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The Updated BG3 Chamber Of Strategy Puzzle: A Chess Guide To Ansur's Wyrmway Trials (2025)

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The Chamber of Strategy in Baldur's Gate 3 is one of the most frustrating puzzles for players who aren't chess aficionados, especially since its layout has subtly changed in recent major patches, invalidating many older online guides. As of the current date, December 21, 2025, successfully navigating this puzzle is a mandatory step in Act 3 of the game, a critical path to unlocking the legendary dragon Ansur and progressing one of the most impactful storylines in the game, often tied to the companion quest for Wyll, the Blade of Frontiers.

This challenge is the third of the four Wyrmway Trials—Justice, Insight, Strategy, and Courage—that you must complete within the ancient Wyrmway beneath the city of Baldur's Gate itself. The Chamber of Strategy presents you with a game of Lanceboard, the Forgotten Realms version of chess, where you must deliver a checkmate in a single move using the White pieces to prove your strategic worthiness to the spirit of Balduran.

The Wyrmway Trials: Location and Context

The Chamber of Strategy is located deep within the Wyrmway, a hidden dungeon beneath the Wyrm's Rock Fortress in Act 3. Accessing the Wyrmway is typically done by solving a separate torch puzzle in the Wyrm's Rock Prison, which opens a secret passage behind a statue of Balduran.

The four Wyrmway Trials are designed to test a champion's character and worthiness to wield the power of Ansur, the legendary Bronze Dragon. They are:

  • Chamber of Justice: Requires you to identify and destroy the 'guilty' shadowy figure.
  • Chamber of Insight: A dialogue-based challenge where you must correctly identify the virtues and flaws of Balduran.
  • Chamber of Strategy: The infamous Lanceboard (chess) puzzle.
  • Chamber of Courage: A combat trial where you must survive waves of elemental enemies for four turns.

The Chamber of Strategy is arguably the most straightforward for a chess player, but a nightmare for others. The goal is simple: checkmate the Black King in one move. If you fail, the pieces reset, and you take a small amount of damage.

The Updated Chess Puzzle Solution (The Strategic Method)

The most important thing to know is that the exact position of the pieces on the Lanceboard has been slightly modified in patches since the game's release. If you find an old guide showing a White Bishop or Rook in a position that doesn't exist in your game, you are looking at an outdated solution.

The current, most common setup requires you to use the White Queen to deliver the checkmate. The key is to understand the current board state and the power of the White Queen piece.

The Board Setup and The Winning Move

The Lanceboard is set up with White pieces at the bottom and Black pieces at the top. The Black King is currently in a vulnerable position, and the White side has a powerful Queen ready to strike.

The White Pieces (Your Pieces):

  • White King: Typically safe.
  • White Queen: This is your key piece.
  • White Rook: Usually positioned to support the Queen.
  • White Knight: Positioned to block escape squares.

The Black Pieces (The Enemy):

  • Black King: The target.
  • Black Rook, Knight, or Pawn: These pieces are often in the way or defending squares.

The Solution: Move the White Queen.

The one-move checkmate is almost always achieved by moving the White Queen to a position that simultaneously attacks the Black King and is defended by another White piece (or simply leaves the King with no valid escape squares).

The Correct Move:

Locate the White Queen. In the most recent version of the puzzle, the correct move is to move the White Queen to the square that puts the Black King into check without giving the King any escape routes or allowing it to capture the Queen. The most commonly reported winning move is moving the White Queen to the E2 square.

Step-by-Step Execution:

  1. Click on the White Queen piece (usually a large, ornate statue).
  2. Select the square E2 on the board.
  3. Confirm the move. The Black King piece will shatter, and the trial will be completed.

The game will then acknowledge your strategic prowess, and a door will open, allowing you to proceed to the next Wyrmway challenge.

The Non-Chess Solution (The Explosive Method)

For players who simply cannot figure out the chess move, or who prefer to solve problems with brute force and destructive power, Baldur's Gate 3 offers a viable alternative solution—destroying the pieces. This method is a great example of the game's flexibility and its embrace of creative problem-solving.

The chess pieces on the board are technically objects in the game world, and they can be targeted and destroyed. Each piece has a relatively low amount of HP (Hit Points), making them easy targets for a powerful party member.

How to Destroy the Puzzle

The key to this method is to destroy the Black King piece. This is the only piece that matters for the trial's completion.

The Execution:

  • Target the Black King: Use a powerful ranged attack, a spell, or a thrown item (like an explosive bottle or a bomb) to target the Black King piece.
  • Recommended Spells/Abilities: Spells like Eldritch Blast, Magic Missile, or a well-placed Fireball can easily destroy the piece in one shot. Physical attacks from characters with high Strength or Dexterity can also work, but spells are generally safer.
  • The Result: When the Black King is destroyed, the trial immediately registers as complete, as you have effectively removed the enemy's leader from the board. The magical barrier will drop, allowing you to proceed.

Important Note: While this method works, it is less role-playing friendly than solving the puzzle strategically. However, if you are short on time or patience, it is a guaranteed way to bypass the Lanceboard challenge and continue your journey to meet Ansur the Bronze Dragon.

Topical Authority: The Wyrmway and Ansur

The Chamber of Strategy is more than just a puzzle; it is an essential gatekeeper to one of the most significant encounters in Act 3: meeting the ancient dragon, Ansur. The Wyrmway itself is the final resting place of Balduran, the founder of Baldur's Gate, and the trials are his way of testing the worthiness of a new hero.

Completing the four trials—Justice, Insight, Strategy, and Courage—is necessary to prove yourself worthy of Balduran's legacy and to recruit Ansur's aid against the Absolute. The entire sequence is a powerful narrative moment, especially for players who have followed Wyll's story, as it provides deep context to the history of the city and its legendary founder. Successfully solving the Chamber of Strategy is a direct demonstration of the tactical intelligence required to face the overwhelming threats of the final act.

The strategic challenge of the Lanceboard puzzle, a clear nod to the classic game of chess, reinforces the themes of tactical thinking and foresight that are central to the entire Baldur's Gate 3 experience. Whether you choose the elegant checkmate or the explosive non-solution, passing the Chamber of Strategy brings you one step closer to confronting the Elder Brain and saving the city.

chamber of strategy bg3
chamber of strategy bg3

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