Resident Evil 2 chess plug puzzle solution to open the Monitor Room door

Resident Evil 2 Remake plug puzzle chess pieces Monitor Room door — (Image credit: Capcom)

The Resident Evil Chess Plug puzzle presents quite a tricky challenge. Not only do you need to solve a riddle in order to figure out the correct solution, but you'll also need to locate the chess pieces before you can do this. This will require you to solve some smaller puzzles elsewhere, with some monsters to face along the way if you want to eventually unlock a big door that blocks the path.

It's more complicated than finding the likes of Resident Evil 2 Safe codes or Resident Evil 2 locker codes. But that's why we're here to help. You'll still need to fight some creatures, but various solutions you need along the way are fixed - so you can just follow our pointers and instructions below to make quick work of it all. Remember as well that Leon and Claire's playthroughs have slightly different puzzles, so you won't be able to do the same thing twice. Below we have both answers for how to find the chess plugs and open the sewer monitor room u-door in Resident Evil 2.

Where to find the King and Queen Plug

Resident Evil 2 Remake screenshot showing a chess-themed King Plug — (Image credit: Capcom)

Upon entering the Monitor Room for the first time, you’ll notice that there are three chess pieces (Bishop, Pawn, Knight) that have been inserted into the plugs on the wall. However, the door will only open once you place the three remaining chess pieces in the correct order. You’ll first need to solve another puzzle to obtain the missing Queen, King, and Rook Plugs.

Both the King and Queen Plug can be found in the Supplies Storage Room located in the Lower Sewers, so quickly retrieve the T-Bar Valve Handle from the Treatment Pool Room and use it on the floodgate. Make your way through the Bottom Waterway, taking extra care to avoid the mutated zombies that lurk beneath the water’s depths. Once you have navigated your way through your sludgy surroundings, you should arrive at the Supplies Storage Room.

How to solve the Supplies Storage Room Puzzle

Resident Evil 2 Remake screenshot showing a map with a Plug socket location — (Image credit: Capcom)

Use the following solution below to obtain the King and Queen Plug:

Resident Evil 2 Remake screenshot showing Leon Kennedy approaching a Chess Plug — (Image credit: Capcom)

Step 1: Upon entering the room, take the Queen Plug from the left side door and put it in the door on the right.
Step 2: Proceed through the door and go up the stairs on your right. Take the King Plug and jump down. You should land right next to the door that you originally put your Queen Plug into.

Step 3: Head back through the door (the one with the stairs on the right), but this time put the King Plug into the door socket on your right. Make sure you take the Chemical Flamethrower or Spark Shot from the rack (this weapon changes depending on Leon/Claire first/second play through) and unlock the door behind you.
Step 4: Leave the room by taking the original door you used to open with the King Plug. Take the King Plug out of the door socket and proceed back through the room to claim the Queen Plug.

Where to find the Rook Plug

Resident Evil 2 Remake screenshot showing a Chess Rook Plug — (Image credit: Capcom)

After you’ve managed to retrieve both the King and Queen Plugs from the Monitor Room, you’ll need to obtain the Rook Plug. To do this, open the Lower Waterway floodgate in the Lower Sewers, then take the lift up to the Workroom. Exit the room and head over to the door with the socket. Once you have the Rook Plug safely tucked away in your inventory, it’s time to head back to the Monitor Room.

How to solve the Monitor Room Chess Plug Puzzle, first and second playthrough

Resident Evil 2 Remake screenshot showing a map of the sewers and the monitor room for the chess Plugs — (Image credit: Capcom)

Now that you have the King Plug, Queen Plug, and Rook Plugs, you’ll finally be able to solve the Monitor room chess puzzle. The order changes depending on if you're on a first or second play through so make sure you're doing the right one.

Monitor Room Chess Plug Puzzle Solution, first playthrough

To open the locked door in the Monitor Room for the first time, simply place the Bishop, Rook, and Knight on the left side wall and Pawn, Queen, and King into the right wall. Facing the notice board the order should look like this:

Knight King
Rook Queen
Bishop Pawn

If you have put them in the correct order the door should swing open.

Monitor Room Chess Plug Puzzle Solution, second play through

Because nothing is easy, if you play through a second time the solution for the Monitor Room Chess Piece Puzzle will have changed. The process for getting the plug pieces is the same but the wall order will have changed. Once you've got them all via the process we've outlined above then the King, Bishop and Queen go in the left wall, and the Knight, Rook, and Pawn in the right. Facing the notice board that looks like this:

King Knight
Bishop Rook
Queen Pawn

Get them all in place and the Monitor Room U-door will pop open again and you can proceed.