@5944
"After 1. Nf3 d5 2. Ng1, black is clearly better off than white"
++ Black has gained 2 tempi, thus 1 tempo versus 1 d4. That is not enough to win.
For example 1 e4 d5 2 exd5 Qxd5 3 Nc3 Qd8 is playable despite the lost tempo.
IM Basman has often played 1 h3 d5 2 a3 like in the British Championship, which is like 1 Nf3 d5 2 Ng1. You could argue if the moves a3 and h3 are assets or liabilities.
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1026336
"You could really say white is 0.5 tempi up at the start because, as the game progresses, white alternates between having made 1 more move and 0 more moves, averaging 0.5 more moves."
++ White is 1 tempo up, than after black plays 0, then 1, then 0. It averages 0.5, but white has an extra punch of 1 move. Like 1 e4 e5 2 Qh5 Nc6 3 Bc4 Nb8? 4 Qxf7#
"Likewise what is called "3 tempi" really means 2.5 tempi advantage (alternating between 3 tempi ahead and 2 tempi ahead)." ++ 3 tempi is 2.5 tempi average, but 3 tempi punch
@5940
"You are certain that two tempi provides a win for black in the following position?"
++ No, that is still a draw. White is up 1 tempo in the initial position, which is a draw.
If white loses 2 tempi, then white is 1 tempo down.
But you can see this has got the wrong answer. After 1. Nf3 d5 2. Ng1, black is clearly better off than white in the opening position! Black gets two good moves in while white has moved nothing (net).
The problem is that the terminology "one tempo up" is slightly misleading. You could really say white is 0.5 tempi up at the start because, as the game progresses, white alternates between having made 1 more move and 0 more moves, averaging 0.5 more moves.
By this better quantification, black has 1.5 tempi advantage after the moves above. This comes from 0.5 - 2.
Likewise what is called "3 tempi" really means 2.5 tempi advantage (alternating between 3 tempi ahead and 2 tempi ahead).