Answers for Daily #23

The starting word was

First moves

5 words are one letter away from MOVING.

LOVING: noun The action of the verb to love. (Can we clean up this sense?)
ROVING: adjective Moving about; having no fixed or permanent abode; travelling from place to place.
MOOING: verb present participle and gerund of moo
MOPING: verb present participle and gerund of mope
MOWING: verb present participle and gerund of mow

MOVING → ROVING → RAVING → RAVINE → RAPINE

Once the words before it are used, nobody can change RAPINE: a dead end, worth 3 extra points.

Every Daily hides one golden word a few moves from the start. This one was HAVING.

From MOVING, 294 words can be reached one letter at a time.

Definitions from Wiktionary