How do you calculate pawn reserve moves to win oppositon?

When it comes to pawns and king end games, I still manage to lose most of them even with equal number of pawns because somehow the other guy gets opposition by better calculating pawn reserve moves.  Is there some formula to calculate pawn reserve moves so I can win the opposition. Ok I just made this scenario up in computer, but I keep losing to computer playing white where it should really be a draw I think. I am white and it is my move and I can see that I have distant opposition with the black king, so all I have to do is move the pawns slowly, so I win the opposition at the end, but I don't know how to calculate the pawn moves because there are so many possibilities. Please how to play in these positions thanks a lot. 

Yes, there is: add them up.

You are asking the wrong question. You lose against other players and computers because they calculate better than you and have more knowledge. Calculating is not about a formula but about being able to visualize positions in your head. When you have a lot of knowledge you will need to calculate less but you will still need to calculate. In the last Tata Steel tournament some pawn endgames were played by top grandmasters. They played them well but only after deep calculations consuming lots of time. Pawn endings can be complicated whatever your knowledge level and you can improve on them for many years.

"Reserve moves" are just one of the items in pawn endings. Others are "passed pawns', "diagonal king opposition", "tempo moves", "breakthroughs", "promotions" and "queen endgames". To win pawn endings, you must be capable of managing all of these properly.

I posted a simple pawn ending a few days ago. Try to solve it in your head before making a move. If you can you are on your way to a 2000+ rating.

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/more-puzzles/my-own-puzzles#comment-46330262 

Note: there is one well known trick connected to calculating the outcomes of independent plans - which include "reserve pawn moves". Independent plans are a black and white plan which can be executed simultaneously like a king and a queen side attack in a closed position. Rather than alternating black and white moves in your mind, you count the moves for both colors separately to see who comes first. In a pawn ending e.g. you might first add up the king and pawn moves to promotion for white and then do the same for black. It makes for quick evaluations but it is also dangerous because it doesn't take into account that the other side might change course underway to frustrate the opponents plan! You will need to use this method wisely.

Hey thanks for the detailed reply Arisktole. I did your puzzle it was good, but if the opposition pawn moves one square nstead of two intially does the outcome change, see I can't calculate this in my head. I can understand how it is a draw if the pawn moves two moves.

1. My pain problem with calculating pawn reserve moves is, it is straight forward if pawn can move one square, but initial pawns can move one or 2 squares then how do I calculate all the posssibilities.

Lets take a simple example

Now it is pretty simple in 6 moves the pawn will queen, but if he moves 2 initially and the other one etc. I get confused. 

If you play through the solution of my problem you will see at the end that a solution analysis appears right of the diagram. If you don't see it, you must be doing something wrong. I do not know how puzzles work on all the different types of computers and mobiles but this function is essential.

In the solution analysis you will see all the variations for one- and two-step pawn moves. There are quite a number of them depending on whether you play the right or wrong moves for either color.

What the analysis shows is that - even for a simple diagram with a few pawns - there are potentially a lot of different possibilities for both sides involving one- and two-step pawn moves. Pawn endgames are not simple.

The bad news is that there is no shortcut or magic trick to eliminate such calculations. You can reduce them sometimes by thinking logically but in general you will have to include visualization and keep all the variations apart in your mind.

The good news is that there are coaches and training programs to help you strengthen you calculation skills. This is not just about pawn endings, it is about all of chess. When you calculate better, you play better. I do not know a lot about visualization training because I had this as a native talent. Never needed to train it, except by playing chess which always helps. For specialist support in this area you need to look elsewhere. The main message I can give you is "there is no way around calculation skills". It is one of the core ingredients of playing chess. I leave it here. Other posters may have some concrete advices for you. Wait and see.