Answers.Body: <p>Theoretically, we don't know, because we can't calculate it yet. Chess is not solved as an universal and general problem and we don't know that if two <em>gods</em> play chess in an infinite manner, which color wins or maybe it's just a draw.</p>
  
  <p>Statistically, you can gather data from chess databases in websites, tournaments and computer tools to have an estimation. For example see <a href="http://chesstempo.com/game-database.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this</a> online databases.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-03-28T12:19:27.867Z
Answers.Text: Probably, correct should be "We can't calculate, yet".
Answers.UserDisplayName: Anomalous Awe
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-03-28T11:54:44.017Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-10-03T08:51:41.317Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2017-10-03T08:51:41.317Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: masoud
Answers.Body: <p>The answer to this question is most probably highly influenced by the style of play (i.e. perfect play, grandmaster-level, intermediate level, junk-play, or pure-random moves).</p>
  
  <p>In high-quality play between chess engines (grandmaster level) I believe the ratio is about 35% (White wins), 41% (Draw), and 24% (Black wins). This is based on referenced information from Wikipedia.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-07-23T14:57:41.020Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-07-23T14:57:41.020Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: tomoka kazuki
Body: <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/qtoAt.jpg" alt="3-ply position graph"></p>
  
  <p><a href="http://s13.postimg.org/miyhhh113/chess_finite_graph.png" rel="noreferrer">http://s13.postimg.org/miyhhh113/chess_finite_graph.png</a></p>
  
  <p>I'm trying to imagine the finite graph of all positions in chess. Due to the sheer number of possible positions, it is impossible with current technology to build an exhaustive database. Such a database would require more than 100 zetabytes of storage.</p>
  
  <p>But even if we can't store the positions exhaustively, would it be possible to count winning lines for each side? That is, can the number of arrows going to <em>Draw</em>, to <em>Black Won</em>, and to <em>White Won</em> be determined mathematically? And if so, would White have more winning arrows than Black?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-03-28T11:44:53.947Z
Comments.Text: Yes. More interestingly, is there balance? Whites make their step firsts, is it equal? Probably, it is not possible, but, better than ratio, precise numbers.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Anomalous Awe
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-03-28T15:38:56.373Z
Comments.Text: I think the total number of "drawing positions" is probably close to the total number of non-checkmate positions, since intuitively it seems like you should be able to engineer a line that ends in a draw by threefold repetition at the vast majority of possible positions.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Henry Keiter
Tags: <statistics>
Title: Can the total number of possible wins/draws/losses be calculated?
ThreadText: # Can the total number of possible wins/draws/losses be calculated?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2014-03-28)
  
  ![3-ply position graph](https://i.sstatic.net/qtoAt.jpg)
  
  <http://s13.postimg.org/miyhhh113/chess_finite_graph.png>
  
  I'm trying to imagine the finite graph of all positions in chess. Due to the sheer number of possible positions, it is impossible with current technology to build an exhaustive database. Such a database would require more than 100 zetabytes of storage.
  
  But even if we can't store the positions exhaustively, would it be possible to count winning lines for each side? That is, can the number of arrows going to *Draw*, to *Black Won*, and to *White Won* be determined mathematically? And if so, would White have more winning arrows than Black?
  
  **Tags:** statistics
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Yes. More interestingly, is there balance? Whites make their step firsts, is it equal? Probably, it is not possible, but, better than ratio, precise numbers.  
  > **username_1**: I think the total number of "drawing positions" is probably close to the total number of non-checkmate positions, since intuitively it seems like you should be able to engineer a line that ends in a draw by threefold repetition at the vast majority of possible positions.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2014-03-28. Score: 6 | Accepted answer
  
  Theoretically, we don't know, because we can't calculate it yet. Chess is not solved as an universal and general problem and we don't know that if two *gods* play chess in an infinite manner, which color wins or maybe it's just a draw.
  
  Statistically, you can gather data from chess databases in websites, tournaments and computer tools to have an estimation. For example see [this](http://chesstempo.com/game-database.html) online databases.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Probably, correct should be "We can't calculate, yet".  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2017-07-23. Score: 0
  
  The answer to this question is most probably highly influenced by the style of play (i.e. perfect play, grandmaster-level, intermediate level, junk-play, or pure-random moves).
  
  In high-quality play between chess engines (grandmaster level) I believe the ratio is about 35% (White wins), 41% (Draw), and 24% (Black wins). This is based on referenced information from Wikipedia.
  
  
  ---
  
  