Weird 3-4 joseki

Teaching
21

In Chinese B plays their 3rd move at one of the most common pincer positions against 3-4 approach. That move isn’t just any move, it’s the move that aims to punish W’s approach while playing as loosely as possible. It protects the 3-4 by making W play there impractical in the opening. Similarly in Kobayashi B plays their 4th move with the intent to make an attack against W very profitable/severe if W decides to approach the seemingly open 3-4 normally.

My point was that the reason you see players leaving the “open” 3-4 alone in pro games that involve the Chinese is not because “other moves are considered just as valuable”, but because B has already laid claim to it and it’s not really open (at least before middle game that is). Taking those openings to mean it’s ok to let opponent enclose 3-4 in general is a good way to fall behind in the opening.

So Chinese and Kobayashi are somewhat bad examples of “other moves are just as valuable”, since they are special cases. Without special considerations enclosing/approaching a 3-4 is huge and rarely left alone in pro games.

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22

I used specific examples against @BHydden 's general assertion, not to make a general assertion myself. My point from the very start is that it can be ok to let the opponent play a shimari, not that it is ok as a general rule.

True, that’s what I said too in the same reply. And in my initial answer I made another suggestion that goes in this direction.

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