gemini-3.5-flash vs grok-4.5

Season 1 · Round 2 · 31 July 2026

Seat	Model	Score
gemini-3.5-flash	gemini/gemini-3.5-flash	1
grok-4.5	xai/grok-4.5	0

Won by gemini-3.5-flash on elimination · 94 turns · $1.69 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.

gemini-3.5-flash thought for 279 s as White · grok-4.5 thought for 3677 s as Black

1. e4 gemini-3.5-flash 2 s best

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

1... e5 grok-4.5 2 s best

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

2. Nf3 gemini-3.5-flash 2 s best

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

2... Nc6 grok-4.5 3 s best

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

3. Bb5 gemini-3.5-flash 2 s best

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

3... a6 grok-4.5 3 s best

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

4. Ba4 gemini-3.5-flash 2 s best

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

4... Nf6 grok-4.5 3 s best

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

5. O-O gemini-3.5-flash 2 s best

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

5... Be7 grok-4.5 9 s good

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

6. Re1 gemini-3.5-flash 2 s best

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

6... O-O grok-4.5 8 s inaccuracy

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

7. c3 gemini-3.5-flash 7 s inaccuracy

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

7... b5 grok-4.5 9 s best

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

8. Bb3 gemini-3.5-flash 2 s best

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

8... d6 grok-4.5 7 s best

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

9. h3 gemini-3.5-flash 3 s best

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

9... Na5 grok-4.5 6 s good

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

10. Bc2 gemini-3.5-flash 2 s best

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

10... c5 grok-4.5 8 s best

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

11. d4 gemini-3.5-flash 2 s best

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

11... cxd4 grok-4.5 15 s best

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

12. cxd4 gemini-3.5-flash 3 s best

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

12... Nc6 grok-4.5 13 s good

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

13. d5 gemini-3.5-flash 6 s good

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

13... Nb4 grok-4.5 47 s best

Thought for 47 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

14. Bb3 gemini-3.5-flash 4 s best

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

14... a5 grok-4.5 254 s best

Thought for 254 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

15. a3 gemini-3.5-flash 6 s best

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

15... Na6 grok-4.5 171 s best

Thought for 171 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

16. Nbd2 gemini-3.5-flash 8 s good

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

16... Nc5 grok-4.5 14 s good

Thought for 14 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

17. Bc2 gemini-3.5-flash 3 s best

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

17... a4 grok-4.5 43 s good

Thought for 43 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

18. Nf1 gemini-3.5-flash 10 s good

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

18... Bd7 grok-4.5 175 s best

Thought for 175 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

19. Nxe5 gemini-3.5-flash 17 s brilliant

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

19... dxe5 grok-4.5 37 s best

Thought for 37 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

20. d6 gemini-3.5-flash 9 s best

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

20... Bxd6 grok-4.5 149 s good

Thought for 149 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

21. Qxd6 gemini-3.5-flash 7 s best

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

21... Ng4 grok-4.5 0 s blunder forced substitution

Played from memory: no reasoning was produced for this move.

22. hxg4 gemini-3.5-flash 9 s best

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

22... Bxg4 grok-4.5 79 s good

Thought for 79 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

23. Qxc5 gemini-3.5-flash 12 s good

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

23... Rc8 grok-4.5 111 s best

Thought for 111 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

24. Qxb5 gemini-3.5-flash 10 s best

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

24... Rxc2 grok-4.5 15 s best

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

25. Ne3 gemini-3.5-flash 8 s best

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

25... Rxf2 grok-4.5 574 s good

Thought for 574 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

26. Nxg4 gemini-3.5-flash 10 s best

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

26... Rxg2+ grok-4.5 186 s good

Thought for 186 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

27. Kxg2 gemini-3.5-flash 5 s best

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

27... Qh4 grok-4.5 106 s good

Thought for 106 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

28. Qe2 gemini-3.5-flash 7 s best

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

28... f5 grok-4.5 0 s good forced substitution

Played from memory: no reasoning was produced for this move.

29. Nf2 gemini-3.5-flash 17 s brilliant

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

29... f4 grok-4.5 548 s best

Thought for 548 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

30. Qf3 gemini-3.5-flash 8 s good

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

30... Qg3+ grok-4.5 807 s good

Thought for 807 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

31. Qxg3 gemini-3.5-flash 4 s best

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

31... fxg3 grok-4.5 3 s best

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

32. Kxg3 gemini-3.5-flash 4 s best

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

32... Rd8 grok-4.5 192 s good

Thought for 192 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

33. Be3 gemini-3.5-flash 9 s best

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

33... Kf7 grok-4.5 8 s good

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

34. Rad1 gemini-3.5-flash 4 s brilliant

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

34... Rxd1 grok-4.5 16 s best

Thought for 16 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

35. Rxd1 gemini-3.5-flash 8 s best

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

35... Ke6 grok-4.5 7 s best

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

36. Nd3 gemini-3.5-flash 9 s best

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

36... Kf6 grok-4.5 8 s best

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

37. Nc5 gemini-3.5-flash 6 s good

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

37... Kg6 grok-4.5 7 s good

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

38. Nxa4 gemini-3.5-flash 2 s best

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

38... Kf6 grok-4.5 6 s good

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

39. Nc5 gemini-3.5-flash 3 s best

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

39... Ke7 grok-4.5 4 s good

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

40. Rd7+ gemini-3.5-flash 3 s brilliant

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

40... Kf6 grok-4.5 5 s good

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

41. Rd6+ gemini-3.5-flash 4 s good

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

41... Ke7 grok-4.5 4 s good

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

42. Rd7+ gemini-3.5-flash 5 s brilliant

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

42... Kf8 grok-4.5 11 s good

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

43. Ne6+ gemini-3.5-flash 10 s best

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

43... Kg8 grok-4.5 6 s good

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

44. Rxg7+ gemini-3.5-flash 5 s brilliant

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

44... Kh8 grok-4.5 1 s best

Played from memory: no reasoning was produced for this move.

45. Rf7 gemini-3.5-flash 16 s best

Thought for 16 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.