Known initially as the Automaton Chess Player and later as the Mechanical Turk—or just the Turk—the machine consisted of a mechanical man dressed in robes and a turban who sat at a wooden ...

A master magic builder from California has recreated an 18th Century automaton that ... Kempelen's Mechanical Turk amazed people on both continents by appearing to play chess.

This mechanical mystery is the basis for Robert Löhr's compelling yet not entirely satisfying first novel, "The Chess Machine." Much of the early history of the Turk remains intact in the novel ...

When the 18th century chess master Philidor played against the automaton, he told his son that no other game had ever left him so exhausted. The wonder and fury inspired by the Turk was similar to ...

Franklin’s opponent was a life-size, humanlike figure seated at a large wooden cabinet, supposedly rigged with machinery that made it capable of playing a game of chess without human support. It was ...

Only a few months ago, IBM’s Deep Blue excited and intrigued us as it challenged the chess wizardry ... challenged the machine with a series of illegal moves. The Turk responded by sweeping ...

“Known initially as the Automaton Chess Player and later as the Mechanical Turk—or just the Turk—the machine consisted of a mechanical man dressed in robes and a turban who sat at a wooden ...

Once upon a time in the 18th century, a fantastic chess-playing machine known as the Mechanical Turk was exhibited around the world, stunning audiences with its ability to beat skilled players and ...

A master magic builder from California has recreated an 18th Century automaton that ... Kempelen's Mechanical Turk amazed people on both continents by appearing to play chess.

Set in 1770, Baron Wolfgang von Kempelen of Hungary, anxious to win the favor of Empress Maria Theresia, builds an engineering marvel: the Mechanical Turk, a chess-playing automaton. The Turk ...