OpenAI o3 Defeats Grok 4 in Chess, Carlsen Says ‘Grok Learnt Theory & Knows Nothing Else’
The world of chess witnessed a thrilling event last week as OpenAI’s o3 defeated Elon Musk-owned xAI’s Grok 4 during the AI Chess Exhibition Tournament 2025. The match was a highly anticipated one, with many experts eager to see how the two AI-powered chess engines would fare against each other. In the end, it was OpenAI’s o3 that emerged victorious, winning the match 4-0.
The victory was not without its share of controversy, however. World number one chess player Magnus Carlsen was watching the match and couldn’t help but react to a move made by Grok 4 during its match with o3. As reported by the Indian Express, Carlsen said, “There’s always that one guy…who’s learnt theory and literally knows nothing else.” His comment was likely aimed at Grok 4, which seemed to rely heavily on pre-learned theory rather than developing its own strategic thinking.
It’s worth noting that o3 is not a new player in the world of chess. In fact, it has been one of the top-performing chess engines for some time now. Its victory over Grok 4 was not a surprise to many experts, who had predicted that o3 would come out on top.
But what was surprising was the ease with which o3 won the match. Grok 4 was expected to put up a stronger fight, especially given its advanced algorithms and machine learning capabilities. However, it seemed that o3 was able to outmaneuver Grok 4 at every turn, taking advantage of its opponent’s weaknesses and exploiting its mistakes.
So, what does this victory say about the state of AI-powered chess engines? Is o3 the new king of the chessboard, or was its victory simply a fluke? The answer to that question may lie in its previous performances.
As it turns out, o3 has a impressive track record when it comes to chess. It has defeated several top-performing chess engines, including o4 mini and Kimi K2 instruct. In fact, o3 is so confident in its abilities that it has taken on some of the best human chess players in the world, including Magnus Carlsen himself.
Of course, one could argue that o3’s victory over Grok 4 was due in part to its experience and exposure to different chess engines and players. After all, o3 has been around for some time now, and it has had the opportunity to learn and improve its skills through rigorous testing and competition.
Grok 4, on the other hand, is a relatively new player on the scene. While it has certainly made some impressive moves, its lack of experience and exposure to different chess engines and players may have contributed to its defeat.
In the end, the victory of o3 over Grok 4 serves as a reminder of the importance of experience and exposure in the world of AI-powered chess engines. While Grok 4 may have had some impressive moments, it ultimately fell short due to its lack of experience and exposure to different chess engines and players.
For o3, the victory is a testament to its hard work and dedication to the world of chess. Its impressive track record and victory over Grok 4 serve as a reminder of its status as one of the top-performing chess engines in the world.
As the world of AI-powered chess engines continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how o3 and Grok 4 fare against each other in the future. Will o3 continue to dominate, or will Grok 4 be able to learn from its mistakes and come back stronger?
Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure: the battle for supremacy in the world of AI-powered chess engines is far from over.
