Does anyone have this magazine archive set? Is it worth $80? I've never even seen an issue of Go World magazine, so I have no idea how good the content was over the years.

I've got volumes 2 & 3. I think it depends on how happy you are with pdfs rather than paper books. There's loads of content, per $ it's great value for money I guess, though I haven't actually studied it much (partially because they're pdf's and partially because I've got too much Go material that I haven't gotten around to them yet). The archive contains several series of essays which became books (well I'm thinking about great joseki debates & can't think of another off the top of my head).

A randomly chosen volume (38) contains:

pages 2-5 Go news
pages 6-39 Game records (with a good amount of comments)
pages 40-41 Tesuji
pages 42-51 3 trick plays
pages 52-57 advanced tesuji
page 58 Fuseki problems
page 59-63 The great Joseki debate

I can't say if that's typical and I think I remember reading here that later volumes have less essays and more game records.

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I am John. John-I-Am.

It's a great resource for serious studies. It is over one hundred issues - there's so much study materials that you'll probably need a few years to go through them all.
There is also good glossary index covering all issues in html file (which can open a specific issue on a specific page via just one click on a link, which is quite useful, but even if it does not work for you an index itself is a very good tool to trace some topics)

But what device you'll use to read it on?
If you'll print every issue to work with or if you have a tablet (best option) to read on - you'll be very pleased. Even using an older tablet like iPad1 will be good enough (in such case I suggest to use a GoodReader app for pdf reading/notation). However if you want to use it on a computer then, well, it's not good, it's just inferior experience compared to reading on tablet. It's ok if you can read long and complicated pdf on a computer with a lot of zooming in and out on diagrams and on a text, but tablet vs PC it's heaven and hell in user experience comparison.

There is a free #45 issue on their website - give it a try and you'll decide by yourself if it suits you.

[edited errors]

There used to be a free #45, but you have to buy it now as they currently sell individual issues with click and buy as a further option to buying the dvds.

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http://tchan001.wordpress.com
A blog on Asian go books, go sightings, and interesting tidbits
Go is such a beautiful game.

I found issue #45 here:

http://agfgo.org/downloads/GW045.pdf

If it's no longer available free on Kiseido Digital's website, I have a feeling they probably don't want it freely distributed anymore by other websites.

_________________
http://tchan001.wordpress.com
A blog on Asian go books, go sightings, and interesting tidbits
Go is such a beautiful game.

Kiseido probably isn't even aware of the AGF or its purpose.

Vol. 4, issues 109-129 (the last) is expected to go on sale in May, 2013. Source: Bob Myers, Kiseido Digital.

Kiseido is quite familiar with the AGF and the AGA. They donated a lot of surplus issues to be used in membership promotions and tournament prizes. I suspect that the issue 45 in question is one of the donated issues.

Thanks for the news. I'm looking forward to it.

I'm pleased to announce that Go World Archive Vol. IV is now available. It contains issues 109-129 (the last) on one DVD.

We've included Jochen Fassbender's fabulously detailed index, with the ability to jump directly to issue and page. It also contains the same full-text search capability as in Vols. I-III.

The purchase link is http://Kunaki.com/Sales.asp?PID=PX00Y5GKPC&PP=1. It's priced at $49.99.

Enjoy.

Bob Myers
Kiseido Digital

I just posted a review of this DVD at:

http://www.go4go.net/go/go_world_archive_review