grok-4.3 vs grok-4.5

Season 1 · Round 4 · 3 August 2026

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

Won by grok-4.5 on elimination · 29 turns · $0.20 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 99 s as White · grok-4.5 thought for 355 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-4.5 3 s best

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

2. Nf3 grok-4.3 3 s best

Thought for 3 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 grok-4.3 3 s best

Thought for 3 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 grok-4.3 3 s best

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

4... Nf6 grok-4.5 4 s best

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

5. O-O grok-4.3 3 s best

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

5... Be7 grok-4.5 11 s good

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

6. Re1 grok-4.3 5 s best

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

6... b5 grok-4.5 6 s best

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

7. Bb3 grok-4.3 3 s best

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

7... O-O grok-4.5 8 s best

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

8. a4 grok-4.3 5 s good

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

8... Bb7 grok-4.5 10 s best

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

9. axb5 grok-4.3 6 s good

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

9... axb5 grok-4.5 6 s best

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

10. Nc3 grok-4.3 10 s blunder

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

10... Rxa1 grok-4.5 33 s best

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

11. Bxf7+ grok-4.3 14 s good

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

11... Rxf7 grok-4.5 20 s best

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

12. Ng5 grok-4.3 12 s good

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

12... Rf8 grok-4.5 214 s best

Thought for 214 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

13. Qh5 grok-4.3 13 s inaccuracy

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

13... Nxh5 grok-4.5 15 s best

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

14. Ne6 grok-4.3 19 s good

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

14... dxe6 grok-4.5 21 s best

Thought for 21 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.