Edi Birsan
Encyclopedia
Edi Ersalesi Birsan is a game designer and an independent business owner in the Maritime Container Inspection industry, and one of the best-known American players of the game Diplomacy
. He was born in Brooklyn
in 1949 but since 1981 has resided in the San Francisco Bay Area where he is married and has two children.
Birsan has been playing Diplomacy since 1965 at age 16 and has won many tournaments. He was the first non-South African to win the South African tournament, first non-Canadian to win the Canadian Championship, first non-Russian to win the Russian Championship and first non-European to win the European Championship. He ran the postal zine
Arena from 1970 to 1973. He was a founder of several Diplomacy hobby organizations and consultant to Avalon Hill
on the rewrite of the rules of the game in 1999. He is best known for inventing the Lepanto
and Sealion openings.
In the 1969-1970 Worked on the magazine Strategy and Tactics (Associate and then Managing Editor), part of the design team of Poultron Press with James Dunnigan participating in the design of their 1969-70 games : Normandy, Deployment, Flying Fortress, Italy and others.
He was one of several designers of the Babylon 5 Collectible Card Game . During the 90s he took ownership of Legends (PBM)
during which time Legends won the best Play By Mail Game Manufacturers Association
award.
Diplomacy (game)
Diplomacy is a strategic board game created by Allan B. Calhamer in 1954 and released commercially in 1959. Its main distinctions from most board wargames are its negotiation phases and the absence of dice or other game elements that produce random effects...
. He was born in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
in 1949 but since 1981 has resided in the San Francisco Bay Area where he is married and has two children.
Birsan has been playing Diplomacy since 1965 at age 16 and has won many tournaments. He was the first non-South African to win the South African tournament, first non-Canadian to win the Canadian Championship, first non-Russian to win the Russian Championship and first non-European to win the European Championship. He ran the postal zine
Zine
A zine is most commonly a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any self-published work of minority interest usually reproduced via photocopier....
Arena from 1970 to 1973. He was a founder of several Diplomacy hobby organizations and consultant to Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill was a game company that specialized in wargames and strategic board games. Its logo contained its initials "AH", and it was often referred to by this abbreviation. It also published the occasional miniature wargaming rules, role-playing game, and had a popular line of sports simulations...
on the rewrite of the rules of the game in 1999. He is best known for inventing the Lepanto
Lepanto opening
The Lepanto opening is a type of opening in the board game Diplomacy. Developed by Edi Birsan, it is used by the generally weak Italy, in alliance with Austria, to defeat Turkey...
and Sealion openings.
In the 1969-1970 Worked on the magazine Strategy and Tactics (Associate and then Managing Editor), part of the design team of Poultron Press with James Dunnigan participating in the design of their 1969-70 games : Normandy, Deployment, Flying Fortress, Italy and others.
He was one of several designers of the Babylon 5 Collectible Card Game . During the 90s he took ownership of Legends (PBM)
Legends (PBM)
Legends is an award-winning computer moderated play-by-mail fantasy strategy game. Legends was created in 1986 by Jim Landes from his previous game, Epic. The original system had three paper manuals and operated by print-based turn-sheets via snail mail...
during which time Legends won the best Play By Mail Game Manufacturers Association
Game Manufacturers Association
The Game Manufacturers Association is a non-profit trade association based in Columbus, Ohio, dedicated to the advancement of the non-electronic social games industry - Board/Tabletop Games, Miniatures Games, Card Games, Collectable/Tradeable Card Games, Role-Playing Games, and Live-Action Role...
award.