gemini-3.1-flash-lite vs gemini-3.5-flash

Season 1 · Round 5 · 4 August 2026

Seat	Model	Score
gemini-3.1-flash-lite	gemini/gemini-3.1-flash-lite	0
gemini-3.5-flash	gemini/gemini-3.5-flash	1

Won by gemini-3.5-flash on elimination · 60 turns · $0.38 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-3.1-flash-lite thought for 19 s as White · gemini-3.5-flash thought for 178 s as Black

1. e4 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 1 s best

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

1... c5 gemini-3.5-flash 2 s good

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

2. Nf3 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 1 s best

Played from memory: no reasoning was produced 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 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 1 s best

Played from memory: no reasoning was produced 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 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 1 s best

Played from memory: no reasoning was produced 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 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 1 s best

Played from memory: no reasoning was produced 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. Be3 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 1 s best

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

6... e5 gemini-3.5-flash 2 s best

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

7. Nf3 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 3 s good

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

7... Be7 gemini-3.5-flash 4 s good

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

8. Be2 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 1 s good

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

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

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

9. O-O gemini-3.1-flash-lite 1 s best

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

9... Be6 gemini-3.5-flash 4 s best

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

10. a4 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 1 s best

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

10... Nbd7 gemini-3.5-flash 7 s inaccuracy

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

11. Ng5 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 1 s best

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

11... Rc8 gemini-3.5-flash 5 s best

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

12. Nxe6 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 1 s best

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

12... fxe6 gemini-3.5-flash 3 s best

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

13. a5 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 1 s best

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

13... Qe8 gemini-3.5-flash 12 s best

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

14. f3 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 1 s best

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

14... Qg6 gemini-3.5-flash 6 s good

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

15. Bd3 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 1 s good

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

15... Nh5 gemini-3.5-flash 10 s best

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

16. f4 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 1 s mistake

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

16... exf4 gemini-3.5-flash 6 s best

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

17. Bxf4 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 1 s blunder

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

17... Nxf4 gemini-3.5-flash 11 s best

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

18. Rxf4 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 1 s best

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

18... Rxf4 gemini-3.5-flash 8 s best

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

19. Qd2 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 0 s good

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

19... Rf7 gemini-3.5-flash 8 s good

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

20. e5 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 1 s best

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

20... Qg5 gemini-3.5-flash 7 s brilliant

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

21. Qxg5 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 1 s best

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

21... Bxg5 gemini-3.5-flash 5 s best

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

22. exd6 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 1 s good

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

22... Be3+ gemini-3.5-flash 9 s best

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

23. Kh1 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 1 s best

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

23... Bd4 gemini-3.5-flash 21 s good

Written analysis

An elegant and powerful way to consolidate Black's advantage is **1... Bd4**. This centralizes the bishop, restricts White's knight on c3, and threatens to win the b2-pawn or force White's pieces into passive defensive squares.

If White responds with 2. Ne2, Black can simply play 2... Bxb2; if White plays 2. Nd1, White's knight is pushed to an extremely passive square; and if White plays 2. Rd1, Black can exchange on c3, ruining White's pawn structure and easily converting the endgame.

Therefore, we will play **1... Bd4**.

[

24. Nd5 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 0 s inaccuracy

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

24... exd5 gemini-3.5-flash 6 s best

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

25. Bxa6 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 1 s good

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

25... bxa6 gemini-3.5-flash 9 s best

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

26. c3 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 0 s best

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

26... Be5 gemini-3.5-flash 5 s best

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

27. Kg1 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 1 s best

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

27... Bxd6 gemini-3.5-flash 5 s best

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

28. Re1 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 1 s good

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

28... Bc5+ gemini-3.5-flash 4 s best

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

29. Re3 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 0 s good

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

29... Bxe3+ gemini-3.5-flash 7 s best

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

30. Kh1 gemini-3.1-flash-lite 1 s best

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

30... Rf1# gemini-3.5-flash 2 s best

Thought for 2 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.