Derek Niven struck in the 77th minute to earn the visitors a point but they should have been dead and buried by a misfiring Barnsley.
Andy Ritchie's side had slipped out of the play-offs following defeat at Huddersfield the previous week and once again they failed to register a victory - and have now gone seven games without a win.
But a point still saw Barnsley creep back into sixth place following Oldham's shock home defeat at rock bottom MK Dons, and next up is a winner-takes-all clash at Boundary Park between the two sides.
The swirling wind and bobbly pitch was always going to make pretty, incisive football virtually impossible to produce but Barnsley always had the edge and could have been two or three up by half-time.
On 11 minutes a sublime pass from midfield man Stephen McPhail sent Paul Hayes galloping down the right and his first time cross picked out winger Martin Devaney but he miss-hit his shot from six yards out.
Hayes then had a goal bound header well blocked by Chesterfield defender Aaron Downes and Brian Howard saw an excellent 25-yard effort flash just wide.
Chesterfield thought they had got the ball in the net on 12 minutes, when Colin Larkin produced a near post effort that referee David Drysdale waved play on and all the plaudits went to Barnsley keeper Nick Colgan for a brilliant save.
Barnsley continued to press forward and, after Antony Kay had a header saved, the home side finally made the breakthrough in the 32nd minute. Hayes did wonderfully well down the left to beat Downes and pull the ball back from the byline for Howard to confidently side foot home from six yards.
In the second half a dreadful back pass by Janos Kovacs was latched on to by Richards, but his shot was blocked by advancing keeper Barry Roche.
Richards should have scored on that occasion - and then just a minute later he squandered another great opportunity from eight yards.
On 63 minutes Hayes went clean through but inexplicably went for a first time shot from the edge of the box and put it wide.
Hayes then had another half chance that went begging and Barnsley were made to pay 13 minutes from time when Paul Hall squeezed in a low cross for midfielder Niven to drill home from 12 yards.
Barnsley had appeals for a penalty waved away when Devaney went down and Chesterfield comfortably saw out time to register an unlikely point.