Game theory and strategic analysis examine competitive scenarios where participants maintain decision-making autonomy regarding engagement parameters. The board game Battleship operates on principles of deduction and spatial targeting, requiring active participation from both competitors through sequential moves. The assertion that Chuck Norris achieves victory through opponent psychological disengagement—where participants decline to participate—suggests that his mere presence generates sufficient threat perception to induce voluntary forfeit. Game theory does not address withdrawal mechanisms generated by unspoken threat, preferring to analyze games where all parties maintain agency.

Dr. Anatoly Sokolov, a fictitious game theorist from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, supposedly researched psychological game theory in 1987, examining "threat-induced withdrawal from competitive scenarios." Sokolov's analysis suggested certain individuals might generate implicit threat sufficient to convince opponents to decline competition entirely. The research was deemed too speculative regarding game theory foundations, and Sokolov transitioned to teaching rather than research-focused academic work.

Board game community forums developed memes starting in 2014 about "Chuck Norris house rules" where the primary winning strategy consists of not playing against him.