Christopher Yoo Handed 60-Day Suspension By FIDE After New Harassment Allegation
Eighteen-year-old U.S. GM Christopher Yoo has received a provisional 60-day suspension from FIDE's Ethics & Disciplinary Commission (EDC), following a complaint from a female player who told Chess.com that she was harassed by the grandmaster during the Sardinia Chess Festival.
FIDE on Friday announced its decision to suspend the player for 60 days. It's an unusual step by the world chess governing body, since such provisional measures are usually reserved for incidents involving cheating suspicions. FIDE stated:
Given the gravity of the allegations and the ongoing proceedings, the Chair of the EDC 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.
❗️GM Christopher Yoo Temporarily Suspended by FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission❗️
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) May 9, 2025
The FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission (EDC) has announced a provisional 60-day suspension of Grandmaster Christopher Yoo, effective from May 9, 2025. This action follows the submission… pic.twitter.com/KDfQAuEfy0
The American grandmaster, ranked among the world's top juniors, had already been suspended by US Chess (USCF) in November 2024. A 17-year-old minor at the time, he was sanctioned with a one-year ban following the St. Louis police charging him with a fourth-degree assault of a female videographer during the 2024 U.S. Chess Championship.
However, as the domestic ban did not prevent Yoo from playing internationally, he could play in the Sardinia Chess Festival in Italy. There, the 18-year-old scored one of the best performances of his career, winning the event with 7.5/9.
As Chess.com reported this week, his appearance led to scrutiny from the chess community given the seriousness of the St. Louis incident. Following concerns raised by U.S. arbiter Chris Bird, US Chess recently finalized a request for FIDE to extend the ban to international events as well, but no interim measures had been put in place.
The female player, who spoke to Chess.com on condition of anonymity, described multiple instances of inappropriate and unwelcome contact by Yoo. It included following her through hotel premises, attempting unwanted physical contact, and posting an image on social media implying a romantic relationship between them, despite requests to remove it.
"I experienced this once before when I was 11. I was harassed for months by my chess trainer. He did annoying things, like touching me. I didn't realize that what he did was wrong until a few years ago, so I didn't report it at the time. I felt guilty, because I was thinking there would be a lot of victims. Now I don't want this to happen again," she told Chess.com.
I experienced this once before when I was 11. I was harassed for months by my chess trainer.
—Female player who reported Christopher Yoo for harassment
"I am not traumatized or anything now, but I reported Christopher because it's quite concerning that at 18 he does things like this. It's quite dangerous."
She recounts how she first met Yoo at a bar in Karlsruhe, Germany, after the closing ceremony of the Grenke Chess Classic. She was there in a group with two others, but then Christopher showed up after being invited by one of her friends.
"We just sat around the table, and everything was okay. Christopher started asking for group pictures. He took some of them with his own phone, and one with my phone. Then he asked me to send him the pictures."
She said Yoo's behavior then became more uncomfortable. "He started asking for group hugs and kisses. He was asking to kiss me, but also the others," she noted. "It was quite weird and uncomfortable, but I didn't think it was too much at the time."
The next day, however, Yoo had shared the group picture on social media, even though one of the others specifically requested him not to. "I asked him very kindly to delete the picture. He then took it down, so it wasn't a problem."
She said Yoo started suggesting to join him at another party after the event. "It had already started to become weird, so I blocked him. I was with my friends in Sardinia, so I didn't want anything to do with him."
She describes another incident the next day at the restaurant dinner at the hotel. "After he finished eating, he came uninvited to my table and sat next to me where he started to speak to us. While I was still eating, he came and touched my hand."
Another day, after she had lunch with two of her friends, she said the grandmaster followed her as she was returning to the room.
"After I shut the door, one of my friends messaged me saying that Christopher was in front of my door. Then I heard that he started knocking. It went quiet for a bit, but then he started knocking the door again saying, 'Housekeeping, housekeeping.' It went on for about ten minutes. It was too much."
He started knocking the door saying 'Housekeeping, housekeeping.' It went on for about ten minutes. It was too much.
—Female player who reported Christopher Yoo for harassment
The last straw, she said, was when a cropped group photo was posted on social media. The image was captioned in a way she says falsely suggested they were in a relationship. When requested to take it down, he responded with derogatory insults. “Your small brain can’t move the knight,” and “your ugly duck face,” were among the messages sent to her, according to screenshots reviewed by Chess.com.
The same screenshots also show that Yoo the next day sent several apologies for the incidents. "I am really sorry about the knocking for 10 minutes and the following," he wrote, adding, "That was over the line."
Chess.com has confirmed with two titled players who were present in Sardinia that they witnessed behavior consistent with the complaint.
"I definitely think some of his actions were creepy and invaded her personal space," one player, who wants to remain anonymous, told Chess.com. "I have seen him trying to touch her hand, or put his hand on her shoulder, on at least two occasions. It could be friendly, but it was definitely against her will."
I have seen him trying to touch her hand, or put his hand on her shoulder, on at least two occasions.
—Titled player who said he witnessed an incident with Yoo
He also confirmed the incident at the dinner table: "It almost made her leave the dinner room because of how uncomfortable he made her feel."
One other player Chess.com has been in touch with, said, "I saw the pressure Yoo was putting on her, like touching without her consent and going in front of her room," he said. "At some point, we were having a drink at the bar, and Yoo came to sit. We explained to him that we didn't want him to be with us due to his behavior. Then he refused to leave. He asked, 'Are you racist?'"
He noted how they repeatedly told him to stay away. "It felt like harassment. Even when we asked him to leave, he didn't."
Young-Kyu Yoo, father of Christopher, did not want to comment on the specific allegations, telling Chess.com: "We're very disappointed that FIDE has yet to get the complaint itself or any of the specific allegations to us, though apparently some of the details have already been published in the media. It's sad to see this being litigated in the media and on social media, and we ask the public to reserve judgement."
It's sad to see this being litigated in the media and on social media, and we ask the public to reserve judgement.
—Young-Kyu Yoo, father of Christopher Yoo
The female player filed the complaint on May 5, the day after the conclusion of the event. In addition to reporting it to FIDE's Ethics & Disciplinary Commission, she also contacted US Chess and the Sardinia organizers. She is thankful for the response by US Chess, and commended FIDE's response. "I did not expect such a quick and good reaction. I am very positively surprised," she said.
Chairwoman of the EDC, Yolander Persaud, confirmed in an email to Chess.com that the case is under investigation. A decision is expected to be made within six weeks.
