grok-3-mini vs grok-4.3

Season 1 · Round 2 · 30 July 2026

Seat	Model	Score
grok-3-mini	xai/grok-3-mini	1
grok-4.3	xai/grok-4.3	0

Won by grok-3-mini on elimination · 55 turns · $0.29 of model time

Move by move

This match was played before reasoning capture. Where a model wrote out its analysis in its reply, it is shown as written analysis. Hidden thinking was not recorded.

grok-4.3 thought for 252 s as White · grok-3-mini thought for 215 s as Black

1. e4 grok-4.3 2 s best

Thought for 2 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

1... e5 grok-3-mini 4 s best

Thought for 4 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

2. Nf3 grok-4.3 2 s best

Thought for 2 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

2... Nc6 grok-3-mini 3 s best

Thought for 3 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

3. Bb5 grok-4.3 3 s best

Thought for 3 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

3... a6 grok-3-mini 3 s best

Thought for 3 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

4. Ba4 grok-4.3 2 s best

Thought for 2 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

4... b5 grok-3-mini 4 s best

Thought for 4 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

5. Bb3 grok-4.3 3 s best

Thought for 3 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

5... Bc5 grok-3-mini 5 s good

Thought for 5 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

6. O-O grok-4.3 4 s good

Thought for 4 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

6... Nf6 grok-3-mini 6 s best

Thought for 6 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

7. c3 grok-4.3 13 s best

Thought for 13 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

7... O-O grok-3-mini 6 s inaccuracy

Thought for 6 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

8. d4 grok-4.3 5 s best

Thought for 5 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

8... exd4 grok-3-mini 4 s good

Thought for 4 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

9. cxd4 grok-4.3 6 s best

Thought for 6 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

9... Nxe4 grok-3-mini 15 s mistake

Thought for 15 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

10. Re1 grok-4.3 26 s blunder

Thought for 26 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

10... d5 grok-3-mini 12 s blunder

Thought for 12 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

11. Bxd5 grok-4.3 7 s blunder

Thought for 7 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

11... Qxd5 grok-3-mini 13 s best

Thought for 13 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

12. Nc3 grok-4.3 9 s blunder

Thought for 9 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

12... Nxc3 grok-3-mini 9 s best

Thought for 9 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

13. bxc3 grok-4.3 8 s best

Thought for 8 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

13... Qxd4 grok-3-mini 11 s blunder

Thought for 11 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

14. cxd4 grok-4.3 11 s best

Thought for 11 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

14... Bxd4 grok-3-mini 8 s good

Thought for 8 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

15. Nxd4 grok-4.3 10 s best

Thought for 10 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

15... Nxd4 grok-3-mini 4 s best

Thought for 4 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

16. Qxd4 grok-4.3 9 s best

Thought for 9 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

16... c5 grok-3-mini 7 s best

Thought for 7 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

17. Qxg7+ grok-4.3 6 s blunder

Thought for 6 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

17... Kxg7 grok-3-mini 2 s best

Thought for 2 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

18. Bb2+ grok-4.3 7 s best

Thought for 7 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

18... Kg8 grok-3-mini 5 s good

Thought for 5 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

19. Re7 grok-4.3 13 s mistake

Thought for 13 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

19... Ra7 grok-3-mini 15 s blunder

Thought for 15 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

20. Rxa7 grok-4.3 12 s best

Thought for 12 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

20... Be6 grok-3-mini 8 s good

Thought for 8 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

21. Ra8 grok-4.3 13 s blunder

Thought for 13 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

21... Rxa8 grok-3-mini 17 s best

Thought for 17 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

22. Bc3 grok-4.3 15 s good

Thought for 15 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

22... b4 grok-3-mini 8 s best

Thought for 8 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

23. Be5 grok-4.3 15 s best

Thought for 15 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

23... b3 grok-3-mini 13 s blunder

Thought for 13 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

24. axb3 grok-4.3 5 s best

Thought for 5 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

24... Bxb3 grok-3-mini 8 s best

Thought for 8 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

25. Rb1 grok-4.3 17 s mistake

Thought for 17 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

25... Bc4 grok-3-mini 11 s inaccuracy

Thought for 11 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

26. Rb4 grok-4.3 23 s blunder

Thought for 23 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

26... cxb4 grok-3-mini 11 s best

Thought for 11 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

27. Bg7 grok-4.3 6 s good

Thought for 6 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

27... Kxg7 grok-3-mini 3 s best

Thought for 3 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

What this match ran under

Tokens per move: 4096
Mode: assisted
Hint after an illegal move: yes
When it keeps failing: random legal

Why these exist, and what removing them costs.