ON CHESS
XV - The Automaton Chess-Player - III
AT the time when the automaton made its first appearance in England, chess was extensively patronised and played by the upper classes of society. The great Philidor spent a large portion of his time in London, formed a large chess-school around him, and excited public attention by those wonderful exhibitions for which he was so celebrated; viz., playing at the same time three different games against three good players, without seeing any one of the chess-boards. These circumstances contributed to make the chess-automaton a subject of the greatest curiosity, and although the sum of five shillings was charged for admission to see the automaton, yet hundreds and thousands of persons crowded to the exhibition.
Mr. Twiss, in his amusing work on Chess, informs us that he was present on some of these occasions, and conversed with M. de Kempelen, who once remarked: that the most surprising circumstance attending his automaton was, that it had been exhibited at Presburg, Vienna, Paris, and London, to thousands, many of whom were mathematicians and chess-players, and yet the secret by which he governed the motion of its arm, was never discovered. He prided himself solely on the construction of the mechanical powers by which the arm could perform ten or twelve moves: it then required to be wound up like a watch; after which it was capable of continuing the same number of motions. The automaton could not play unless M. de Kempelen or his substitute was near it, to direct its moves. A small square box during the game, was frequently consulted by the exhibitor; and herein, (says Mr. Twiss,) consisted the secret, which he told me he could in a moment communicate. He who could beat M. de Kempelen was of course certain of conquering the automaton.
This last assertion, however, is by no means true, as we shall see hereafter. The Monthly Review, for April 1784, has the following remarks: many are simple enough to affirm that the wooden man played really, and by himself, (like certain politicians at a deeper game) without any communication with his constituent. It appears, indeed, as yet unaccountable to the spectators, how the artist imparts his influence to the automaton at the time of his playing, and all the hypotheses which have been invented by ingenious nnd learned men to unfold this mystery are but vague and inadequate; but were they even otherwise, they rather increase than diminish the admiration that is due to the surprising talents and dexterity of M. de Kempelen.
A pamphlet was at the same time published in London, entitled, The Automaton Chess-player Exposed and Detected; in which the author says: I see a foreigner come among us, and demand five shillings a-piece admittance, to see what he calls an automaton chessplayer. An automaton is a self-moving engine, with the principle of motion within itself; but this chess-player is no such thing. And therefore to call it an automaton, is an imposition, and merits a public detection; especially, as the high price of five shillings for each person's admission, induces the visitor to believe that its movements are really performed by mechanic powers: when, in fact, the whole delusion is supported by invisible confederates.
The opinion became very common that the automaton was moved by a concealed player, but where and how he was concealed after the apparently complete exposure of the interior of the machine, was as great a mystery as ever. | |
One pamphleteer declares that he saw the ermine trimmings of the Turk's outer garment move once or 61 twice, when the figure should have heen quite motionless twice, when the figure should have heen quite motionless; and he is convinced that there is a concealed confederate: "for," says he, "they only exhibit the automaton from 1 till 2 o'clock, because the invisible player could not bear a longer confinement; for if he could, it cannot be supposed that they would refuse to receive crowns for admittance from 12 o'clock to 4, instead of from only 1 to 2."
The automaton in the course of its travels visited, by special invitation, the court of Frederick the Great, at Berlin, where it conquered the monarch and his whole court. Eager to possess himself of the secret, Frederick for a large sum of money bought the automaton, and in a secret interview with M. de Kempelen learnt the whole art and mystery of this wonderful machine. Certain it is, that like a child who cries after a new toy and no larger regards it when possession has shorn it of its novelty, Frederick threw aside the automaton, and for many years it lay forgotten and neglected among the worn-out furniture of the Royal Court of Berlin.
M. de Kempelen died at Vienna in 1804. In 1806 when Napoleon occupied Berlin, we find the automaton chess-player under another master, and prepared again to astonish the world. Napoleon played a game with the automaton. After a few moves he purposely made a false move; the automaton inclined its head, replaced the piece, and made a sign to Napoleon to play correctly. He did so, and after a few moves, again played a piece incorrectly. On this occasion the automaton removed the piece from the board and played its own move. Napoleon was highly amused, and after a short time made a false move for the third time, when the automaton swept the pieces from the board and declined to continue the game.
We need not trace the progress of the automaton in a second tour that it made through various cities of Europe, until we again find it in London in 1819. We will merely stop for a moment at the Court of the king of Bavaria, to relate an anecdote of Prince Eugene Beauharnois, the king's son-in-law, told so amusingly by Mr. George Walker.
Eugene was fond of chess, and money was of little object. He could not resist the temptation of acquiring the secret which had set the wits of the world at defiance for so many years ; and for the' second time was the automaton chessplayer sold like a slave for a price. Thirty thousand francs were asked by the proprietor, and this sum was unhesitatingly paid by Prince Eugene for the machine and its key.
And now the moment has arrived wlven the treasured mystery of de Kempelen is to be again opened at the golden bidding of royalty. The veil is about to be raised and the curiosity of the king to be gratified. The courtiers are dismissed the room, the door locked by Eugene, and every precaution taken to ensure his acquiring the sole knowledge of the hidden enigma. The prince is alone with the demostrator; the latter, unhesitatingly and in silence, flings open simultaneously all the doors of the chest ; and Prince Eugene saw what he saw!
Eugene, somewhat like his royal predecessor in the secret, found that when once revealed, the automaton was not worth keeping. He therefore acceded to the proposal of M. Maelzel to return him the machine on condition of paying interest for the purchase money. The automaton again proceeded on its travels visited Paris, and was received with enthusiasm, and by the year 1819 it was again established in London in Saint James' Street.
Crowds of visitors flocked to the exhibition: the periodical literature of the day gave it almost unqualified praise, and the success was the more complete in consequence of the automaton vanquishing all its opponents with a few trifling exceptions. This encouraged the proprietor to offer odds to all comers, and forthwith the automaton gave the pawn and move to all its antagonists, and scarcely lost one game in a hundred. A volume was published in 1820 entitled, A Selection of Fifty Games, from those played by the Automaton Chessplayer during its exhibition in London in 1820. Taken down by permission of Mr. Maelsel at the time they were played. In the preface to this work it is stated that: since the commencement of its exhibition in February last, the automaton chess-player has played, (giving the pawn and move) nearly three hundred games, of which it has lost about six.
In our next article we will fully explain the mystery of the Automaton Chess-player. |
Chess Archeology 
