Ichthyophobe

Type

Nerf

Tier

III. CommonCommon: the everyday middle of the draft.

Focus

Movement

Collection

Core

Appears in

Nerf mode

How it works

Passive and secret: it is always on, and your opponent cannot see it.

Ichthyophobeis 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.

1. May 14, 2026Part of the original nerf library Nerf Chess launched with.