Answers.Body: <p>In 1910 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_Torres_y_Quevedo#Chess_Automaton">Leonardo Torres</a> developed a machine he called "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Ajedrecista">El Ajedrecista</a>". It was capable of automatically playing K+R vs K endgames without human intervention. It was publicly demonstrated for the first time in 1914.</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2012-08-29T21:32:48.250Z
Answers.Text: Very cool. I'd never heard of this before.
Answers.UserDisplayName: ETD
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Answers.CreationDate: 2012-08-30T00:20:29.173Z
Answers.Text: Thanks for the answer. I was a little unclear earlier. I'm looking for even fake automatons. But this answer is still useful. +1
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Answers.Body: <p>The first chess machine:</p>
  
  <p>"In 1769 the Hungarian engineer Baron Wolfgang von Kempelen built a chess playing machine for the amusement of the Austrian Queen Maria Theresia. It was a purely mechanical device, shaped like a Turk. Naturally its outstanding playing strength was supplied by a chess master cleverly hidden inside the device. The machine was a fake."!</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/9qpsn.jpg" alt="1769 fake chess machine"></p>
  
  <p>From: <a href="http://www.chessbase.com/columns/column.asp?pid=102" rel="noreferrer">A short history of computer chess, by Frederic Friedel</a></p>
  
  <p>So "the Turk" that you mentioned was the first one.</p>
  
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Body: <p>One well-known automaton is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Turk" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The Turk</a>. What is the first one and when was it constructed, including fake ones?  [1]:</p>
  
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Comments.CreationDate: 2012-08-29T17:02:20.417Z
Comments.Text: Just to be clear: for the purpose of your question, do you count The Turk as a "chess-playing automaton," or do you discount it since it was really a person doing the playing?
Comments.UserDisplayName: ETD
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2012-08-29T17:12:30.127Z
Comments.Text: I remember reading that computers were able to win K + R vs K endings as early as 1920s. I tried to google for verification of that, but I couldn't find anything.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Akavall
Tags: <history><engines>
Title: What was the first chess-playing automaton?
ThreadText: # What was the first chess-playing automaton?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2012-08-29)
  
  One well-known automaton is [The Turk](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Turk). What is the first one and when was it constructed, including fake ones? [1]:
  
  **Tags:** history, engines
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Just to be clear: for the purpose of your question, do you count The Turk as a "chess-playing automaton," or do you discount it since it was really a person doing the playing?  
  > **username_2**: I remember reading that computers were able to win K + R vs K endings as early as 1920s. I tried to google for verification of that, but I couldn't find anything.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2012-08-31. Score: 12 | Accepted answer
  
  The first chess machine:
  
  "In 1769 the Hungarian engineer Baron Wolfgang von Kempelen built a chess playing machine for the amusement of the Austrian Queen Maria Theresia. It was a purely mechanical device, shaped like a Turk. Naturally its outstanding playing strength was supplied by a chess master cleverly hidden inside the device. The machine was a fake."!
  
  ![1769 fake chess machine](https://i.sstatic.net/9qpsn.jpg)
  
  From: [A short history of computer chess, by Frederic Friedel](http://www.chessbase.com/columns/column.asp?pid=102)
  
  So "the Turk" that you mentioned was the first one.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2012-08-29. Score: 14
  
  In 1910 [Leonardo Torres](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_Torres_y_Quevedo#Chess_Automaton) developed a machine he called "[El Ajedrecista](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Ajedrecista)". It was capable of automatically playing K+R vs K endgames without human intervention. It was publicly demonstrated for the first time in 1914.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Very cool. I'd never heard of this before.  
  > **username_0**: Thanks for the answer. I was a little unclear earlier. I'm looking for even fake automatons. But this answer is still useful. +1  
  
  ---
  
  