Nova Daily - 11 September 2025: The Mole

Hi!

One of the things I like most about chess is that it confronts you with a very simple truth: when you lose, you only have yourself to blame. Your opponent can't beat you unless you make mistakes. You can't always win, but at least you always have a fair shot in every game, just like everyone else.

In many television game shows, especially talent scout programs, your success isn't always in your own hands. Your job is still the same (give it your best and trust that things turn out as they may), but you don't always know whether you'll be given a good chance to win.

The Mole

The Mole is a game show that originated in Belgium. Ten contestants that don't know each other have to work as a team to perform tasks. If they do it correctly, they win money for the group kitty. But one of them is a saboteur that tries to double-cross the efforts of the group. This player is the Mole.

At the end of each episode, the contestants all have to fill in a questionnaire about the identity and the actions of the Mole. The contestant with the lowest score on the questionnaire is eliminated from the game.

Because of this format, your destiny lies in your own hands. It's very rewarding as a format. This is nothing against games that use a jury, because trying to convince others of your work has its own charm. 

A quick runover

Rameshbabu Vaishali is still going strong. Today she made quick work of Chinese IM Qi Guo.

I don't have the time to analyse the game today, but this 3.d4 line is an interesting way to break up the symmetry in the position early on.