codex · nerf

Stunted Rooks

Your rooks can only move one square at a time.

At a glance

Type
Nerf
Tier
V. BrutalBrutal: a heavy effect that reshapes a position.
Focus
Rooks, 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

Stunted Rooksis 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 towers shuffle inch by inch.

History

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

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