Hugh Alexander Kennedy (22 August 1809 – 22 October 1878) was an English

chess master A chess title is a title regulated by a chess governing body and bestowed upon players based on their performance and rank. Such titles are usually granted for life. The international chess governing body FIDE grants several titles, the most pres ...

and writer.

Chess career

Hugh Alexander Kennedy was born in

Madras Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

in 1809."India, Births and Baptisms, 1786-1947," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FG48-1WL : accessed 22 February 2015), Hugh Alexander Kennedy, 02 Oct 1809; citing , reference v 11 p 225; FHL microfilm 521,839. He was a British army captain and leading London chess player. He established the first chess club in

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

in 1842. In 1844, he lost a match to

Howard Staunton Howard Staunton (April 1810 – 22 June 1874) was an English chess master who is generally regarded as the world's strongest player from 1843 to 1851, largely as a result of his 1843 victory over Pierre Charles Fournier de Saint-Am ...

(3–8). In 1845, he teamed up with Staunton in Portsmouth in two telegraph games (lost and

drew Drew may refer to: __NOTOC__ Places ;In the United States * Drew, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Drew, Mississippi, a city * Drew, Missouri, an unincorporated community * Drew, Oregon, an unincorporated community * Drew County, Arkansas ...

) against a team of

Henry Thomas Buckle Henry Thomas Buckle (24 November 1821 – 29 May 1862) was an English historian, the author of an unfinished ''History of Civilization'', and a strong amateur chess player. He is sometimes called "the Father of Scientific History". Early life ...

George Walker George Walker may refer to: Arts and letters * George Walker (chess player) (1803–1879), English chess player and writer *George Walker (composer) (1922–2018), American composer * George Walker (illustrator) (1781–1856), author of ''The Co ...

William Davies Evans Captain William Davies Evans (27 January 1790 – 3 August 1872) was a seafarer and inventor, though he is best known today as a chess player. He is buried at the Belgian port of Ostend. Early life Evans was born at St Dogwells, Pembrokeshire ...

, 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 London 1851 was the first international chess tournament. The tournament was conceived and organised by English player Howard Staunton, and marked the first time that the best chess players in Europe would meet in a single event. Adolf Anderssen o ...

and finished in sixth place of the sixteen competitors. He knocked out

Carl Mayet Carl (Karl) Mayet (11 August 1810, Berlin – 18 May 1868, Stettin, now Szczecin) was a German chess master. He was one of the most original of the Berlin Pleiades (the seven stars of German chess). In 1839, Mayet defeated Jozsef Szen in a match ...

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 József Szén (9 July 1805, Pest, Hungary – 13 January 1857) was a Hungarian chess master. He obtained a law degree, and later became a civil servant for the city of Pest, which later merged with the city of Buda (on the opposite bank of t ...

(+0−4=1). In 1862, Kennedy lost perhaps the first international telegraphic game, against

Serafino Dubois Serafino Dubois (10 October 1817 – 15 January 1899) was an Italian chess Master and chess writer. Dubois was certainly among the strongest players in the world during the 1850s. He was known for his writings on the game, and for his promotion o ...

. Kennedy died in

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...

, 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 Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

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,''Waifs and Strays'', p. 37 and in modern algebraic notation. : * 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

* *

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kennedy, Hugh Alexander 1809 births 1878 deaths English chess players British chess writers Chess players from London 19th-century chess players

Chess career

"Napoleon" game

Writings

References

Further reading

External links