Single Comment

Derek - you wrote, in part: 

'White chooses and dictates the opening that black must defend against
and
so, shapes the entire game.  White acts and black reacts as it must ...
repeatedly.'

Really?  So, when white plays 1.e4 what is it exactly that Black has to
play?  e5, c5, a6, Nf6, d6, something else?  I see no such control you
describe by white.  I do think you are imagining something here. 

In a tournament game my 200 point higher-rated white-pieced opponent
played 1. e4... I did not feel the least bit controlled.  I responded
1.... Nf6 (my very first Alekhine Defense in a tournament.  Guess what
Derek? I won, with black.  A fluke?  No, I win with black quite often.  As
Dennis Monokroussos has stated, 'what matters is that you have a good feel
for the initiative. If you do and you know what you're doing in a given
opening, then you will often find ways to seize the initiative, regardless
of the opening.'