one side or another must inevitably win in a [even nearly{?}-]perfectly played game, even in any otherwise error free game played by each of the opponents involved
That's true for every deterministic game. If draws are possible, the perfect result might be a draw. How is that any better though? Nobody's going to play such a complex game perfectly. What matters are the results of actual imperfectly played games.
That's true for every deterministic game. If draws are possible, the perfect result might be a draw. How is that any better though? Nobody's going to play such a complex game perfectly. What matters are the results of actual imperfectly played games.