The Babson Task – Part 1

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. 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. Here we examine his eponymous problem plus an even more famous demonstration in the same genre. In later instalments we will look at examples in other types like helpmates and directmates.

Babson’s pioneering problem, contrary to the Task’s modern requirement, employs not one but three white pawns that share the thematic promotions. Regardless, it’s a brilliant work. Without the h2-pawn, Black would be forced by zugzwang to mate with …Sc2/Bxb2. Therefore White’s goal is to capture any piece that the pawn promotes to (without hindering either mate), or compel the promoted piece to mate. After the key 1.h7!, any black capture on g1 is simply answered by 2.Bxg1, so the important promotions all take place on h1.

(1) 1…h1=S 2.g8=S. White’s new knight controls the f6-flight and releases the queen from its guarding duty. This is the only way to deal with a strong defence by Black’s new knight: 2…Sg3 3.Qxg3 Sc2/Bxb2. Or 2…Sf2 3.Bxf2. Not 2.Se2? hoping for 2…Sg3 3.Sxg3, since 2…Bxb2+! is playable without giving mate.

(2) 1…h1=B 2.a8=B. White prepares for a grab of the black bishop with 2…Bxg2 3.Bxg2, without disturbing the zugzwang mates. Hence not 2.a8=Q? Bxg2 3.Qaxg2 Sc2/Bxb2+, or 2.g8=S? Bxg2 3.Qxg2 Sc2/Bxb2+.

(3) 1…h1=R 2.h8=R. Black’s promoted rook is captured by its white counterpart in most variations, though some duals appear. 2…Rh7 3.Rxh7, 2…Rh5 3.Rxh5, 2…Rh2 3.Rxh2, and 2…Rxg1 3.Bxg1 are dual-free. Otherwise, 2…Rxh8 3.Rxh8/gxh8=any, 2…Rh6 3.Rxh6/Qxh6, 2…Rh4 3.Rxh4/Qxh4, and 2…Rh3 3.Rxh3/Sxh3/gxh3. White avoids 2.h8=Q? Rh7! when 3.Qxh7 would fail to 3…Sc2+.

(4) 1…h1=Q 2.a8=Q. White must choose a queen on a8 to provide for two tricky defences by the black one, by means of a deflection: 2…Qxg2/Qxh7 3.Qe4+ Qxe4. Another deflection occurs in 2…Qh5/Qh2 3.Qe5+ Qxe5. The black queen is grabbed in the remaining lines. 2…Qh6 3.Qxh6, 2…Qh4 3.Qxh4, 2…Qh3 3.Sxh3/gxh3, and 2…Qxg1 3.Bxg1. Here 2.a8=B? fails even though it handles 2…Qxg2 with 3.Bxg2, because then 2…Qxh7! refutes. Similarly, 2.h8=R? fails despite meeting 2…Qh7 with 3.Rxh7, because then 2…Qxg2! refutes.

Babson’s innovation inspired a number of tourneys that stipulate the same matched-promotion task. Bettmann’s prize-winner from the first such competition remains the most acclaimed selfmate, partly because the thematic promotions of each side do occur on one square only. Here we see the same kind of mechanism that was used in the earlier problem – White aims to capture Black’s promoted piece to force a zugzwang mate, or induce it to deliver mate itself. The key 1.a8=B! pins the b7-pawn without guarding the a6-rook; now removing the f2-unit will leave Black with one legal move, …Rxa6 mate.

(1) 1…fxg1=S 2.f8=S. White places an extra guard on the d7-flight with the new knight, thus providing for both 2…Sf3 3.Qxf3 Rxa6 and 2…Sxh3 3.Rxh3. Also, 2…Se2 3.Rxe2. Not 2.Sd2? which works against 2…Sf3 3.Sxf3 but not 2…Sxh3! 3.Rxh3 Kd7.

(2) 1…fxg1=B 2.f8=B. All moves by the black bishop allow it to be captured, but 2…Bxc5 cannot be met by 3.bxc5 as that would free the white king. Hence the white promotion enables 3.Bxc5, preserving the zugzwang. 2…Bd4 3.cxd4, 2…Be3 3.Sxe3, 2…Bf2 3.Rxf2, and 2…Bxh2 3.Sxh2.

(3) 1…fxg1=R 2.f8=R. The promoted white rook controls two squares accessible to the black one: 2…Rxf1 3.Rxf1 and 2…Rg8 3.Rxg8. Or 2…Rg7 3.hxg7, 2…Rg6 3.Sxg6, 2…Rg5 3.hxg5, 2…Rg4 3.Qxg4, 2…Rg3 3.Sxg3, 2…Rg2 3.Rxg2, and 2…Rh1 3.Rxh1. If 2.f8=Q?, then 2…Rxf1! 3.Qfxf1 disables the rook mate. Additional tries are 2.Rf2? for 2…Rxf1 3.Rxf1, 2…Rg8 3.fxg8=any, but 2…Rh1! 3.Qxh1 Kd7; and 2.Rd2? observing d7 for 2…Rh1 3.Qxh1, but 2…Rxf1! 3.Qxf1 again stops the rook mate.

(4) 1…fxg1=Q 2.f8=Q. The black queen’s moves to c5 and f1 need attention, and both are handled by a deflection check made possible by the white queen’s guard of d6 and c5: 2…Qxc5+/Qxf1 3.b5+ Qxb5. Also, 2…Qd4 3.cxd4, 2…Qe3 3.Sxe3, 2…Qf2 3.Rxf2/Qxf2, 2…Qg8 3.Qxg8, 2…Qg7 3.hxg7/Qxg7, 2…Qg6 3.Sxg6, 2…Qg5 3.hxg5, 2…Qg4 3.Qxg4, 2…Qg3 3.Sxg3, 2…Qg2 3.Rxg2, 2…Qxh2 3.Sxh2, and 2…Qh1 3.Rxh1. Here 2.f8=R? covers 2…Qxf1 3.Rxf1, but not 2…Qxc5+! 3.b5+ Kd6, while 2.f8=B? covers 2…Qxf1 3.b5+ Qxb5 (2…Qxc5+ 3.b5+/Bxc5), but not 2…Qg8!

This presentation improves on Babson’s original in many ways, besides confining the four white promotions to one pawn on one square. The setting is more economical, has fewer white duals (and no black mating dual), and the bishop- and queen-promotion lines show greater variety. The only slight minus here is that the thematic black promotions involve captures. These factors likely explain why Bettmann’s selfmate was selected for the retrospective FIDE Album 1914-44, whereas Babson’s was not. Still, I’m inclined to think that Babson’s problem – a historic first, and technically sound – deserved a placing as well.