Interview with Ebru Ceylan – Mental Coach

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.