December 26th

Joseph Ney Babson (26-12-1852 - 20-12-1929) American composer

Joseph Babson
[ChessProblem.net]

Joseph Babson, 1882
[Cleveland Public Library Digital Gallery]
Thanks to P.Hoffmann and Z.Kornin for the link

Joseph Babson composed mainly selfmates.
His name has remained forever associated to the task of the 4 reciprocal white and black promotions: he imagined this idea in 1913 and it was the theme of the Babson tourney in 1925. Tim Krabbé's article "Sons of Babson" is well remembered by chess problem aficionados and can be read here.

Babson, Joseph Ney
American Chess Bulletin, 1925

s#3

14 + 9

Show Solution

1.f7-f8=B !

1...h2-h1=Q 2.h7-h8=Q (3.Qh8xh1 ~#) 2...Qh1xg2 3.Qh8xc3+ Sb1xc3#
1...h2-h1=S 2.a7-a8=S Sh1-g3 3.Bc7xg3 ~#
1...h2-h1=R 2.h7-h8=R followed by the capture of the promoted black Rook and mate.
1...h2-h1=B 2.a7-a8=B Bh1xg2 3.Ba8xg2 ~#

Babson task.
The slight defect of this problem from the Babson task point of view is that the Bishop promotion is not made by the white h-pawn, but by another pawn.