Editorial: Maelzel's Chess Player [pp. 318-326]

SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER.
At the hour appointed for exhibition, a curtain is
writhdrawn, or folding doors are thrown open, and the
machine rolled to within about twelve feet of the nearest
of the spectators, between whom and it (the machine)
a rope is stretched. A figure is seen hliabited as a
'turk, and seated, with its legs crossed, at a large box
apparently of maple wood, which serves it as a table.
The exhibiter will, if requested, roll the machine to any
portion of the room, suffer it to remain altogether on
any designated spot, or even shift its location repeatedly
during the progress of a game. The bottom of the box
is elevated considerably above the floor by means of the
castors or brazen rollers on which it moves, a clear view
of the surface immediately beneath the Automaton being
tlrus afforded to the spectators. The chair on which
thie figure sits is affixed permanently to the box. On
the top of this latter is a chess-board, also permanently
affixed. The right arm of the Chess-Player is extended
at full length before him, at right angles with his body,
and lying, in an apparently careless position, by the
side of the board. The back of the hand is upwards.
The board itself is eighteen inches square. The left
arm of the figure is bent at the elbow, and in the left
hiand is a pipe. A green drapery conceals the back of
the Turk, and falls partially over the front of both
shoulders. To judge from the external appearance of
the box, it is divided into five compartments-three
cupboards of equal dimensions, and two drawers occupyirlig that portion of the chest lying beneath the cupboards. The foregoing observations apply to the appearance of the Automaton upon its first introduction
into the presence of the spectators.
Maelzel now informs the company that he will
disclose to their view the mechanism of the machine.
'faking from his pocket a bunch of keys he unlocks
with one of them, door marked 1 in the cut above, and
throws the cupboard fully open to the inspection of all
present. Its whole interior is apparently filled with
wheels, pinions, levers, and other machinery, crowded
very closely together, so that the eye can penetrate but
a little distance into the mass. Leaving this door open
to its full extent, lie goes now round to the back of
the box, and raising the drapery of the figure, opens
another door situated precisely in the rear of the one
first opened. Holding a lighted candle at this door,
and shifting the position of the wvhole machine repeatedly at the same time, a bright light is thrown entirely
through the cupboard, which is now clearly seen to be
full, completely full, of machinery. The spectators
being satisfied of this fact, Maelzel closes the back door,
locks it, takes the key from the lock, lets fall the drapery of the figure, and comes round to the front. The
door marked 1, it will be remembered, is still open.
The exhibiter now proceeds to open the drawer which
lies beneath the cupboards at the bottom of the boxfor although there are apparently two drawers, there is
really only one-the two handles and two key holes
being intended merely for ornament. Having opened
this drawer to its full extent, a small cushion, and a set
of chessmen, fixed in a frame work made to support
them perpendicularly, are discovered. Leaving this
drawer, as well as cupboard No. 1 open, Maelzel now
unlocks door No. 2, and door No. 3, which are discovered to be folding doors, opening into one and the
same compartment. To the right of this compartment,
however, (that is to say the spectators' right) a small
division, six inches wide, and filled with machinery, is
partitioned off. The main compartment itself (in speakiig of that portion of the box visible upon opening doors
2 and 3, we shall always call it the main compartment)
is lined with dark cloth and contains no machinery
whatever beyond two pieces of steel, quadrant-shaped,
and situated one in each of the rear top corners of the
conmpartment. A small protuberance about eight inches
square, and also covered with dark cloth, lies on the floor
of the compartment near the rear coirner on the spectators' left hand. Leaving doors No. 2 and No. 3 open
as well as the drawer, and door No. 1, the exhibiter
now goes round to the back of the main compartment,
and, unlocking another door there, displays clearly all
the interior of the main compartment, by introducing a
candle behind it and within it. The whole box being
thus apparently disclosed to the scrutiny of the company, M1aelzel, still leaving the doors and drawer open,
rolls the Automaton entirely round, and exposes the
back of the Turk by lifting up the drapery. A door
about ten inches square is thrown open in the loins of
the figure, and a smaller one also in the left thigh. The
interior of the figure, as seen through these apertures,
appears to be crowded with machinery. In general,
every spectator is now thoroughly satisfied of having
beheld and completely scrutinized, at one and the same
time, every individual portion of the Automaton, and
the idea of any person being concealed in the interior,
during so complete an exhibition of that interior, if ever
entertained, is immediately dismissed as preposterous
in the extreme.
M. Maelzel, having rolled the machine back into its
original position, now informs the company that the
Automaton will play a game of chess with any one
disposed to encounter him. This challenge being accepted, a small table is prepared for the antagonist, and
placed close by the rope, but on the spectators' side of
it, and so situated as not to prevent the company from
obtaining a full view of the Automaton. From a drawer
in this table is taken a set of chess-men, and Maelzel
arranges them generally, btt not always, with his own
hands, on the chess board, which consists merely of the
usual number of squares painted upon the table. The antagonist having taken his seat, the exhibiter approaches
the drawer of the box, and takes therefrom the cushion,
which, after removing the pipe from the hand of the
Automaton, hlie places under its left arm as a support.
Then taking also from the drawer the Automaton's set
of chess-men, he arranges them upon the chess-board
before the figure. He now proceeds to close the doors
and to lock them-leaving the bunch of keys in door
No. 1. He also closes the drawer, and, finally, winds
up the machine, by applying a key to an aperture in
the left end (the spectators' left) of the box. The
game now commences-the Automaton taking the first
move. The duration of the contest is usually limited
to half an hour, but if it be not finished at the expiration of this period, and the antagonist still contend that
he can beat the Automaton, M. Maelzel has seldom
any objection to continue it. Not to weary the company, is the ostensible, and no doubt the real object of
the limitation. It will of course be understood that
when a move is made at his own table, by the antagonist, the corresponding move is made at the box of the
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