Leonid Yarosh (complete name Leonid Vladimirovič Jaroš) (born 1957) is a Russian chess composer.
Biography
Leonid Yarosh was born in the village of Horycja in Ukraine. As a young man, he moved to Russia, settling in Kazan, where he graduated from the State Institute of Physical Culture. He initially pursued a career as a football coach.
He is best known for composing the first complete chess problem featuring the Babson task in 1983: a four-move checkmate problem with multiple promotions to four different pieces. In such a problem, White can achieve mate by promoting to the same piece chosen by Black for promotion; any other promotion fails to deliver checkmate in the prescribed number of moves. Unlike conditional or heterodox chess, White is not forced to replicate Black's promotion – success comes naturally through the Babson theme.
Solution:
1. a7!
If 1... axb1=Q 2. axb8=Q Qxb2 (or 2... Qe4 3. Qxf4 Qxf4 4. Rxf4#) 3. Qxb3 Qc3 4. Qxc3# If 1... axb1=R 2. axb8=R Rxb2 3. Rxb3 Rxc4 4. Qa4#
If 1... axb1=B 2. axb8=B Be4 3. Bxf4 Bxa8 4. Be3#
If 1... axb1=N 2. axb8=N Nxd2 3. Nc1 Ne4 4. Nc6#
Afterward, both Yarosh and other composers created additional problems incorporating the complete Babson theme.
Yarosh was a member of the Russian team that won the World Chess Composition Team Championships in 1992 and 2004. He also won the Soviet Individual Composition Championship in 1992.
References
External links Tim Krabbé article with extensive analysis of Yarosh's problem The Babson Task Photo of Leonid Yarosh (right) with Tim Krabbé in Kazan, 2002