Observations on the Automaton Chess Player - Now exhibited in London, at 4 Spring Gardens

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Title: Observations on the Automaton Chess Player - Now exhibited in London, at 4 Spring Gardens
Author: Gray, Robert
Language: English
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Transcriber's Notes

1. Typographical Errors have been silently corrected.

2. Variations of spelling and hyphenation are as in the original.

3. In the following text, it is coded for italics thus _italic_.

* * * * *

OBSERVATIONS

ON THE

Automaton Chess Player.

S. Gosnell, Printer, Little Queen Street, London.

OBSERVATIONS
ON THE
Automaton
CHESS PLAYER,
_NOW EXHIBITED IN LONDON_,
AT
4, SPRING GARDENS.

BY AN OXFORD GRADUATE.

----ut speciosa dehinc miracula promat.--HOR.

London:
PRINTED FOR J. HATCHARD,
NO. 190, OPPOSITE ALBANY, PICCADILLY;
AND SOLD BY ALL THE BOOKSELLERS.
1819.

_Price One Shilling._

PREFACE.

The science of mechanics is one of those in which the ingenuity of
modern artists appears with superior advantage. The ancients, with the
single exception of Archimedes, had but an imperfect knowledge of the
mysteries of this science, as their attempts in the construction of
instruments for marking time, and of the organ, sufficiently prove.
This inferiority may be accounted for upon the principle, that the
highest discoveries in mechanics do not depend upon the capacity,
however enlarged, of any individual, but upon the successive
discoveries of many individuals, during ages, combined at length, by
some powerful genius, and directed to the completion of one great
object. Hence it was reserved to modern times, to witness the invention
of those exquisite and grand combinations of mechanism, which are
displayed in the numerous kinds of watch and clock work, and in the
higher order of wind instruments, in their several varieties: and hence
the present age has produced the most finished pieces of mechanical
science, in the Flute-player of Monsieur de Vaucanson, the Trumpeter
of Maelzel[1], the Panharmonicon of Mr. Gurk, and the Apollonicon
of our celebrated native mechanicians, Messrs. Flight and Robson[2].
Notwithstanding, however, the superior ingenuity of modern artists, in
mechanics, which these scientific inventions discover, it seems to be
a thing absolutely impossible, that any piece of mechanism should be
invented, which, possessing perfect mechanical motion, should appear to
exert the intelligence of a reasoning agent. This seeming impossibility
is surmounted in the construction of the Automaton Chess Player. The
stretch of invention shown in this unparalleled instance of mechanical
skill, will be fully appreciated only by those who can form an
estimate of the variety of combinations amongst the pieces which a game
of Chess presents: the constant exercise of acute judgment required
in anticipating the designs of an antagonist, or in frustrating those
which cannot be foreseen; and the experience in the game, which must
be attained by any individual, before he can become qualified to be a
skilful Chess Player. Some accurate notion, however, of the surprising
powers which the inventor of this singular piece of mechanism has
displayed, even they who are unacquainted, or but slightly acquainted,
with the game of Chess, may derive from a faithful description of it,
with respect to its construction, so far as that can be explained,
and its general manner of working. Such a description, likewise, may
be acceptable to those who are adepts in the game, to call to their
recollection, any interesting circumstance relating to the Automaton,
which they may have forgotten; and to be a slight memorial of a
masterpiece of human ingenuity which excited their liveliest curiosity
and admiration.

"Indocti discant, ament meminisse periti."

OBSERVATIONS,

_&c._

The celebrated piece of mechanism, called the Automaton Chess Player,
was the invention of Wolffgang de Kempelen, a Hungarian gentleman,
Aulic Counsellor to the Royal Chamber of the domains of the Emperor
in Hungary. His genius for mechanics appeared in early life; and when
matured by study, and experimental observation to which the leisure
that his employment afforded him, was chiefly devoted, displayed itself
in various inventions and improvements of great public utility.

Being at Vienna, in the year 1769, upon business of office, he was
invited, by order of the Empress Maria Theresa, to be present at
certain experiments of magnetism, which were to be exhibited before
herself and the Imperial court, by a Frenchman, of the name of
Pelletier. During the exhibition, M. de Kempelen, who was honoured
with the familiar conversation of the Empress, dropped a hint that he
thought himself competent to construct a piece of mechanism, which
should produce effects far more surprising and unaccountable than
those which she then witnessed. The curiosity of the Empress being
strongly reused, she impressed a lively desire to see his idea carried
into execution, and drew from him a promise that he would gratify her
wishes without delay. M. de Kempelen kept his word; and within the
space of six months completed his Automaton Chess Player.

At Vienna, where it was first produced, it excited the highest
astonishment and admiration of the Empress and her court, and of many
illustrious and scientific persons, who examined its extraordinary
powers. The report of them quickly spread; and the newspapers of the
time speak of them in unmeasured terms of approbation. The inventor,
however, with that indifference to popular favour which characterizes
true genius, not only declined making & public exhibition of his
Automaton, and refused considerable pecuniary offers from persons
desirous of purchasing it; but in his ardour for prosecuting some new
mechanical pursuit, actually laid it aside, and even proceeded in part
to take it to pieces.

In this disordered state it remained during many years, when, on the
occasion of a visit made by the Grand Duke Paul, of Russia, with his
consort, to the court of Vienna, the Emperor Joseph II. recollecting
the invention of M. de Kempelen, signified a wish that he should
exhibit it for the gratification of these august personages. In the
course of five weeks, the numerous repairs which it required, were
completed by the indefatigable genius of its inventor; and on being
produced before the Imperial visitors, it excited no less astonishment
and admiration than at its first appearance. Upon this occasion, M. de
Kempelen was urged and prevailed upon to satisfy general curiosity by
exhibiting it publicly in Germany and in other countries. Accordingly,
the Emperor having granted him permission to absent himself from the
duties of his employment during two years, he travelled with his
Automaton, into various parts of Germany and to Paris; and in the year
1785, he visited England. At his death, which took place about the year
1803, the Automaton came into possession of his son, who sold it to the
present exhibiter, a man, apparently of great ability in the science of
mechanics, and inferior only to M. de Kempelen himself.

This short historical notice, touching the inventor of the Automaton
Chess Player, and the circumstances which led to its invention and
first exhibition, naturally precedes a description of the Automaton
itself.

The room where it is at present exhibited, has an inner apartment,
within which appears the figure of a Turk, as large as life, dressed
after the Turkish fashion, sitting behind a chest of three feet and
a half in length, two feet in breadth, and two feet and a half in
height, to which it is attached by the wooden seat on which it sits.
The chest is placed upon four casters, and together with the figure,
may be easily moved to any part of the room. On the plain surface
formed by the top of the chest, in the centre, is a raised immovable
chess-board of handsome dimensions, upon which the figure has its eyes
fixed; its right arm and hand being extended on the chest, and its left
arm somewhat raised, as if in the attitude of holding a Turkish pipe,
which originally was placed in its hand.

The exhibiter begins by wheeling the chest to the entrance of the
apartment within which it stands, and in face of the spectators. He
then opens certain doors contrived in the chest, two in front, and two
at the back, at the same time pulling put a long shallow drawer at the
bottom of the chest made to contain the chess men, a cushion for the
arm of the figure to rest upon, and some counters. Two lesser doors,
said a green cloth screen; contrived in the body of the figure, and in
its lower parts, are likewise opened, and the Turkish robe which covers
them is raised; so that the construction both of the figure and chest
internally is displayed. In this state the Automaton is moved round for
the examination of the spectators; and to banish all suspicion from the
most sceptical mind, that any living subject is concealed within any
part of it, the exhibited introduces a lighted candle into the body
of the chest and figure, by which the interior of each is, in a great
measure, rendered transparent, and the most secret corner is shown:
Here it may be observed, that the same precaution to remove suspicion
is used, if requested, at the close as at the commencement of a game
of Chess with the Automaton.

The chest is divided, by a partition, into two unequal chambers. That
to the right of the figure is the narrowest, and occupies scarcely
one third of the body of the chest. It is filled with little wheels,
levers, cylinders, and other machinery used in clock-work. That to the
left contains a few wheels, some small barrels with springs, and two
quarters of a circle placed horizontally. The body and lower parts of
the figure contain certain tubes which seem to be conductors to the
machinery. After a sufficient time, during which each spectator may
satisfy his scruples and his curiosity, the exhibiter recloses the
doors of the chest and figure, and the drawer at bottom; makes some
arrangements in the body of the figure, winds up the works with a key
inserted into a small opening on the side of the chest, places a
cushion under the left arm of the figure, which now rests upon it, and
incites any individual present, to play a game of Chess.

At one and three o'clock in the afternoon, the Automaton plays only
ends of games, with any person who may be present. On these occasions
the pieces are placed on the board, according to a preconcerted
arrangement; and the Automaton invariably wins the game. But at eight
o'clock every evening, it plays an entire game against any antagonist
who may offer himself, and generally is the winner, although the
inventor had not this issue in view as a necessary event.

In playing a game, the Automaton makes choice of the white pieces,
and always has the first move. These are small advantages towards
winning the game which are cheerfully conceded. It plays with the left
hand, the right arm and hand being constantly extended on the chest,
behind which it is seated. This slight incongruity proceeded from
absence of mind in the inventor, who did not perceive his mistake till
the machinery of the Automaton was too far completed to admit of the
mistake being rectified. At the commencement of a game, the Automaton
moves its head, as if taking a view of the board; the same motion
occurs at the close of a game. In making a move, it slowly raises its
left arm from the cushion placed under it, and directs it towards the
square of the piece to be moved. Its hand and fingers open on touching
the piece, which it takes up, and conveys to any proposed square. The
arm, then, returns with a natural motion to the cushion upon which it
usually rests. In taking a piece, the Automaton makes the same motions
of the arm and hand to lay hold of the piece, which it conveys from the
board; and then returning to its own piece, it takes it up, and places
it on the vacant square. These motions are performed with perfect
correctness; and the dexterity with which the arm acts, especially
in the delicate operation of castling, seems to be the result of
spontaneous feeling, bending at the shoulder, elbow, and knuckles, and
cautiously avoiding to touch any other piece than that which is to be
moved, nor ever making a false move.

After a move made by its antagonist, the Automaton remains for a few
moments only inactive, as if meditating its next move; upon which
the motions of the left arm and hand follow. On giving check to the
King, it moves its head as a signal. When a false move is made by its
antagonist, which frequently occurs, through curiosity to observe
in what manner the Automaton will act: as, for instance, if a Knight
be made to move like a Castle, the Automaton taps impatiently on the
chest, with its right hand, replaces the Knight on its former square,
and not permitting its antagonist to recover his move, proceeds
immediately to move one of its own pieces: thus appearing to punish
him for his inattention. The little advantage in play which is hereby
gained, makes the Automaton more a match for its antagonist, and seems
to have been contemplated by the inventor as an additional resource
towards winning the game.

It is of importance that the person matched against the Automaton,
should be attentive, in moving a piece, to place it precisely in the
centre of its square; otherwise the figure, in attempting to lay
hold of the piece, may miss its hold, or even sustain some injury in
the delicate mechanism of the fingers. When the person has made a
move, no alteration in it can take place: and if a piece be touched,
it must be played somewhere. This rule is strictly observed by the
Automaton. If its antagonist hesitates to move for a considerable time,
it taps smartly on the top of the chest with the right hand, which is
constantly extended upon it, as if testifying impatience at his delay.

During the time that the Automaton is in motion, a low sound of
clock-work running down is heard, which ceases soon after its arm
returns to the cushion; and then its antagonist may make his move. The
works are wound up at intervals, after ten or twelve moves, by the
exhibiter, who is usually employed in walking up and down the apartment
in which the Automaton is shown, approaching, however, the chest from
time to time, especially on its right side.

At the conclusion of the exhibition of the Automaton, on the removal of
the chess men from the board, one of the spectators indiscriminately is
requested to place a Knight upon any square of the board at pleasure.
The Automaton immediately takes up the Knight, and beginning from that
square, it moves the piece, according to its proper motion, so as to
touch each of the sixty-three squares of the chess board in turn,
without missing one, or returning to the same square. The square from
which the Knight proceeds is marked by a white counter; and the squares
successively touched, by red counters, which at length occupy all the
other squares of the board.

The description now given of the Automaton Chess Player, with respect
to its construction, so far as that can be explained, and its general
manner of working, naturally suggests an interesting inquiry: What are
the immediate causes by which its unparalleled phenomena are produced?

To this inquiry no satisfactory answer has yet been made. It is
allowable, therefore, to hazard some observations in reply to it.
The causes sought for appear to be two, which are distinct from each
other--a moving force from which the left arm and hand of the Automaton
derive the action peculiar to those parts of the body; and a directing
force, by which the same arm and hand, when raised and prepared to
act, are guided on this side or that, according to circumstances, many
of which cannot possibly be anticipated, and each of which requires
the exertion of the reasoning faculty, sometimes in a high degree.
To explain the nature of the moving force, which is employed, is the
province of the professed mechanician, who can account for it upon
fixed mechanical principles. The operation of that force at a certain
time after each move of an antagonist, seems to depend upon the
momentary interference of the exhibiter, who though usually employed in
walking up and down, approaches the chest when the Automaton is about
to make a move (p. 20), and appears to touch some spring, near to the
arm of the figure, on the right side, which spring may set in motion
the works by which the arm and hand of the Automaton are raised from
the cushion, are made to bend at their several joints, so as to grasp
the piece to which they may be guided by the directing force, and to
retain it for a given moment of time, after which, on disposing of the
piece, the arm and hand become relaxed, and are brought back to their
usual position. In case a piece is to be taken, or a false move is
made by an antagonist, or the Automaton castles (p. 21), by a peculiar
manner of touching the spring, these mechanical motions of the arm and
hand might be repeated de suite; with a variation only in the return of
the arm, which would not take place until the end of the repetition.
But the mystery in the action of the Automaton--a mystery not less hard
to be solved by professed mechanicians, than by persons unacquainted
with the science of mechanics, arises from the nature and operation
of the directing force by which the arm and hand of the Automaton,
when raised and prepared to act by the moving force, are guided with
a precision and judgment that baffles the skill even of experienced
chess players. Various conjectures have been made upon this subject. It
was supposed, for a time, that the directing force was some concealed
loadstone, until the inventor of the Automaton showed the groundless
nature of such a supposition, by permitting any person to place the
most powerful loadstone in contact with the figure, or upon any part of
the chest to which it is attached.

The most obvious solution of the nature and operation of the directing
force may be drawn from the hypothesis, that a living subject is
enclosed within the left or larger chamber of the chest, who guides
the arm and hand of the Automaton when raised, either in this or that
direction, according to the ever varying appearance of the game,
which might be discerned through a transparent chess-board. It is
sufficient, however, in order to refute this hypothesis, to repeat what
has been already mentioned in page 17, that both before and after the
exhibition of the Automaton, the exhibiter is willing to lay open for
the examination of every spectator its entire construction internally,
so as to satisfy the most incredulous person, that no concealment
whatsoever of a living subject can take place.

With more semblance of reason, it has been conjectured that there is
a communication between the left arm and hand of the Automaton, and a
person placed in an adjoining room, who, though unseen, himself, is a
spectator of the game; and that by means of this communication, the
directing force required may be conveyed at the time when the arm and
hand are raised. This conjecture, however plausible, may be answered by
the statement of a plain fact, referred to before, that M. de Kempelen
exhibited his Automaton, on two different occasions, at the Imperial
palace of Vienna; and it is absolutely chimerical to suppose, that upon
those occasions, any communication could be opened with an adjoining
apartment in the palace to that in which the Automaton was exhibited.
Still the question returns, What is the nature and operation of the
directing force, by which the left arm and hand of the Automaton when
raised, and prepared to act, are guided?

With respect to the nature of this directing force, there can be
only one reasonable opinion, that it must proceed from the immediate
direction of some human agent; and since there is no communication with
such an agent concealed within the chest, or in a room adjoining, it
must proceed from the immediate direction of the exhibiter himself.

Nevertheless the operation of this directing force, or in what secret
manner the exhibiter directs the arm and hand of the Automaton when
raised, yet remains to be explained. M. de Kempelen once threw out
a hint, that the chief merit of his invention lay in the successful
manner in which he deceived the spectators; by which hint he seemed
to imply not only that the exhibiter does interfere in an unperceived
manner in directing the arm and hand of the Automaton when raised,
according to the varying circumstances of a game of Chess; but that
the mode of such interference is very simple. In fact, when the arm
and hand are raised and prepared to act by the operation of the moving
force already explained, the action of a wire or piece of catgut, not
much thicker than a hair, would be sufficient to guide them in any
direction; which action, from the delicacy of the medium used, might be
communicated in a manner wholly unperceived by the spectators[3].

Probably the precise time and instrument of communicating this action,
which are circumstances systematically kept secret, will never be
discovered; and the conception of them, reflects the highest honour
upon the ingenuity of the inventor. To construct an arm and hand
capable of performing the ordinary functions of those parts, would be
of itself sufficient to secure the reputation of an artist; but to
make the same arm and hand almost counterparts of living members in a
reasoning agent, displays a power of invention as bold and original,
any that has ever been exhibited to the world.

[Footnote 1: This piece of mechanism is shown, together with the
Automaton Chess Player, at 4, Spring Gardens.

Footnote 2: This grand instrument, which performs by mechanical
action, or may be played upon by five professors at once, is shown at
the rooms, No. 101, St. Martin's Lane.

Footnote 3: There can be little doubt that the peculiar action of
the Automaton (p. 24), by which the Knight is made to touch each of
the 68 squares of the chess-board in turn, depends upon the action of
machinery alone, without any interference of the exhibiter, except
in previously winding up the works. The motions of the head of the
figure, and its tapping on the chest (pp. 20-23), are a kind of hors
d'œuvre.]

THE END.

_S. Gosnell, Printer, Little Queen Street, London._

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