A detailed walkthrough of the dungeon chess puzzle, guiding you from locating the board to placing every piece exactly where it belongs on the grid.
The puzzle rests on the lower level, in a chamber known as The Precipice within the Dungeon. It is a 9 by 5 chessboard laid out with pieces nearby: Pawn, Rook, Knight, Bishop, King, Queen.
There are two ways to reach this level.
Light Four Bowls
The following steps are needed to trigger a lift to the puzzle area:
- Investigate a cupboard with a switch box and activate the valve in the mine near the gem cavern by the camp.
- Open the fuel supply from the pipe instead of the fruit orchard in front of the hero’s tent.
- Power up the gas in the cabinet inside the school building on the west path. To do this, access the garage and complete those rooms after a few days.
Doing so causes a lift to appear on the platform between the lights, allowing descent to the lower level.
Fountain Water
Here is how to proceed:
- Access the boiler room to unlock the puzzle.
- Open the pump chamber and pump water from the fountain.
- In the workshop locate a magnifying glass, a metal detector, and a lighter.
- Descend beneath the fountain to a room with an oval pedestal in the middle; place candles around it.
A spiral staircase then appears, granting access to the lower level puzzle.
How to Solve the Puzzle
The chessboard represents a country house plan, with each cell corresponding to a specific room. Chess pieces sit beside the board. To solve the puzzle, the pieces must be placed so that each piece sits in the room that matches its square on the board.
The manor contains many buildings, each housing a different chess piece. The objective is to open all rooms containing the pieces from pawn up to queen in a single run, then proceed to the hall and arrange them to mirror the rooms shown on the board.
Any order of opening rooms by number can work, as long as the correct piece types end up in their matching rooms. Remember where each piece type is located. Dice or cubes are suggested to boost the odds of unlocking the right rooms.
List
- Lair
- Bedroom
- Pantry
- Dining Room
- Salon
- Walk-in Closet
- Secret Passage
- Fridge
- Solarium
- Lost and Found
- Nooks
- Safe
- Clock Tower
- Security
- Observatory
- Bookstore
- Chapel
- Rumpus Room
- Attic
- Office
- Throne Room
- Her Majesty’s Room
- Little Cupboard
Rewards
Besides being one of the toughest tasks, solving it yields a range of bonuses. The following describes each reward in detail:
- Ambition of Pawns: After reaching level 8, the player can choose daily among Knight, Bishop, Rook, or Pawn.
- Knight Mantle: Unlocks the Armory.
- Royal Gambit: Each time a room on the west side is claimed, the player loses five steps but gains a key.
- Banner of the King: Each day the player selects a preferred building color; rooms of that color appear when chosen.
- Piety of the Bishop: No tithes are owed; instead you receive 30 coins on the first chapel visit of each day.
- Tower Stability: If all four corner rooms are built, you can refresh room choices up to four times.
You can choose one effect to last several days. To change bonuses, collect rooms and numbers on the board again. If the Horse effect is chosen, an arsenal opens where useful items can be bought.
- Morningstar: If locks are broken, you may receive one star the next day. Price: 8 coins.
- Axe: With an axe you can permanently remove a board segment along with stones in a room. Price: 32 coins.
- Knight’s Shield: Deactivate the negative effect of the red room once per day. Price: 8 coins.
Other Guides
This section provides additional resources and insights for players seeking more strategies and tips.