] The Turk was a famous hoax which purported to be a
] chess-playing automaton first constructed and unveiled in
] 1769 by Wolfgang von Kempelen (1734-1804). It had the
] appearance of a maplewood cabinet 4 feet long by 2 feet
] deep and 3 feet high, with a mannequin dressed in cloak
] and turban seated behind it. The cabinet had doors that
] opened to reveal internal clockwork mechanisms, and when
] activated the mechanism appeared to be able to play a
] strong game of chess against a human opponent. It could
] also perform the knight's tour (a puzzle which requires
] the player to pass every square of a chess board once)
] with ease. However, the cabinet was a cleverly
] constructed illusion that allowed a man to hide inside
] and operate the mannequin.

Saw this off a link for a /. story. The URL is for the Wikipedia Story

The Mechanical Turk