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Art. XXX . — Jn attempt to Analyse the Automaton Chess 
Flayer of M. De Kempelen. 
The title prefixed to this article, is that of a very interesting 
and ingenious little work, just published, which has scarcely 
reached us in time to enable us to present a satisfactory analysis 
of it to our readers. 
The Automaton Chess Player of Kempelen was introduced into 
England by its inventor in 1783, and has, during thelast two years, 
been exhibited in various parts of England and Scotland, under 
the direction of M. Maelzel. The interest which it excited is fresh 
in our recollection ; and the public opinion is pretty equally di- 
vided between the two theories, of its being a piece of real ma- 
chinery, directed by the exhibitor, or a piece of ingenious decep- 
tion, under the controul of an internal agent. If the impossi- 
bihty of a chess-player being concealed in the machine had been 
thoroughly established, we should have had no hesitation in con- 
sidering magnetism as the moving power ; but a very narrow in- 
spection of the apparatus soon satisfies us that there is room 
for a living being ; and that while this appeared to be the case, 
there was no occasion for calling in the aid of more complex 
machinery. 
The author of the present work has, we think, demonstrated 
the truth of this opinion, with a degree of sagacity and in- 
genuity of no ordinary amount ; and he has shewn, by a series 
of drawings, how a full grown man may be concealed in the 
machine, and may take the successive positions which are ren- 
dered necessary during the preliminary stratagem, as well as du- 
ring the progress of the game. We shall endeavour, in the follow- 
ing extracts, to exhibit the principal arguments which he employs. 
The annexed drawings, (Plate X. Figs, 1. and 2.) represent the 
general appearance of the machine. It runs on castors, and is ei- 
ther seen on the floor when the doors of the apartment are thrown 
open, or is wheeled into the room at the commencement of the ex- 
hibition. 
“ The exhibitor, in order to shew the mechanism, as he informs 
the spectators, unlocks the door (A, Fig. 1.) of the chest, which ex- 
poses to view a small cupboard, lined with black or dark coloured 
cloth, and containing different pieces of machinery, which seem to 
