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what if Niniel hadn't turned out to be Turin's sister - & what if Eowyn had been married before she rode to war &, after killing the Witch King it had turned out her husband was really her long lost brother?
Eowyn is 'lucky', & has a chance to learn from her mistakes, & find a new, meaningful life. Turin is 'unlucky' & doesn't. 'Call no man (or woman) lucky until he is dead' & all that.
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And what if the Moon and the Sun were Swiss cheese and the Light of the Simarils camembaert?
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In addition, I was never really pleased at how Turin slew Glaurung (stabbing him while hidden underneath). It lacks the heroic stature of Azaghal standing bravely against Glaurung, Ecthelion versus Gothmog, or Hurin defiantly slaying 70 trolls without recourse to aid or escape. In that sense, I think Tolkien missed the boat and lessened the impact of Turin's deed.
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Check out Tolkien's thoughts on heroism and chivalry and an excess of honour in his essay on
The Homcoming of Beorhtnoth. While it is true that for the northern heroic spirit, warriors were expected to fight to annihilation if necessary, that desperate battle was intended to destroy or hold off the invaders, to save the people the leader was responsible for. A badge of honour, a personal sporting match, for Tolkien, would betray the people the leader was supposed to defend.