What was the Turk?
Q: What was the Turk?
A: The Turk was a trick chess-playing machine that was first put on show in 1770. It could play chess against a human and also perform the knight's tour.
Q: Who built the Turk?
A: Wolfgang von Kempelen built the Turk in 1770 to impress Empress Maria Theresa of Austria.
Q: Was it a real machine?
A: No, it was not a real machine but rather an illusion created by having a person inside working the controls.
Q: Who were some of the people who played against the Turk?
A: Napoleon Bonaparte and Benjamin Franklin were two of many people who played against the Turk.
Q: How did it win most games?
A: With a skilled chess player hidden inside, the Turk won most games.
Q: Who were some of those skilled players hidden inside?
A: Johann Allgaier, Hyacinthe Henri Boncourt, Aaron Alexandre, William Lewis, Jacques Mouret, and William Schlumberger were all skilled chess players hidden inside to make sure that the Turk won most games.
Q: When did it stop being used? A:The use of The Turk stopped when it was destroyed in a fire in 1854.
