gpt-5.5 vs grok-4.3

Season 1 · Round 5 · 4 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 · 75 turns · $5.17 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 302 s as White · gpt-5.5 thought for 1178 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 gpt-5.5 4 s best

Thought for 4 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... Nc6 gpt-5.5 7 s best

Thought for 7 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 gpt-5.5 5 s best

Thought for 5 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 gpt-5.5 4 s best

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

5. O-O grok-4.3 2 s best

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

5... Nxe4 gpt-5.5 6 s best

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

6. Re1 grok-4.3 8 s inaccuracy

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

6... Nc5 gpt-5.5 11 s best

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

7. Bxc6 grok-4.3 11 s best

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

7... dxc6 gpt-5.5 11 s best

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

8. Rxe5+ grok-4.3 12 s good

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

8... Be7 gpt-5.5 44 s brilliant

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

9. Nc3 grok-4.3 17 s best

Thought for 17 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

9... O-O gpt-5.5 72 s best

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

10. Nd5 grok-4.3 7 s blunder

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

10... cxd5 gpt-5.5 22 s best

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

11. d4 grok-4.3 22 s best

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

11... Bf6 gpt-5.5 54 s mistake

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

12. dxc5 grok-4.3 18 s best

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

12... Bxe5 gpt-5.5 13 s best

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

13. Nxe5 grok-4.3 11 s best

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

13... Bg4 gpt-5.5 84 s blunder forced substitution

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

14. Nxg4 grok-4.3 8 s inaccuracy

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

14... b5 gpt-5.5 92 s mistake forced substitution

Thought for 92 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

15. Nf6+ grok-4.3 13 s blunder

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

15... Qxf6 gpt-5.5 21 s best

Thought for 21 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

16. Qxd5 grok-4.3 9 s mistake

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

16... Qxf2+ gpt-5.5 35 s blunder

Thought for 35 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

17. Kxf2 grok-4.3 9 s best

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

17... Rad8 gpt-5.5 34 s good

Thought for 34 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

18. Qxd8 grok-4.3 6 s brilliant

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

18... Rxd8 gpt-5.5 11 s best

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

19. c6 grok-4.3 7 s inaccuracy

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

19... Rd6 gpt-5.5 75 s good

Thought for 75 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

20. Bf4 grok-4.3 9 s good

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

20... Rxc6 gpt-5.5 35 s best

Thought for 35 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

21. Be5 grok-4.3 17 s mistake

Thought for 17 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

21... Rxc2+ gpt-5.5 11 s best

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

22. Kg3 grok-4.3 10 s good

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

22... g6 gpt-5.5 87 s mistake forced substitution

Thought for 87 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

23. Rc1 grok-4.3 8 s blunder

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

23... Rxc1 gpt-5.5 11 s best

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

24. Kf4 grok-4.3 13 s best

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

24... Rc4+ gpt-5.5 11 s best

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

25. Kg3 grok-4.3 9 s good

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

25... Rc2 gpt-5.5 68 s good

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

26. Kf4 grok-4.3 13 s best

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

26... Rxg2 gpt-5.5 23 s best

Thought for 23 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

27. Bxc7 grok-4.3 10 s good

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

27... Rxb2 gpt-5.5 74 s best

Thought for 74 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

28. Be5 grok-4.3 10 s good

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

28... Rxa2 gpt-5.5 42 s best

Thought for 42 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

29. h4 grok-4.3 9 s best

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

29... Rf2+ gpt-5.5 77 s best

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

30. Kg5 grok-4.3 7 s inaccuracy

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

30... Rf5+ gpt-5.5 35 s brilliant

Thought for 35 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

31. Kg4 grok-4.3 6 s best

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

31... Rxe5 gpt-5.5 11 s best

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

32. h5 grok-4.3 6 s good

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

32... gxh5+ gpt-5.5 35 s best

Thought for 35 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

33. Kh4 grok-4.3 7 s best

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

33... Rf5 gpt-5.5 56 s good

Thought for 56 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.