One (or both) of us needs help (Part II)

Clearly the computer's revenge match had gotten off on the wrong foot – see "One (or both) of us needs help (Part I)."

For game two I set its skill level to 1400, and we played from the initial Jerome Gambit position (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) again.

Kennedy - WeakDelphi (1400)
blitz 2 12 (2), 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ Ke7 7.Nxc6+

We both quickly repeat our errors from the first match game – although mine are "inaccuracies" while its are "blunders."

7...Kf6 8.Qf5 checkmate

Yikes.

For our third game, I stepped the computer's skill level up another 200 points.

Kennedy - WeakDelphi (1600)
blitz 2 12 (3), 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qf7 checkmate

Not much to say about that one.

Finally, I bumped the computer's skill level up to 1800.

Kennedy - WeakDelphi (1800)
blitz 2 12 (4), 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ Ke7

The move that gives Black the advantage is, of course, 6...g6.

7.Qf7+ Kd6 8.Qd5+

Missing the mate-in-one: 8.Nc4.

8...Ke7 9.Nxc6+ Kf6

One last gift.

10.Qf5 checkmate

No more experiments for me – for a while, anyhow.

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, "The Wizard of Draws"