Tales of the Thinking Machine

ssible, and unanimity on any given point is an unusual mental condition for chess masters. Not one would concede for an instant that it was within the range of hu

s by some chance remark; in fact had been once a sort of controversial centre of the sciences. It had been due to his modest announcement of a startling and unorthodox

nounce; degrees from France, England, Russia, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Spain. These were expressed recognition of the fact that his was the foremost brain in the sciences. The im

nanimous a dissent was made by Professor Van Dusen in the presence of three other ge

l solve it. Logic will solve any problem — not most of them but any problem. A thorough understanding of its rules would enable anyone to defeat your greatest chess players. It would be inevitable, just as inevitable as that two and two make four, not some times but all t

ad vigorously. “It is i

an mind can do anything. It is all we have to lift us ab

’s face. Professor Van Dusen affected many persons that way, particularly tho

f chess? Its countless comb

he general purpose which, I understand to be, to move certain pieces in ce

ly, “but I never heard it s

ss expert by the pure mechanical rules of logic. I’ll take a few hours some tim

lared savagely into t

t defeat the greatest chess player. Would you be willing to meet th

quently found it necessary to make a fool of

t dared for years to dispute any assertion by the distinguished Professor Van Dusen. It was arranged that at the conclusion of the champions

the latter’s modest apartments on Beacon Hill. He left there with a sadly puzzled face; that afternoon Professor Van Dusen

like and a heavy shock of long, yellow hair gave him almost a grotesque appearance. The eyes were narrow slits of blue squinting eternally through thick spectacles; the face was small, clean shaven, drawn and white with the pallor of the student. His lips m

or Van Dusen began the game, opening with a Queen’s gambit. At his fifth move, made without the slightest hesitation, the smile left the Russian’s face. At the t

” he an

oted the play then leaned back in his chair with finger tips pressed together. His eyes left the bo

een moves,” h

ent. But the Russian champion saw and leaned back in his chair a little white and dazed. He was not astonished; he was he

played chess b

ev

an; you are a brain — a ma

here was no note of exultation in his voice; it was s

is is how he came to be known to the world at large as The Thinking Machine. The Russian’s phrase had been