No one knew this secret 😱

This mechanical chess-playing robot from the 1700s could beat the best players of its time. How did it work?

[elijahwakili]

That chess master is soo underrated, dude chose trolling over the glory

[skvwalker]

This is gold standard trolling. He said, “I’m not just gonna beat you, I’m gonna beat you and then let my robot take all the credit”

[shot]

The fact that someone used all their time and intelligence just to troll is trully impressive

[Grejegando]

How in the world was he able to beat them despite the awkward, uncomfortable position, heat, and trapped CO2 down there. The master chess player is truly a legend.

[Lethal]

1700: Robots use humans to cheat at chess.
2020: Humans use robots to cheat at chess.

[bobtheblob]

For the 1700s it’s still really impressive. Even being able to have movement like that would be really difficult and trying to win in there would be a real challenge

[notmohansai]

Socially awkward chess players got some ray of hope.

[cosmicprisons]

"won ALMOST all of them" those few people who beat it must have gone home with pride

[tannerhughes]

Plot twist. If you beat the machine, you were replaced and put inside as the new machine operator.

[TheAbsoluteStateofThings]

bro that chess master must have been insanely talented to beat other masters through that contraption

[vermas]

That mechanism is still highly impressive

[AbdullahEkici]

As a Turk/Turkish, It's actually quite interesting to watch. Imagine you think you are the best until you get defeated by a robot dressed as an Ottoman

[Monxrchyfn]

The least introverted chess master

I don’t know why people were trying to correct me when I was speaking most introverted from experience but here you go. Hope you’re happy.

[Sprite_]

“For almost 90 years” imagine the back pain of the hidden chess master

[chicken]

That chess master had some serious skills, beating players upside down and backwards.

[HarvoSpoon]

the reason why the chessplayer sat on a sliding chair rather than remaining in place: when the machine's doors were opened, it exposed fake clockwork and machinery to delude the audiences into thinking it was a real machine - the operator slid about to hide from view and maintain the illusion

[bombai]

The Original "CPU" chess player

[Fozzedout]

The real trick was keeping the chess master alive in a box for 90 years

[tomlewis]

“Roll up roll up, come see the chess playing robot” people in 1700 “tf is a robot”

[scoutgaming]

This was some sophisticated technology for 1700.