The Most Fantastic Chess
Ending of Them All?


White to play and mate in two


This amazing layout was designed by C. Coumondy of France.  The finish is as spectacular as it is unlikely.  Give it a try; it's worth the effort.

Do not read further until you have decided.  Solution below.

If black makes any other play, white simply moves his rook anywhere.  Game over.

I call this the KING JEOPARDY COUP.  Although Black cannot put white in check within a single move, white places his own king such that it can be attacked in eleven different ways!  If that isn't a record, it must be mighty close to it.  In any case, white has a game-ending counter irrespective of black's play.

And that's a bizarre and fantastic ending indeed!