Spanish scientist Leonardo Torres y Quevedo constructed during the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century several relay-activated, electromechanical calculating machines that "played" chess. The mechanical machine, or "automaton," that Quevedo built in 1890, which he named "El Ajedristica," is often called the first true chess computer. It performed algorithmic calculations by mechanical means, similar to an adding machine. The machine automatically played a king and a rook endgame against an opposing king (played by a human opponent) and was able to achieve checkmate from any initial position in a few moves. The machine consisted of a metal base that made contact with the squares of the board to enable the automaton to identify the king's square by electric currents. (Quevedo's name is appropriate for his invention since "torres" is Spanish for "rooks.") Programming was relatively simple because a limited set of rules could be input for making satisfactory...