MEPHISTO.

Press, Volume XXXI, Issue 4264, 29 March 1879, Page 3

MEPHISTO.

An ingenious chess-playing figure of novel construction is now being exhibited in London at the Royal Aquarium" under the title of "Mephisto." The history of chess auto mata is a remarkable one. Yon Kempelen'* chessplayer made the tour of the Courts of Europe and its secret was twice sold to crowned heads. The clever concealment of a human being in tho interior was the explanation of all its wonderful achievements, and the merit of its invention lay in the devices by which (he manipulation hid the person within while appearing to court inspection: The Crystal Palace automaton was' an adaptation of the same idea. " Mephisto" depends upon another principle. He is actuated, from withoi>t by a human intelligence, and the problem is to ascertain how the moves upon the board become known to his director and how the counter - moves are communicated to the figure. The new cheßS-pl-yer, who had been exhibited at the inventor's house for some time before his introduction to the public, is a Mephistophele* seated in a chair, the chair baing placed at an ordinary chess table. The piece of furniture on which he aits contours-a deep seat, but this, as well as the body of the figure, may be investigated* while play is going on, and it ia clear that there is no person conpealed in either. "Mephisto" raises bis arm, graapa the piece with bis hand, and moves it to its proper square. He removes from the board the pieces he captures, and signifies "check" by touching the opponent's king. Sometimes he moves very quickly, sometimes takes time to deliberate. Occasionally he lift* his face to his opponent and looks up with a smile. These are little tricks to increase the effect of his skill as a scientific chess player— which is, indeed, considerable. Ordinarily tbe board is uncovered, but occasionally a newspaper is placed over it, so that tho move, could not be reflected by a mirror in the ceiling, and "Mephisto" plays a move in spite of the obstruction. The mystery of " Mephisto's" action is to be explained by the use of clever mechanism. The movements of the arm are very free and varied ; more so, for instares, than those of Mr Meakelyne's automaton whist-player. But although Mr Babbage held it to be possible *o to caculate beforehand the changes which could be rung upon the squares of the chess-board by the piece* placed upon it, and to construct mechanism to provide for all, the merit is not claimed for "Mephisto" of being entirely automatic The inventor says, by way of apology for in part supplying the deficiencies of mechanism by human intelligence, that life is too short to construct a chess-player who should be entirely automatic. He is also the inventor of a pc—nutating lock, the key of which is provided with nineteen pins, c oh of which admits of three positions, and it has been calculated that even for the minor number of permutations resulting from these figures a man would be engaged 130 lifetimes, ten hours a day, 300 days a year, fifty years of his life, to work them through. The thirty-two piece* -on the sixty-four squares of the chess-board with the varying powers of some, would give a still larger number of' combinations, and as " Mephisto" was perfected in six or seven years, it ia not but'prising to learn that he i* not entirely automatic, but is a medium fpr the exercise of human intelligence manifested only in a novel and at present an oocult way.