codex · nerf
Pawns Do the Dirty Work
Only your pawns may capture; none of your other pieces can capture.
At a glance
- Type
- Nerf
- Tier
- V. BrutalBrutal: a heavy effect that reshapes a position.
- Focus
- Pawns, Capturing
- 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
Pawns Do the Dirty Workis 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 officers keep their hands clean.”
History
- July 5, 2026Added in the expanded-nerfs wave: 82 new handicaps across all eight tiers. (PR #144)
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