codex · nerf

Royal Guard

Your non-king pieces that are adjacent to your king at the start of your turn can't move. The king itself may still move.

At a glance

Type
Nerf
Tier
III. CommonCommon: the everyday middle of the draft.
Focus
King, Movement, Positioning, Timing / Turn
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

Royal Guardis 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.

Don't leave his side.

History

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

Related nerfs