codex · nerf

Hobbled Knights

Your knights can't advance toward the enemy side; their may never increase.

At a glance

Type
Nerf
Tier
V. BrutalBrutal: a heavy effect that reshapes a position.
Focus
Knights, Movement, Positioning
Collection
Core
Appears in
Nerf mode
How it works
Passive and secret: it is always on, and your opponent cannot see it.

How it works

Hobbled Knightsis one of Nerf Chess's secret handicaps. In Nerf mode you choose one of two nerfs before the first move, in secret, and carry it for the whole game.

The board quietly enforces it: any move it forbids is simply never offered, so you cannot break it by accident. Your opponent never sees which nerf you took until the game ends, so every move you make is also a clue they are trying to read.

The horses only ever fall back.

History

  1. July 5, 2026Added in the expanded-nerfs wave: 82 new handicaps across all eight tiers. (PR #144)

Related nerfs