# Hugh Alexander Kennedy

Hugh Alexander Kennedy (22 August 1809 – 22 October 1878) was an English chess master and writer.

## Chess career

Hugh Alexander Kennedy was born in Madras, British India in 1809. He was a British army captain and leading London chess player. He established the first chess club in Brighton in 1842. In 1844, he lost a match to Howard Staunton (3–8). In 1845, he teamed up with Staunton in Portsmouth in two telegraph games (lost and drew) against a team of Henry Thomas Buckle, George Walker, William Davies Evans, Perigal, and Tuckett in London. He lost a match to Elijah Williams (+2−4=0) in 1846 and lost a match to Edward Löwe (+6−7=1) in 1849, both in London.
Kennedy played in the great international London 1851 chess tournament and finished in sixth place of the sixteen competitors. He knocked out Carl Mayet in round 1 with two wins. In round 2, he lost to Marmaduke Wyvill (+3−4=1). In round 3, he defeated James Mucklow with four wins. Finally, he lost to József Szén (+0−4=1).
In 1862, Kennedy lost perhaps the first international telegraphic game, against Serafino Dubois.
Kennedy died in Reading, England, in 1878.

## "Napoleon" game

In the story "Some Reminiscences of the Life of Augustus Fitzsnob, Esq." (inspired by Thackeray's The Book of Snobs), Kennedy gave the score of a chess game said to be played by Napoleon and Count Bertrand. First published in 1860, it was later included in Waifs and Strays (2nd edition, 1876), a collection of Kennedy's writings. It has been erroneously cited as a true Napoleon game many times since, although it is actually the score of a game between Kennedy and John Owen.
This is the score given by Kennedy in the two-column notation that was common at the time, and in modern algebraic notation.
| | a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | |
| 8 | | | | | | | | | 8 |
| 7 | | | | | | | | | 7 |
| 6 | | | | | | | | | 6 |
| 5 | | | | | | | | | 5 |
| 4 | | | | | | | | | 4 |
| 3 | | | | | | | | | 3 |
| 2 | | | | | | | | | 2 |
| 1 | | | | | | | | | 1 |
| | a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | |
    NapoleonBertrandAlgebraic notation  1. P to K fourth 1. P to K fourth1. e4 e5  2. Kt to K B third 2. Kt to Q B third2. Nf3 Nc6  3. P to Q fourth 3. Kt takes P3. d4 Nxd4  4. Kt takes Kt 4. P takes Kt4. Nxd4 exd4  5. K B to Q B fourth 5. K B to Q B fourth5. Bc4 Bc5  6. P to Q B third 6. Q to K second6. c3 Qe7  7. Castles 7. Q to K fourth7. 0-0 Qe5  8. P to K B fourth 8. P takes P (dis. check)8. f4 dxc3+  9. K to R square 9. P takes P9. Kh1 cxb2 10. B takes K B P (check)10. K to Q square10. Bxf7+ Kd8 11. P takes Q11. P takes R (Queening)11. fxe5 bxa1=Q 12. B takes Kt12. K B to K second12. Bxg8 Be7 13. Q to Q Kt third13. P to Q R fourth *13. Qb3 a5 And Napoleon forces mate in five moves (see diagram)
* Kennedy writes of Black's thirteenth move: "This seems a courtier-like move on the part of Count Bertrand. He ought now have taken P at K fifth with Q, having the exchange and two Pawns in return for a formidable attack."

## Writings

* Kennedy, Captain H. A. (January 1860), "Some Reminiscences in the Life of Augustus Fitzsnob, Esq.", The Chess Monthly, vol. 4, pp. 1–11
* Kennedy, Captain Hugh A. (1876), Waifs and Strays, Chiefly from the Chessboard (2nd ed.), London: W. W. Morgan