Ender’s Game discussion

Do you think that the buggers might have let Ender win or that they might not have tried their hardest?

No. They just lost. The part where they gathered all of their queens together at the end was just horribly stupid, especially when they knew about the molecular disruption device from many previous battles. They tried their hardest, but didn't understand Ender's tactics.

I haven't read the book in many years, but I think after all the previous battles, Ender and company had backed them into a corner, their home world. I think they could see into his mind in battle school and knew he would defeat them, so they were trying to reach out to him through the fantasy game, or the mind game. If you haven't read the rest of the books in the Ender Quartet, you really should. They answer more questions on Ender's relationship with the buggers. I haven't read Ender in Exile, which takes place between Ender's Game and Speaker for the dead. Perhaps it provides even more answers.