The mechanical Turk is better known as the chess-playing automaton. It is a famous prank machine which was built towards the end of the 18th century. She was designed to be able to play chess. This machine was destroyed in a fire but shortly afterwards a replica was created, where it is controlled by a computer and can actually play chess as before. After the death of its creator, the machine was bequeathed to Johann Maelzel, a former German engineer.
Chess is a board game that was introduced by the Arabs. This game opposes two players and the goal is to impose a checkmate on his opponent. That is, a player’s king is caught in an impossible situation. the Mechanical Turkish was therefore inspired by this board game. Later, the developers took up their idea so that chess could be played between a machine and a player. Indeed, the principle remains the same, but the player must challenge a more unpredictable opponent.
The Origin of the Mechanical Turk
The famous machine was designed and built by the Hungarian writer Johann Wolfgang von Kempelen in 1770. At first glance, the mechanism of the machine had an intelligence that could surpass that of humans. Moreover, he was able to solve knight problems, a game which consists in moving knights in order to occupy each square of the chessboard only once. The various owners of this machine recognized it as an automaton.
The machine consisted of a dummy who was dressed in a long cape and a turban, and it was located at the back of the cabinet. It was also adorned with doors that, when opened, revealed internal mechanics and gears that came to life when activated.
The Secret of the Mechanical Turk
The machine became so popular that it was able to compete with important people of the time. However, the mechanical Turk was hiding a deep secret. The mechanism was put in place to fool the adversary and the public. Indeed, the piece of furniture had a secret compartment in which another human player could slip and manipulate the dummy. Thanks to this technique, the machine was able to win countless games for about 84 years. Among the important personalities who were able to face the automaton are Napoleon Bonaparte, Catherine II of Russia and Benjamin Franklin.
Edgar Allan Poe discovered the masquerade
The Mechanical Turk was therefore only an illusion that deceived the general public. During the tournaments, a professional player secretly played in the part under the machine and it was him who decided how the blows would be distributed. Many researchers of the time tried to find out how the machine worked. Some have even assumed that the dummy was controlled by a man, but the question that arose was: by what means? The great secret of the Mechanical Turk was revealed by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. The latter analyzed a game of chess and discovered that the dummy was controlled by something. Around 1836, his analysis was published and the public was won over by his arguments.
Edgar Allan Poe therefore discovered various facts about the machine and claimed that the machine had no characteristics of an automaton. Besides, she didn’t make any regular movements. He also noticed that the machine was very cluttered. According to him, an automatic machine of this kind needed only a simple mechanism to operate. However, the mechanical Turk had various compartments with useless parts. But still, a machine designed with new intelligence was by no means to record defeats. However, the machine lost some tournaments.
The End of the Clockwork Turk
This machine has been among the objects of intrigue in the world. Indeed, its operation intrigued the public. After several analyzes of the machine, the arguments of Edgar Allan Poe have been confirmed. In fact, the machine was composed of a drawer which gave place to a sliding chair so that nobody could notice the presence of the puppeteer during the tournaments. Moreover, in order to follow the movements of the player, the chessboard which is placed in front of the dummy was connected to another plate by magnets. This implies that the puppeteer always knew where the opponent’s pawns were placed.
After Edgar Allan Poe’s analysis was confirmed, the Mechanical Turk’s popularity declined sharply. Its owner therefore gave it to the Philadelphia Museum. Unfortunately, it could not be admired any longer because it perished during the fire of July 5, 1854. But the remaining parts were salvaged and a new mechanical Turk was built. The new model has been completely automated, as it is controlled by a computer. To go further, also discover 10 other hoaxes that have marked history.
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