Pawn strategy
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Of course you can't calculate a win from the beginning but knowing pawn endgames, breakthroughs, calculating tempos etc means that people with better pawn knowledge will play it better.
Too many different things can happen for a good player to play it perfectly (or as you say, calculate a win from the beginning).
The king is a bit more valuable than a minor piece... so central space is still more valuable than space on the edge. This is obvious from practice when an outside passed pawn is difficult to deal with for the slow king.
Also, because the king is so effective, you have to develop him too :) So again, in the beginning don't make too many pawns moves, take some central space and bring the king close to or in the center.
After that it's how familiar you are with different pawn break tricks to get a passed pawn, and how good you are with calculating pawn endings in general. Such as saving tempos by leaving pawns on original squares to win a zugzwang fight.
Like regular chess, keeping the pawns symmetrical (your have pawns only on files where your opponent has pawns, i.e. no pawn majorities) makes it drawish. So if you wanted to draw that's a consideration. If you want to push for a win or a complex K and P position you'd exchange in such a way that there are pawn majorities.
What I'm saying is could a grandmaster defeat an 1800 player for example in this ending?
Hmm.
It depends on how experienced the 1800 player is in this variant and how badly the GM wanted to win :p ... the 1800 would definitely have better chances to draw than they would in a regular game.
Pawn endgames are very unforgiving though, and nearly all class players are woefully deficient in both knowledge and practical skill in pawn endgames when compared to a GM. However it really helps the weaker player that the position begins so symmetric and without weakness. Make it sharper and the GM would win every time I'd imagine.
Honestly, I'd expect a draw between 2 reasonable players. I just drew with chessmaster fairly comfortably at blitz speed, not that computers are particularly good at endgames.
There are some in the computer workouts section outside majority vs kingside majority where the outside majority should win but if you're inaccurate you can lose.
Here I don't think you should.
It just seems very up to chance what type of zugzwang position will eventually occur. I feel like any player with a general knowledge of getting the king active can draw or even win.
Yeah, there might be an easy draw with something like a3, b3, c3 etc, then shuffling your king and locking it up. Never tried to force a draw this way vs a computer (not saying that's what you did, but it may make it easy).
I've tried to play normally (as if I can win heh) in this position vs a computer and lost :p
Well not exactly like that but played e4, moved the king up, and just locked the position up. Didn't try to press at all, because that's how you would lose this I think.
Is there any strategy to pawn only chess where both sides play with only pawns in their starting positions and a king? Also, Can a good player calculate a win from the beginning or is it very unpredictable who will fall prey to zugzwang?