AGA Organization

What is the American Go Association?
Organizational Information
AGA Publications
Contact Information
Ethical Standards
Board of Directors

What is the American Go Association?

The American Go Association is the official national organization of American Go players, cooperating with similar national organizations around the world. In our efforts to promote the game and support the development of the American Go-playing community, we:

• Publish The American Go E-Journal. Click here for an archive of past issues.
• Maintain a national rating system.
• Provide local chapters with material and organizational support.
• Help local chapters organize and publicize tournaments, workshops and other events.
• Organize national and international qualifying tournaments.
• Organize Annual US Go Congress.
• Represent US Go players as members of the International Go Federation.
• Select professional and amateur representatives for international competition.
• Provide financial, informational, and material support to AGA chapters and Go teachers.
• Administer funds donated by the Ing Wei-chi Education Foundation to promote Go in the US.
• Sponsor and moderate e-mail lists for teachers, organizers and on go-related topics

The AGA is working in every way to build a sustainable community of Go players in the United States. Join us today!

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Organizational Information

The AGA Annual Report: Detailed accounts of the year's activities
1999-2000 Report
2000-2001 Report
2001-2002 Report
2003 Report
2004 Report

Minutes of the National Assembly:
1999 Minutes
2000 Minutes
2001 Minutes
2002 Minutes
2003 Minutes

Table of Organization: Flow chart describing all functions the AGA needs to accomplish, with lines of accountability.

Description of Functions: This document sets forth job descriptions for all positions identified in the Table of Organization.

AGA Governing Documents (2002)

Previous Governing Documents (1993): This is the set of by-laws and Articles of Incorporation developed by AGA President Phil Straus and AGA Treasurer Michael Simon and filed with the State of New York in 1993, when the AGA became a corporation. These by-laws are no longer in effect, having been superseded by a new set passed in 2002 (see above).

Annotated Comparison of Governing Documents: This discussion of the differences between the 1993 and 2002 governing documents was distributed to the membership in February 2002, leading to adoption of the 2002 version by an overwhelming majority of voters.

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AGA Publications

• The American Go Journal: The AGJ, published from 1949 to 2003, was the oldest&English-language Go periodical going when it ceased publication in 2003. Back issues contain a wealth of articles and information you can't get anywhere else.
  
  
• The AGA Rules of Go: The official American Go Association rules,designed to ensure a definitive result among any two players under any conditions. Click here for a concise version of the AGA rules.

• AGA Rules Committee Memorandum Regarding Change in Komi: What is the value of the first move? "Komi" refers to the practice of compensating White for permitting Black to make the first move. This memo reviews recent changes in the Asian system and their implications for Western Go.
  
  
• The AGA Archive : Thousands of historical documents pertaining to American Go, and many other related subjects. There is also an extensive collection of Japanese material.
• Inside the AGA Rating System : Unlike other system that awards fixed number of points for wins and losses, the AGA system uses sophisticated statistical procedures to calculate player ratings. This method has been copied by other go organizations all over the world.
• Most Commonly Asked Questions About the AGA Rating System: Further explanation of the AGA rating System.
• AGA Tournament Guide ($5)
• Official policies and procedures for running AGA tournaments. Click here for more information on running a rated tournament.
• Go in America: This history of American go was presented to the First International Conference on Baduk in Seoul, Korea, and published in the proceedings of that conference. (Word File)
• Go in the US: More detailed annural summaries by AGA President Roy Laird which originally appeared in Ranka, the yearbook of the International Go Federation.

• Go in the US 1997
• Go in the US 1998
• Go in the US 1999
• Go in the US 2000
• Go in the US 2001

• The AGA Song Book: Silly Go song parodies for all occasions. Click here to dowload the 2002 supplement.
• AGA Brochure: This is the brochure we mail out to new members and interested parties. Please feel free to print, copy and distribute as many copies as you can! (RTF Document)
• What Is Go? (in case you were wondering)
• How to Start a Go Club
• Easy, step-by-step process anyone can use to to organize a stable group of local players.
• How to Make a Go Club Grow (and flourish)
• A Very Brief History of Go
• The Great Go Spiel: How to prepare and deliver a presentation about Go in your community. It's not as hard as you think!
• How to Play Against the Stronger Player Volumes 1 and 2: This popular Japanese "Super Go" series helps players to improve their handicap go. Translated and produced by Steve Bretherick and John Stephenson of the Wings Across Calm Water online AGA Chapter, this book is now available for download in English at no charge. Go to www.wingsgoclub.org and click on the word "books" to download in Adobe or Microsoft Word format. The AGA is grateful to the Japan Go Association for making this possible.
• Capture Go: This brochure is designed for distribution to beginners who are learning go in a classroom or after-school program. It describes a simple pre-cursor to go. Available for download in trifold and 11X17 format.
• Go on the Internet: A colorful description of how to play online.
• Knockout Draw Sheet: Attractively laid out sheet for conducting a 16 player single knockout tournament.
• AGA Archives: The American Go Association maintains one of the most extensive collections of Western go materials in the world.
• TD List (for tournament directors): Frequently updated listing of the name, AGA number, and current AGA rating for everyone who has ever been a member.

The Way To Go, Karl Baker's classic instruction manual is now available in PDF format online.

Keshi and Uchikomi: Invasion and Reduction in Go
by Iwamoto Kaoru
During the 1980's, chapters from the study of middle game techniques were among the most popular features in The American Go Journal. Now those articles have been reassembled for publication in book form, along with additional material that has never appeared in English. (Published by Slate and Shell for the AGA)

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Contact Information

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 397
Old Chelsea Station
New York, NY, 10113-0397

Tel. 917.817.7080

AGA Officers

National Coordinators

AGA Board of Directors

Minutes of Board meetings:since January 2003, when the current Board was created by amending the bylaws.

Official documents: Policies and procedures adopted by the Board of Directors.

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Ethical Standards and Guidelines

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