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This experiment falls in the class including Mamra, http://www.chessvariants.org/dpieces.dir/mamra/mamra.html, who moves like non-royal King and cannot be taken by piece, only by Pawn. Okay, Immortal returns to the capturee for later drop, and contrasted Mamra is gone for good. However, using the description of Immortal as complete, compensating additional difference is that the Mamra pawn-lost can in effect be replaced by promotion, even twice or more. Mamra become well-placed really ''gobbles up (almost) entire army one by one,'' and very possibly opponent might be doing the same at the same time, or if not, just attacking anyway with regular long-rangers whilst the one-side's Mamra goes on the frenzy to no avail. ''Brute force playtesting'' is not brutal but subtle. Any new cv not computer-readied plays out that way. Typically player preliminarily estimates value +/- 1.0 each new p-t compared to known p-ts around or related, and by game two the estimate seems like +/- 0.5, each refresher becoming more refined per games played. This Mamra-variant-Immortal slotted as an additional piece on 64 squares versus regulars and backed by regulars is more than a Rook and less than a Queen, first-approximate. Be willing to keep two Bishops without Mamra-Immortal against opponent's Bishop-less M-I. Or it might tip just over that and so the reverse, but no way high as Queen value. In other words, a good fair Betzan C.D.A. match-up could be RNIQK-NR v. RNBQKBNR, Immortal anticlericals versus F.F; better, let '-' be Barrier Pawn to make army of 16, RNIQKbNR, 'b' the barrier pawn and 'I' Immortal Man of endless-drop description. In the same class is that weak-value Barrier Pawn(1948): http://www.chessvariants.org/large.dir/kristensens.html.
Consider a piece that moves as a Man, but that is not removed from the game when captured; instead, the Immortal is placed in the owner's hand, and can be dropped on any empty square in his first or second rank on any future turn (instead of making a regular move). What is the value of such a piece? For purposes of exchanges, one could argue the material value is zero; meaning that compensation required for the owner to be willing to exchange it is equal only to its positional value. But the more interesting question is, how much material would you be willing to sacrifice from your starting array in order to start with an Immortal? Obviously, this value must be at least as much as a Man, and is probably very much greater. Any ideas on how to estimate it, other than brute force playtesting? Some factors to consider: - While it is easy to imagine an Immortal gobbling up entire armies one by one, one should keep in mind that it is slow, and realistically probably cannot force an exchange against most enemy pieces unless it has support. - However, a piece is never 'defended' against an Immortal's attack, no matter how many pieces stand ready to recapture. - Unless I'm mistaken, a King + Immortal (or even King + Man) can force mate against a lone King. - The minimum material required to force an endgame mate against a player who controls an Immortal is significantly increased.
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