Combinatorial Game Theory (CGT), in its modern form, was inspired by go, because, as play continues in a game of go, the board tends to break down into independent, or relatively independent regions of play. Either player could be the first to play in a given region, and either player might switch from the current region to another. We can thus consider each independent region as a game in itself, without saying which player will play first. The whole board, then, is a combination of such games, which we call combinatorial games. Combinatorial games differ from other turn-taking games where the first player is specified. The value of those games is determined by the results of minimax play. If we knew perfect play on the 19x19 board, the value of the game, with Black to play first, would be the komi. Our best guess for komi is currently 7. But by symmetry, we know that the mean value of go on the empty 19x19 board as a combinatorial game is 0.

Because of the tendency of a game of go to break up into a combination of independent or nearly independent games, many of the ideas of combinatorial game theory were foreshadowed in go theory. These include miai, getting the last play, and sente gaining nothing. The evaluation of a go region as a combinatorial game (without using such terminology, OC) goes back at least two centuries.

Given the history of CGT ideas in go, what does modern CGT offer go? IMHO, it offers better and more informative methods for evaluating positions and plays, especially for complicated ko positions, a deeper understanding of getting the last play and drops in temperature, and conceptual clarification.

What light can it shed on ijime? Not having studied ijime, I can't say, but I think not much. If, as I suppose, ijime is a whole board phenomenon, then strictly speaking, CGT has little to say about it. But even when regions of the board are not, strictly speaking, independent, their values, and the values of plays may be approximated, and may serve as guides to play. (OC, go players were aware of this long before CGT was developed.

) One question, then, is how much the reverse sente to prevent ijime gains?
Now, given a number of independent regions where a gote or reverse sente gains the same amount, CGT tells us that, as a rule, it is best to take sente and, next, plays that threaten sente. It also tells us that if the gote are not miai, then it is better to take a gote before a reverse sente. We also know that these rules can be good guides, even if the sizes of plays are only approximately equal, and even if the regions are only approximately independent. If anything, then, CGT raises questions about playing reverse sente to prevent ijime.
One possible reason, which I think applies in this case, is that preventing ijime is just a large play. Another possible reason is that other large plays are miai, so that preventing ijime is a kind of last play.
But there is still the question of why pros prevent ijime so often. I assume that it is not an error to do so, as the pros estimate the size of plays and are aware of the value of getting the last big play. Do we see the same phenomenon in AlphaGo vs. AlphaGo games? Maybe not. In those games AlphaGo plays a very light style. If it is ready to sacrifice stones, how can it be bullied? And if it cannot be bullied, why bother to prevent bullying?
----
Thanks for your previous note, John, which I have just read, after writing the above.

I am not sure how much I have just written here is pertinent, but here goes.

_________________
The Adkins Principle:
At some point, doesn't thinking have to go on?— Winona Adkins
My two main guides in life:
My mother and my wife.

Everything with love. Stay safe.