English is not my mother language and when I translate woe as great sorrow, I think of the man and his friends and relatives, long ago, in a land in Europe, who needed only to draw the last game of a short match of ten games to become the World Champion !
He lost and his opponent remained World Champion.
Although the man was called " The Drawing Master ", he even obtained a winning position in that game... but missed several opportunities... and eventually lost after 71 moves.
A tale of woe ? See Emanuel Lasker - Carl Schlechter, Berlin, 8, 9 and 10 Februar 1910, a game with lots of reactions and comments, how and why this was possible.
We all know Lasker, but Schlechter ? He died of starvation, 44 years of age... He deserved to be more successful in chess, read his biographies !
insert your tale of chess woe here