The Turkish chess player: the most extraordinary illusion of all time.

In the vast panorama of the wonders of human ingenuity, few are as fascinating and mysterious as that of the Turkish Chess Player. Imagine finding yourself in the 18th century, in a candle-lit room, surrounded by an astonished crowd observing a table where an authentic masterpiece of mechanical engineering carries out its task: the famous "Turk", an automaton capable of playing chess , really, against human beings. Therefore capable not only of imitating human movement, as other automatons had been able to do in previous years (through writings, drawings and other simple movements), but of imitating human thought. And he did it with a dexterity and precision that seemed supernatural.

The history of the Turk begins in 1770, when the ingenious Austrian inventor Wolfgang von Kempelen presented this creation to the world during a demonstration in Vienna, at the court of Empress Maria Theresa. The machine consisted of a mannequin dressed in oriental clothing, sitting behind a chess table and equipped with an articulated hand, capable of moving the pieces on the board. What made the Turk so extraordinary, however, was his supposed ability to play chess autonomously, beating human opponents with unparalleled mastery. Among the Turk's most illustrious adversaries are Benjamin Franklin and Napoleon Bonaparte, both defeated in a few moves.

Immediately, the Turk became an international attraction. He traveled throughout Europe, fascinating monarchs, scientists and the simply curious. Thousands of people lined up to challenge the machine or simply to admire it in action. But the Turk's secret remained well kept, fueling speculation and theories about its inner workings. Edgar Allan Poe also formulated a theory of him. Wrong, but not by much.

Only many decades after its destruction in a fire in the United States did the details behind this mechanical puzzle emerge. It turned out that the Turk was not an actual automaton, but rather a sophisticated sleight of hand orchestrated by von Kempelen and his successors. In reality, inside the Turk's box there was a human being, usually a skilled chess player, hidden in a secret and protected space within the structure. A great illusion, in fact, presented by an extraordinary magician named Wolfang Von Kempelen.

The “hidden player”, as he was called, was able to observe the board through slits or optical devices and communicate with the audience through acoustic or visual signals, allowing the Turk to execute apparently autonomous moves. This ingenious stratagem remained secret for centuries, giving the Turk an aura of mystery and admiration that still accompanies him today. Yes, because even today we are not sure of all the details that made up Von Kempelen's extraordinary machine. Only an elderly American gentleman, named John Gaughan, after decades of studies, claims to have discovered all the secrets of the Turk and to have recreated a copy identical to the original, in every detail, which he secretly keeps in his laboratory in Los Angeles .

I couldn't not go and see it.