I think chess is a far richer game than espionage allowing a wider variety of styles. In chess the opening is often about the struggle to create a battlefield that accommodates you style, tactical, positional or strategic. In espionage if your goal is victory then allowing your opponent to take the Initiative and counter attacking is the safest course. This only leads to dull long drawn out games however. Such a style would be punished in chess by a player of a similar standard.
(hide) If you want to play a game with an opponent of a similar level, you can define a required BKR range for a new game invitation. Then nobody with a BKR outside this range will be able to see/accept it. (Katechka) (show all tips)