Nikolai Kabanov (June 4, 1927 – November 23, 1995) was a prominent Soviet and Russian chess manager, coach, and player. He held the title of FIDE master for chess compositions and was named International Arbiter of chess in 1987 by the world chess organization, FIDE.
As a coach, he trained several successful chess players in the Soviet Union. Kabanov also excelled in chess theory, having devised a method to learn chess quickly. He was widely known for participating in and organising numerous chess events, including championships and memorial tournaments.
However, his life and achievements, especially his organizational skills and contributions to chess, were not without controversy. Russian Chess Federation officials accused Kabanov of embezzlement in 1995 and had him expelled from the federation.
On the creative side of chess, Kabanov composed several endgame studies and problems. He was the author of two chess books and the editor of the journal "64-Chess Review".