grok-4.3 vs grok-4.5

Season 1 · Round 2 · 31 July 2026

Seat	Model	Score
grok-4.3	xai/grok-4.3	1
grok-4.5	xai/grok-4.5	0

Won by grok-4.3 on elimination · 81 turns · $0.88 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-4.5 thought for 1912 s as White · grok-4.3 thought for 275 s as Black

1. e4 grok-4.5 5 s best

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

1... e5 grok-4.3 5 s best

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

2. Nf3 grok-4.5 2 s best

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

2... Nc6 grok-4.3 3 s best

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

3. Bb5 grok-4.5 6 s best

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

3... a6 grok-4.3 4 s best

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

4. Ba4 grok-4.5 2 s best

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

4... Nf6 grok-4.3 4 s best

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

5. O-O grok-4.5 4 s best

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

5... Nxe4 grok-4.3 2 s best

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

6. d4 grok-4.5 9 s best

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

6... b5 grok-4.3 6 s best

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

7. Bb3 grok-4.5 6 s best

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

7... d5 grok-4.3 3 s best

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

8. dxe5 grok-4.5 7 s best

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

8... Be6 grok-4.3 6 s best

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

9. c3 grok-4.5 10 s best

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

9... Bc5 grok-4.3 4 s best

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

10. Nbd2 grok-4.5 5 s brilliant

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

10... O-O grok-4.3 7 s best

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

11. Bc2 grok-4.5 30 s best

Thought for 30 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

11... Nxe5 grok-4.3 7 s blunder

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

12. Nxe5 grok-4.5 97 s best

Thought for 97 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

12... Bxf2+ grok-4.3 8 s good

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

13. Rxf2 grok-4.5 68 s brilliant

Thought for 68 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

13... Nxf2 grok-4.3 7 s best

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

14. Kxf2 grok-4.5 25 s best

Thought for 25 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

14... Qf6+ grok-4.3 4 s good

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

15. Qf3 grok-4.5 48 s blunder

Thought for 48 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

15... Qxf3+ grok-4.3 4 s blunder

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

16. Ndxf3 grok-4.5 44 s best

Thought for 44 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

16... Rad8 grok-4.3 16 s good

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

17. Ng5 grok-4.5 77 s good

Thought for 77 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

17... h6 grok-4.3 6 s best

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

18. Nxe6 grok-4.5 291 s good

Thought for 291 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

18... fxe6+ grok-4.3 8 s best

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

19. Bf4 grok-4.5 30 s blunder

Thought for 30 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

19... Rxf4+ grok-4.3 6 s best

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

20. Kg3 grok-4.5 129 s good

Thought for 129 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

20... Rf7 grok-4.3 15 s blunder

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

21. Nxf7 grok-4.5 18 s best

Thought for 18 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

21... Kxf7 grok-4.3 4 s best

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

22. Rf1+ grok-4.5 54 s best

Thought for 54 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

22... Ke8 grok-4.3 5 s good

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

23. Re1 grok-4.5 109 s good

Thought for 109 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

23... Kd7 grok-4.3 8 s good

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

24. Re5 grok-4.5 71 s inaccuracy

Thought for 71 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

24... Kd6 grok-4.3 10 s best

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

25. Be4 grok-4.5 45 s blunder

Thought for 45 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

25... Kxe5 grok-4.3 7 s best

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

26. Kf3 grok-4.5 58 s good

Thought for 58 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

26... dxe4+ grok-4.3 8 s best

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

27. Ke3 grok-4.5 10 s good

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

27... Rd3+ grok-4.3 5 s brilliant

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

28. Kf2 grok-4.5 5 s good

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

28... e3+ grok-4.3 6 s inaccuracy

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

29. Kf3 grok-4.5 36 s best

Thought for 36 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

29... e2+ grok-4.3 10 s good

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

30. Kxe2 grok-4.5 18 s best

Thought for 18 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

30... Rd2+ grok-4.3 6 s mistake

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

31. Kxd2 grok-4.5 7 s best

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

31... b4 grok-4.3 9 s mistake

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

32. cxb4 grok-4.5 33 s best

Thought for 33 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

32... Kd4 grok-4.3 10 s best

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

33. b5 grok-4.5 48 s good

Thought for 48 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

33... axb5 grok-4.3 8 s best

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

34. a4 grok-4.5 18 s inaccuracy

Thought for 18 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

34... bxa4 grok-4.3 7 s best

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

35. Ke2 grok-4.5 316 s good

Thought for 316 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

35... a3 grok-4.3 8 s inaccuracy

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

36. bxa3 grok-4.5 11 s best

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

36... c5 grok-4.3 12 s good

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

37. Kf3 grok-4.5 101 s good

Thought for 101 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

37... c4 grok-4.3 8 s best

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

38. Kf4 grok-4.5 16 s good

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

38... e5+ grok-4.3 7 s best

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

39. Kf5 grok-4.5 15 s good

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

39... e4 grok-4.3 5 s good

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

40. Kg6 grok-4.5 30 s good

Thought for 30 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

40... e3 grok-4.3 9 s good

Thought for 9 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.