The Babson Task – a chess problem masterpiece
The Babson task is one of the most celebrated ideas in the chess composition field. Accomplishing the theme is always challenging but especially so in the orthodox genres, and successful renditions can become instant classics. The task requires a black pawn to promote to a queen, rook, bishop, and knight in separate variations, followed in each case by a white pawn promoting to an equivalent piece. The four-fold promotions (Allumwandlung theme) are thus not only doubled but echoed by the two players. For each side, a single pawn should perform these promotions on one square only; such an additional congruous feature is considered necessary to make a “proper” Babson. The theme is named after Joseph Ney Babson (1852-1929), an American composer who was the first to achieve the ambitious effect in a selfmate problem.
To view Babson’s eponymous problem, refer to Part 1 of my Babson task series. If you are not familiar with the rules of selfmates, first check out this introduction to the genre. Part 2 looks at how the task is shown in helpmates; again, if you are new to the problem type, this article will get you acquainted. What follows is an abridged version of Part 3, which covers directmates or the standard type where the goal is for White to force the fastest mate.
Serious attempts by established composers to achieve the task in directmates began in the 1960s, and the extreme difficulty was such that no-one succeeded for decades. Their valiant efforts produced “proto-Babson” positions that did not pass muster as they are illegal or contain promoted force. Then in 1983, an unknown Russian composer named Leonid Yarosh (1957-) caused a sensation by publishing a sound mate-in-4 Babson problem, with a diagram that is legal and has no promoted pieces. This first directmate Babson (P1052449) unfortunately starts with a brutal key-move that captures a black knight; but just months later, Yarosh constructed another setting without the serious flaw. The improved rendition, solved by an excellent key that pushes the thematic pawn, is now considered one of the greatest chess compositions ever.
The black queen is largely tied up preventing Rxf4 mate, and most of the piece’s moves are provided with set white responses. In particular, the line 1…Qxd8+ 2.Kg7 Qf8+ (2…Qb8 3.d8=Q+ Qxd8 4.Rxf4) 3.Kxf8 axb1=Q 4.d8=Q relies on the b1-rook’s placement to avoid stalemate. Therefore, not 1.Re1? (threatening 2.Re4) Qxd8+! 2.Kg7 Qf8+ 3.Kxf8 stalemate.
The key 1.a7! threatens 2.axb8=Q/R/B/N, and since the four threat-moves are individually forced by four black defences, an incidental Fleck effect is shown. After any of the thematic promotions on b1, White cannot continue with 2.Qxb1?, again because of the stalemate tactic starting with 2…Qxd8+.
(1) 1…axb1=Q 2.axb8=Q (threats: 3.Rxf4+/Qxf4+/Qxb3/Qd6+). To handle two strong follow-ups by Black’s promoted queen, White must choose a queen as well. 2…Qxb2 creates flights on d3/c4, which are retaken by 3.Qxb3 (4.Rxf4/Qaxb2), then 3…Qxa1 4.Rxf4, 3…Qc3 4.Qaxc3/Qbxc3. If 2…Qe4 then 3.Rxf4 Qxf4 4.Qxf4 or 3.Qxf4 Qxf4 4.Rxf4.
(2) 1…axb1=R 2.axb8=R (3.Rxf4). The black rook has only one strong follow-up, yet it refutes 2.axb8=Q? when 2…Rxb2! 3.Qxb3 produces stalemate, or 3.Qxf4+ Kd3. White’s new rook is ready to meet 2…Rxb2 with 3.Rxb3, which leaves one flight for the king: 3…Kxc4 4.Qa4. The alternative 2…Re1 merely extends the threat line, 3.Rxf4+ Re4 4.Rxe4.
(3) 1…axb1=B 2.axb8=B (3.Rxf4+/Bxf4/Nd6). Black’s promoted bishop has its own strong defence that defeats 2.axb8=Q?, despite White’s numerous threats – 2…Be4!, freeing the f4-bishop. Then 3.Rxf4 or 3.Qxf4 gives another stalemate, while 3.Qxb3 is thwarted by 3…Bh6+. The new white bishop counters 2…Be4 with 3.Bxf4 B~ 4.Be3/Be5, a dual mate.
(4) 1…axb1=N 2.axb8=N (3.Rxf4). The black knight spoils 2.axb8=Q? with 2…Nxd2!, which gains a flight on c3 and defends b3 directly. Here 3.Qc1 (4.Qxd2) N~ 4.Rxf4/Qbxf4/Qe3, but the correction move 3…Ne4 refutes. White forestalls such a defence by promoting to a knight, then 2…Nxd2 3.Qc1 (4.Qxd2) N~ 4.Rxf4/Qe3, and the correction 3…Ne4 is exploited as a self-block, 4.Nc6.
The marvellous intricacy of the four main variations is supplemented with by-play that is also quite complicated. Here is a sample of side-lines that involve both precise and dualized white play. 1…Qe5 2.Bxe7 Qd6 (2…Qb8+ 3.axb8=Q, 2…Qc7 3.Bxf6+, 2…Qxf5 3.d8=Q+) 3.Nxd6 Ke5 4.Nd3. 1…Qd6 2.Re1 Qc6 3.Rxf4+ Qe4 4.Rfxe4/Rexe4. 1…Qxa8 2.Rxf4+ Qe4 3.a8=Q axb1=Q 4.Qd5. 1…Qxd8+ 2.Kg7 Qf8+ (2…Qg8+ 3.Kxg8, 2…Qh8+ 3.Kxh8) 3.Kxf8 axb1=Q 4.d8=Q.
In the time since Yarosh’s masterful work first appeared, about two dozen directmate realisations of the task have been published by various composers. Among these problems, some are further distinguished by presenting the four thematic variations accurately without white duals. A dual means a choice of white moves (mates or continuations) that work equally well; such non-unique white play is normally regarded as a fault, especially in a thematic variation. The Yarosh position is flawed in this respect, since the bishop-promotion sequence ends with a dual mate. Only a handful of Babson problems have rendered four totally dual-free thematic lines, and one of the best is diagrammed below.
The black king has flights to g8 and h8, of which is latter is provided: 1…Kh8 2.fxg7+. The key 1.fxg7! removes that flight and overloads the black rook, partly by opening the f-file for the white one. The threats are 2.gxf8=Q/R/N+ and 2.Rxf8. Black’s capturing promotions on d1 and f1 are ignored as weak defences that don’t stop these threats.
(1) 1…e1=Q 2.gxf8=Q (3.Qg7/Qf7/Qh8/Rf7/Nf6/g6). To prepare against a strong black queen’s check on e4, White must promote to a queen, which controls not only the 8th-rank flights but also g7. 2…Qxe4+ cannot be answered by 3.dxe4/Rxe4? causing stalemate. Instead, 3.d4 pins the queen and threatens 4.Rf7/Qxe4, then 3…Qf5 4.Qcxf5 or 3…Qxc2 4.Rf7. Not 2.gxf8=R? Qxe4+! 3.d4 Qf5, or 2.Rxf8? Qxe4+! 3.d4 Kxg7.
(2) 1…e1=R 2.gxf8=R (3.Rh8/R4f7). Black’s promoted rook also threatens a check on e4, but here 2.gxf8=Q? fails because after 2…Rxe4+!, not only 3.dxe4/Rxe4 but 3.d4 also results in stalemate. The white rook promotion purposefully leaves g7 unguarded for 2…Rxe4+ 3.d4 Kg7 4.R4f7. Similarly, not 2.Rxf8? Rxe4+! 3.d4 Kxg7.
(3) 1…e1=B 2.gxf8=B. The immobilised black bishop means that 2.gxf8=Q/R? and 2.Rxf8? all stalemate immediately. On the other hand, White’s bishop promotion exploits Black’s lack of mobility, by putting Black in zugzwang. 2…Kg8 3.Bcg7 Kh7 4.Nf6. If 2.gxf8=N+? Kg8, the black king is trapped but all attempts to generate a mating threat, such as 3.Kxb5/d8=Q, again stalemate.
(4) 1…e1=N 2.gxf8=N+. The black knight threatens two consecutive checks, thus 2.gxf8=Q/R? and 2.Rxf8? are foiled by 2…Nxc2+! 3.Kxb5 Na3+/Nd4+. White checks first with the knight promotion, forcing 2…Kg8, then 3.Kxb5 not only evades Black’s checks but threatens a mate that the black piece is unable to halt, 3…N~ 4.b4.
When Black defends with the f8-rook, the ensuing by-play is largely dualized. 1…Rxf4 2.d8=Q/R Rxe4+ 3.dxe4 ~ 4.Qh8/g8=Q. 1…Rf6 2.d8=Q Kxg7 3.Qxf6+. 1…Ra8 2.Rf8 Rxf8 (2…Ra4+ 3.bxa4) 3.gxf8=Q/R. 1…Rg8 2.Rf7 Rxg7 3.d8=Q/R or 3.Rxg7+.
This first-class Babson problem is taken from 100 Years: Babson Task in the Orthodox Directmate (2025 edition) by Peter Hoffmann with Erik Zierke. It’s a free e-book in German text (and some English) that comprehensively covers the history of the theme, providing all known examples with full solutions. The 150-page book, which can be downloaded here, also examines Babson variants such as 3/4 matching promotions and cyclic Babsons (note that the table of contents is on the last page).
The so-called “perfect Babson” specifies that in a directmate Babson problem, all full-length variations – the four main lines as well as the subsidiary ones – are without duals. This special task has yet to be realised, and the nearest attempt seems to be P1425088 by Werner Keym (based on a matrix attributed to three other composers). A good non-capturing key leads to four accurate thematic variations, with only one side-line bringing duals – tantalisingly close! In his book, Chess Problems Out of the Box, Keym offered a cash prize of 100 euros for the first successful demonstration of a perfect Babson.
