Autonomous Chess Playing robot in the 1770s!!
Do you believe there was a working robot that played chess and won most of the games in the 1770s?
Recently, I was researching a WIRE-driven robotics arm for my project and somehow came across this video on YouTube which was about a robot playing chess in 1770!!
The moment I saw the year I was shocked. I mean I thought the first robot was invented in 1954 and even the word ‘Robot’ was first used in the year 1920 to denote a fictional humanoid in a Czech-language play R.U.R. (Rossumovi Univerzální Roboti — Rossum’s Universal Robots) by Karel Čapek.
For nearly 90 years, it toured worldwide, leaving a trail of defeated opponents — including some of the era’s most notable figures.
The Mysterious Beginnings
The story of The Turk begins in Vienna, in 1769, during a grand event hosted by the Empress of Austria. Amidst a crowd dazzled by a French magician’s illusions, Hungarian inventor Wolfgang Von Kempelen was unimpressed and vowed to return with something far more spectacular. True to his word, Kempelen spent the next six months creating what would become one of history’s greatest hoaxes.
When Kempelen unveiled The Turk, it was an instant sensation. The lifelike mannequin, dressed in traditional Turkish garb, moved chess pieces with a dexterity that seemed almost human. News of this mechanical genius spread rapidly, and soon, everyone in Europe wanted to challenge The Turk.
The Act Unfolds
Kempelen would begin each show by opening The Turk’s cabinet doors, showing the audience the intricate machinery inside. He cleverly manipulated the machine’s setup to prove there was nothing hidden — except there was. With all doors eventually closed, Kempelen would set the stage for The Turk to display its prowess, often defeating even the most skilled opponents.
Notable figures like Benjamin Franklin and Napoleon Bonaparte were among The Turk’s challengers. Despite growing speculation about the authenticity of the machine, Kempelen kept its workings a closely guarded secret, which he took to his grave in 1804.
The Secret Revealed
It wasn’t until after The Turk had changed hands following Kempelen’s death, eventually acquired by Johann Maelzel, that its true mechanism came to light. Under Maelzel’s ownership, The Turk found even greater fame in America. However, the secret was nearly exposed when two young boys saw a man climbing out of the machine — though the story was retracted shortly after due to lack of verification.
Ultimately, the mechanics of The Turk involved clever physical deception. A skilled chess player would hide within the machine, controlling The Turk’s movements through a series of levers and a pantograph — a device for copying movements. The operator could see the opponent’s moves through a system involving magnets and could replicate them on The Turk’s board.
The Legacy of The Turk
Even after it was destroyed by fire, The Turk’s impact continued to resonate. It was a masterful blend of technology, psychology, and theatrical flair, challenging our perceptions of artificial intelligence and automation.
In an age where truth can be as elusive as it was in Kempelen’s time, The Turk serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of skepticism and the allure of mystery. Whether seen as a symbol of human ingenuity or trickery, The Turk remains one of history’s most fascinating tales of mechanical deceit.