Daily Yomiuri On-Line Evolving game Go has changed both on a strategic and a tactical level over the years. If a certain tactical maneuver has lost its soundness, its underpinning strategy loses its significance, too. We find these changes in joseki. The word joseki means a fixed or standard pattern.
Many people believe that joseki are only played in the corners and at the beginning of a game.
But frequently large sections along the sides are involved, and although most joseki are played at the beginning, there are standard sequences that we can refer to as middle-game joseki. As joseki appear in almost every game, this implies the exchanges are even. However, a word of warning is perhaps necessary here. People often play joseki in the belief that the outcome will work out evenly. Nothing is further from the truth.