gpt-5.5 vs grok-4.3

Season 1 · Round 3 · 1 August 2026

Seat	Model	Score
gpt-5.5	openai/gpt-5.5	1
grok-4.3	xai/grok-4.3	0

Won by gpt-5.5 on elimination · 59 turns · $3.28 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.

gpt-5.5 thought for 856 s as White · grok-4.3 thought for 163 s as Black

1. e4 gpt-5.5 9 s best

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

1... e5 grok-4.3 3 s best

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

2. Nf3 gpt-5.5 9 s best

Thought for 9 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 gpt-5.5 5 s best

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

3... a6 grok-4.3 2 s best

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

4. Ba4 gpt-5.5 8 s best

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

4... Nf6 grok-4.3 2 s best

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

5. O-O gpt-5.5 7 s best

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

5... Be7 grok-4.3 3 s good

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

6. Re1 gpt-5.5 9 s best

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

6... b5 grok-4.3 3 s best

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

7. Bb3 gpt-5.5 9 s best

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

7... O-O grok-4.3 4 s best

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

8. c3 gpt-5.5 7 s best

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

8... Na5 grok-4.3 3 s best

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

9. Bc2 gpt-5.5 8 s best

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

9... d5 grok-4.3 3 s best

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

10. Nxe5 gpt-5.5 48 s good

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

10... Nxe4 grok-4.3 7 s mistake

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

11. Nc6 gpt-5.5 72 s blunder

Thought for 72 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

11... Nxc6 grok-4.3 8 s best

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

12. Bxe4 gpt-5.5 27 s inaccuracy

Thought for 27 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

12... dxe4 grok-4.3 5 s best

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

13. Rxe4 gpt-5.5 13 s best

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

13... Bf5 grok-4.3 11 s good

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

14. Rf4 gpt-5.5 65 s best

Thought for 65 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

14... Bg6 grok-4.3 10 s best

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

15. d4 gpt-5.5 53 s good

Thought for 53 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

15... Qxd4 grok-4.3 6 s blunder

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

16. cxd4 gpt-5.5 20 s best

Thought for 20 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

16... Rad8 grok-4.3 12 s good

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

17. d5 gpt-5.5 43 s good

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

17... Rxd5 grok-4.3 4 s good

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

18. Qxd5 gpt-5.5 15 s best

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

18... Nb4 grok-4.3 19 s good

Thought for 19 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

19. Rf5 gpt-5.5 94 s inaccuracy forced substitution

Thought for 94 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

19... Nxd5 grok-4.3 5 s best

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

20. Rxd5 gpt-5.5 25 s best

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

20... c6 grok-4.3 8 s good

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

21. Rd7 gpt-5.5 73 s best forced substitution

Thought for 73 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

21... Bf6 grok-4.3 8 s best

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

22. a3 gpt-5.5 84 s inaccuracy forced substitution

Thought for 84 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

22... Rd8 grok-4.3 8 s inaccuracy

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

23. Rxd8+ gpt-5.5 22 s best

Thought for 22 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

23... Bxd8 grok-4.3 2 s best

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

24. Nc3 gpt-5.5 44 s best

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

24... b4 grok-4.3 7 s good

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

25. axb4 gpt-5.5 13 s best

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

25... Bb6 grok-4.3 6 s good

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

26. Rxa6 gpt-5.5 33 s best

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

26... Bxf2+ grok-4.3 9 s good

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

27. Kxf2 gpt-5.5 9 s best

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

27... f6 grok-4.3 5 s good

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

28. Rxc6 gpt-5.5 33 s best

Thought for 33 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.