In the Wyrmway, before being able to recruit the dragon Ansur to their fight against the Absolute, Baldur's Gate 3 players must pass a series of trials to prove their heroism. One of these trials is theoretically shorter than the rest if players know exactly what to do: the Chamber of Strategy.
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Players don't need any special spells or combat knowledge to beat the Chamber of Strategy – they just have to play two rounds of Chess, and get a checkmate. This BG3 Chess puzzle may use life-size versions of the pieces, but the rules of the game remain the same.
Updated on March 2, 2026, by Nahda Nabiilah: The Chamber of Strategy is only complete after a checkmate in two turns. Failing to do so results in multiple enemies attacking the players. If you didn't complete the other trials before failing it, then players are automatically locked out of the other chambers.
How To Solve Chamber Of Strategy In Baldur's Gate 3
When players walk into the Chamber of Strategy and interact with the Statue of Balduran there, the challenge is presented: within two moves, checkmate the Purple King. Players take control of the White pieces, which have already been placed in specific positions on the board – as if the game is already in progress.
There are three possible layouts for the lanceboard with one of them having more than one solution. Players cannot change the layout by exiting, then entering the chamber as it is randomly predetermined from the beginning of the game. If you require some help, consider bringing Gale to the Chamber of Strategy as he offers insight and tips on how to proceed.
Tav has three chances to complete the Chamber in two moves, as every time they lose, one of the red hearts near the lanceboard will be consumed. After completing any of the layouts, the Challenge should automatically be complete.
Lanceboard Layout 1 Solutions
In the first layout, the White King is above the Purple King and next to the Purple Bishop. There is also a White Rook above the Purple Bishop. Move the White Rook one tile to the right to bait, making the Bishop move diagonally to the upper right corner. At the start of Turn 2, move the White King three tiles to the right to stop directly under the Purple Bishop and above the Purple Queen, ending the game.
The second solution is applicable if the Purple Queen moves instead of the Bishop. After placing the White Rook one tile to the right, the Purple Queen moves diagonally to the upper right corner. Choose the White Knight and move the piece diagonally to the upper left corner, winning the challenge.
Lanceboard Layout 2 Solution
During the second layout, the White King is surrounded by two Purple pawns with the Purple Queen on top. The first step in Turn 1 should be to move the White King two tiles, diagonally to the upper right corner. This forces the Purple Queen to move one tile diagonally to the lower left. In Turn 2, make the White King move four tiles to the left to checkmate.
Lanceboard Layout 3 Solution
The opponent's king is nestled into the back right corner, protected by two Pawns and a Rook to its left. But players already have their Queen on the other side of the board, too. The Queen can move in any diagonal or straight direction as far as she wants.
Click the Queen, then select the Pawn on the rightmost side of the board, two spaces in front of the King. The Queen will advance to take the Pawn, and the enemy's King will move to the left to hide behind another adjacent Pawn.
For Turn 2 of the Chess puzzle in the Chamber of Strategy, players will once again need to use their Queen. Near the middle of the board is a single White Bishop, poised to take the Pawn directly in front of the King, now that he has moved. However, this Bishop won't move at all and is just here for insurance.
Select the Queen, and move diagonally to take the Pawn right in front of the Purple King. Now, the opponent can do nothing but get out of the Check, which means taking the Queen with their King. But this puts the King directly in the path of the player's Bishop.
Baldur's Gate 3
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 96/100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- August 3, 2023
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Larian Studios
- Genre(s)
- RPG
