The Turk

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Turk

This mysterious and fascinating 19th century automaton stumped the western world for years with its apparent mechanical mastery of chess, and provides us today with some very interesting reading. Wolfgang von Kempelen and subsequent owners of the Turk managed to trick a cornucopia of notable names from the early Victorian west into believing they were beaten at chess by a machine; it was discovered much later that the secret of the trick was an unidentified-to-this-day chess master hidden inside.

Kempelen's genius as an illusionist was to show his audience the inside of the casing, affixing it with phony cogs and machinery (even though there was actually a small unseen area in which the operator hid). The Turk could recognize illegal moves, complete a knight's tour (a popular chessman's puzzle), and even communicate with its spectators via letterboard. All of this was controlled via magnets and levers, by candlelight. It's surprising nobody ever noticed the Turk's turban emitting faint wisps of smoke while it played. Less surprising that the cause of the machine's ultimate demise was a fire.

Highlights: Construction is arguably the most interesting of sections, but the whole article's worth a look.