American GM Fabiano Caruana commented on his compatriot GM Hans Moke Niemann’s opinion of him at GCT Poland. Caruana explains the meaning of the fable about the turtle and the rabbit, compares himself to a turtle on a skateboard, and says Hans should not make analogies like this.

Fabiano Caruana

Fabiano Caruana

American GM

“The tortoise and the hare… It’s a classic story. I guess the idea is that the rabbit gets tired at the end, and the turtle moves consistently. I don’t think the turtle just randomly speeds up at some point… I think the idea is the rabbit gets slower.

Have you seen those turtles on skateboards? That was me at the end of the tournament — a turtle on a skateboard. I got faster. And I can imagine they get really happy when they get fast. It’s like driving a car.

This is why it’s a mistake for Hans to make these analogies. Because it distracts from his success. We’re talking about Hans, and then he starts talking about some turtles or rabbits, and it distracts us from talking about the tournament…”

The Grand Chess Tour Super Rapid & Blitz Poland 2026 took place in Warsaw from May 5 to 10. American GM Hans Moke Niemann won the event, participating in the Grand Chess Tour for the first time. Niemann shared his thoughts on winning and compared Fabiano Caruana’s second-place finish to the rabbit and the turtle fable on May 9.

Credit: Lennart Ootes