best chess player in the Netherlands, and one of the world's best players. Euwe holds the record for the most Dutch national championships, with twelve. After winning the World Championship, Euwe was also the world's best player for a while. He lost the title again in 1937 in the rematch against Alexander Alekhine.
Free video sample: Openings

Finishing just half a point behind Yoo were Ukrainian prodigy Ihor Samunenkov and local grandmaster Lorenzo Lodici, who both ended the tournament on 7 points. In the final round, 15-year-old Samunenkov defeated Dutch IM Miguoel Admiraal to move up the leaderboard. Lodici, aged 25 and representing Italy, also scored in the final round, he defeated French IM Loic Travadon. Both had entered the last day of play a full point behind the leader, but capitalised on their opportunities to reach the podium.

Yoo's triumph in Sardinia is particularly significant given the context of his recent career. In October 2024, during the US Championship held at the Saint Louis Chess Club, he was involved in a controversial incident. After a loss to Fabiano Caruana in the fifth round, Yoo left the playing hall in frustration and, in doing so, struck a female videographer from behind. The incident led to his immediate disqualification from the tournament and a subsequent charge of fourth-degree assault. The United States Chess Federation (USCF) issued a one-year suspension, effectively halting his competitive activities on the domestic scene.

Following the incident, Yoo issued a public apology, acknowledging that he had lost control of his emotions. He also took steps to address his conduct by engaging the services of mental coach Ebru Ceylan.

Video produced by ChessBase India

Yoo 1-0 Sonis

Analysis by Johannes Fischer

Final standings

The Classical Sicilian - A Timeless Counterattacking Weapon

The course is designed to provide a deep yet practical repertoire for Black, balancing solid foundations with aggressive counterplay.
The Classical Sicilian has stood the test of time as one of the most principled and fighting defences against 1.e4. With its rich history spanning world championship matches and modern elite tournaments, this opening remains a favourite among players who seek a dynamic, counterattacking approach without venturing into extreme theoretical battles like the Najdorf or Sveshnikov.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: 6.h3

...106 players

All available games

Links

• Official website
• Full technical information on Chess-Results
• US Championships: Yoo expelled after violating the code of conduct
• Interview with Ebru Ceylan – Mental Coach