US Championship expulsion

[Gerard Killoran]

The venue is clearly inadequate for any National Championship, it reminds me of the worst places where I've played club chess. There is barely enough room for the players and arbiters to squeeze between the tables without some random person getting in your way and pushing a camera in your face.

Lots of photos of the venue have been published. Which if them show poor playing conditions? The only shortcoming I can see is that the tables that don't have inlaid boards are using badly designed DGT boards and clocks.

The tables are up against a wall so there is no room for an arbiter to sit without obscuring a camera/spectator angle. There should be 360 degree clearance around each table. It's a club venue, nowhere big enough for a national championship.

[Roger de Coverly]

The tables are up against a wall so there is no room for an arbiter to sit without obscuring a camera/spectator angle

Arbiters are particular about wanting to see the clock times. Online spectators as well presumably want to see them. I supposed the backdrop was for online presentation so there was a sponsor or event message behind the players.

It's not something all coverage gets right. I think the commentators at the British should do more to ensure a neutral backdrop. I recall that Agon had the decent idea of having a hideaway for cups of coffee, chocolate bars, blueberry yogurts etc. However their lighting meant that the clocks times couldn't be seen because of the contrast.

[Paul Heaton]

The tables are up against a wall so there is no room for an arbiter to sit without obscuring a camera/spectator angle. There should be 360 degree clearance around each table. It's a club venue, nowhere big enough for a national championship.

They are using that room whilst they expand the entire venue. This is also the reason the post game interviews take place in the World Chess Hall of Fame.

https://saintlouischessclub.org/visit/expansion

[LawrenceCooper]

Chris Bird the official arbiter at the event says the videographer was a woman and there is a video and he's seen it. However, it's not clear whether it's the organisers or the police that are not releasing the video at the moment.

X

Susan Polgar has posted on both Facebook and Twitter that Yoo has been charged with fourth degree assault:

"The police were called to the incident. A spokesperson with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department confirmed that a 17-year-old was charged with fourth-degree assault. Police said he struck a 24-year-old woman in the back with his fist. He was released to a parent, and the matter would be handled in juvenile courts."

[Chris Rice]

Checked this on a Missouri criminal lawyers defence site:

Assault in the 4th Degree in Missouri

What Is 4th Degree Assault?

Any individual that recklessly injures or attempts to injure another person can be charged with fourth-degree assault in Missouri.

A person commits the offense of assault in the 4th degree if:

They attempt to cause or recklessly cause physical injury, physical pain, or illness to another person;

With criminal negligence, they cause physical injury to another person by means of a firearm;

They purposely place another person in apprehension of immediate physical injury;

They recklessly engage in conduct that creates a substantial risk of death or serious physical injury to another person;

They knowingly cause or attempt to cause physical contact with a person with a disability, which a reasonable person, who does not have a disability, would consider offensive or provocative; or

They knowingly cause physical contact with another person knowing the other person will regard the contact as offensive or provocative.
Assault in the fourth degree is a Class C misdemeanour unless the victim is a special victim in which case it’s a Class A misdemeanour.

[Joey Stewart]

Their laws are so pedantic, why do there need to be assault categories and sub categories other then to give the lawyers and judges more money as they argue over what amounts to the same crime?

Anyway, seems like there's enough evidence against him now so I'm convinced he got what he deserved.

[Paul Cooksey]

I have to admit I was quite surprised how the story developed.

I was expecting there to be a dispute over the facts. It seemed plausible that someone might be too violent in pushing their way out of a venue after a painful loss, and implausible that someone would randomly punch a bystander. But given the apology issued by Yoo's family the latter seems likely.

We are talking about a child so I hope he gets the help he needs.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

https://new.uschess.org/news/yoo-family ... -expulsion