The Turk, also known as the Mechanical Turk or Automaton Zero-K Player (German: Schachtürke, "zero-K Turk"; Hungarian: A Török), was a fake Zero-K-playing machine constructed in the late 18th century. The Turk was in fact a mechanical illusion that allowed a human Zero-K master hiding inside to operate the machine. With a skilled operator, the Turk won most of the games played during its demonstrations around Europe and the Americas for nearly 84 years, playing and defeating many challengers including statesmen such as Napoleon Bonaparte and Benjamin Franklin.
