gpt-5.5 vs grok-4.5

Season 1 · Round 6 · 6 August 2026

Seat	Model	Score
gpt-5.5	openai/gpt-5.5	1
grok-4.5	xai/grok-4.5	0

Won by gpt-5.5 on elimination · 60 turns · $2.52 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 902 s as White · grok-4.5 thought for 876 s as Black

1. e4 gpt-5.5 12 s best

Thought for 12 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 gpt-5.5 5 s best

Thought for 5 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 gpt-5.5 5 s best

Thought for 5 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 gpt-5.5 6 s best

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

4... Nf6 grok-4.5 3 s best

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

5. O-O gpt-5.5 12 s best

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

5... Be7 grok-4.5 6 s good

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

6. Re1 gpt-5.5 13 s best

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

6... b5 grok-4.5 9 s best

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

7. Bb3 gpt-5.5 10 s best

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

7... O-O grok-4.5 3 s best

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

8. c3 gpt-5.5 12 s best

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

8... d6 grok-4.5 7 s best

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

9. h3 gpt-5.5 12 s best

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

9... Na5 grok-4.5 10 s good

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

10. Bc2 gpt-5.5 9 s best

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

10... c5 grok-4.5 7 s best

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

11. d4 gpt-5.5 13 s best

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

11... Qc7 grok-4.5 24 s good

Thought for 24 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

12. Nbd2 gpt-5.5 12 s good

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

12... cxd4 grok-4.5 15 s best

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

13. cxd4 gpt-5.5 23 s best

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

13... Nc6 grok-4.5 24 s best

Thought for 24 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

14. d5 gpt-5.5 43 s good

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

14... Nb8 grok-4.5 100 s inaccuracy

Thought for 100 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

15. Nf1 gpt-5.5 37 s inaccuracy

Thought for 37 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

15... Nbd7 grok-4.5 18 s good

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

16. Ng3 gpt-5.5 14 s best

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

16... Nc5 grok-4.5 16 s best

Thought for 16 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

17. b4 gpt-5.5 54 s best

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

17... Ncd7 grok-4.5 155 s best

Thought for 155 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

18. Nf5 gpt-5.5 47 s good

Thought for 47 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

18... g6 grok-4.5 98 s blunder

Thought for 98 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

19. Nxe7+ gpt-5.5 42 s best

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

19... Kh8 grok-4.5 11 s good

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

20. Qd2 gpt-5.5 89 s good forced substitution

Thought for 89 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

20... Nc5 grok-4.5 209 s inaccuracy

Thought for 209 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

21. bxc5 gpt-5.5 67 s best

Thought for 67 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

21... Qxe7 grok-4.5 28 s best

Thought for 28 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

22. Rf1 gpt-5.5 95 s good forced substitution

Thought for 95 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

22... dxc5 grok-4.5 51 s best

Thought for 51 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

23. d6 gpt-5.5 71 s best

Thought for 71 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

23... Qxd6 grok-4.5 28 s inaccuracy

Thought for 28 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

24. Qxd6 gpt-5.5 12 s best

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

24... Rd8 grok-4.5 22 s good

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

25. Qxd8+ gpt-5.5 25 s good

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

25... Ne8 grok-4.5 13 s good

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

26. Qxe8+ gpt-5.5 13 s best

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

26... Kg7 grok-4.5 1 s best

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

27. Qxe5+ gpt-5.5 77 s best

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

27... f6 grok-4.5 4 s best

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

28. Qe7+ gpt-5.5 64 s best

Thought for 64 s. The provider returned no reasoning text for this move.

28... Kh8 grok-4.5 5 s best

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

29. Qf8# gpt-5.5 9 s best

Thought for 9 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.