gemini-3.5-flash vs grok-4.3

Season 1 · Round 3 · 1 August 2026

Seat	Model	Score
gemini-3.5-flash	gemini/gemini-3.5-flash	1
grok-4.3	xai/grok-4.3	0

Won by gemini-3.5-flash on elimination · 38 turns · $0.37 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 91 s as White · gemini-3.5-flash thought for 79 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... c5 gemini-3.5-flash 1 s good

Thought for 1 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... d6 gemini-3.5-flash 2 s good

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

3. d4 grok-4.3 3 s best

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

3... cxd4 gemini-3.5-flash 1 s best

Thought for 1 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

4. Nxd4 grok-4.3 2 s best

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

4... Nf6 gemini-3.5-flash 2 s best

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

5. Nc3 grok-4.3 5 s best

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

5... a6 gemini-3.5-flash 2 s best

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

6. Be2 grok-4.3 5 s good

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

6... e5 gemini-3.5-flash 3 s best

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

7. Ndb5 grok-4.3 9 s blunder

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

7... axb5 gemini-3.5-flash 14 s best

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

8. Bxb5+ grok-4.3 6 s best

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

8... Bd7 gemini-3.5-flash 6 s brilliant

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

9. Bxd7+ grok-4.3 6 s good

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

9... Nbxd7 gemini-3.5-flash 5 s best

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

10. O-O grok-4.3 6 s best

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

10... Be7 gemini-3.5-flash 5 s best

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

11. Nd5 grok-4.3 5 s inaccuracy

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

11... Nxd5 gemini-3.5-flash 7 s best

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

12. exd5 grok-4.3 3 s good

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

12... O-O gemini-3.5-flash 3 s best

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

13. c4 grok-4.3 6 s good

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

13... f5 gemini-3.5-flash 8 s good

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

14. c5 grok-4.3 6 s good

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

14... Nxc5 gemini-3.5-flash 5 s best

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

15. Qd4 grok-4.3 6 s inaccuracy

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

15... exd4 gemini-3.5-flash 2 s best

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

16. Re1 grok-4.3 5 s best

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

16... Nb3 gemini-3.5-flash 4 s brilliant

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

17. axb3 grok-4.3 9 s good

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

17... Rxa1 gemini-3.5-flash 4 s best

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

18. Rxe7 grok-4.3 4 s good

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

18... Rxc1+ gemini-3.5-flash 5 s best

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

19. Re1 grok-4.3 3 s best

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

19... Rxe1# gemini-3.5-flash 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.