codex · nerf

Keep Off the Grass

Your king can't move onto the four center squares.

At a glance

Type
Nerf
Tier
I. TrivialTrivial: the gentlest band, offered in the earliest drafts.
Focus
King, 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

Keep Off the Grassis 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 middle of the board is roped off for royalty.

History

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

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