Chess is a game that was carried to where it was today largely by mathematicians. But, chess is truly won more through patterns, and concepts than it is formulas. Many Grand Masters these days only memorize so many moves per particular line, and they then often just play the game based on pattern recognition. Themes and strategies that will lead them to winning endgames, winning exchanges, winning pawn structures, etc. As far as actual formulas and math goes, it's not dramatically more than weighing the values of pieces, and their strength in a given position.