Buffalo Niagara duplicate bridge notes: Jan. 3, 2026

 

News and notes for the Buffalo area duplicate bridge community appear weekly here at http://newsdupli.blogspot.com/, usually by midweek.

Tournament season wastes no time kicking into gear in the new year. A pair of events get things off and running today, Saturday, Jan. 3, and Sunday, Jan. 4 – the Toronto Winter Non-Life Master Regional, for players with fewer than 750 master points – and the Toronto Winter Sectional, which is open to all players. Both are held in the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, 123 Queen St. West. For more info on the Non-Life Master Regional, click this link. For more about the Sectional, go to this link.

Then there’s the Cleveland Rock and Roll Regional in suburban Independence, Ohio, from Wednesday, Jan. 7, to Sunday, Jan. 11. For more details, check this link.

The Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St. off Exit 1 of the I-190, is closed whenever Buffalo schools are closed because of winter weather. When the streets are open, it offers a regular schedule of in-person and online games Monday through Friday with party games once a month on weekends. Next one of those is the annual meeting and game on Saturday, Jan. 24. For more info, visit the Buffalo Bridge Center website at https://buffalobridgecenter.godaddysites.com/ or call 716-424-0014. Fee for games is $8 for members and $12 for non-members. Membership is $80 annually.

Other ACBL sanctioned clubs: Contact for the Bridge Club of East Aurora is Dave Larcom at dmocral@verizon.net. Games are at 10 a.m. Wednesdays in the Aurora Senior Citizens Center, 101 King St., East Aurora.

The Bridge Centre of Niagara (BCON) in St. Catharines, Ont., offers face-to-face games five days a week at its club in Tremont Square opposite the Pen Centre shopping plaza off Glendale Avenue. Website is bridgewebs.com/Niagara.

The Niagara-on-the-Lake Bridge Club plays in the Community Centre in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., on Anderson Lane off Mississauga Street on the western end of the village. Open games are at 1 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays. Website is bridgewebs.com/niagaraonthelake.

Non-sanctioned clubs: Tonawanda Senior Center, 12:30 p.m. Wednesdays; Amherst Senior Center, 12:30 p.m. Mondays and Fridays.

Tournament calendar

2026

Toronto Winter Non-Life Master Regional – Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, 123 Queen St. West, Toronto, Ont. Today, Saturday, Jan. 3, and Sunday, Jan. 4. For more info, click this link.

Toronto Winter Sectional – Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, 123 Queen St. West, Toronto, Ont. Today, Saturday, Jan. 3, and Sunday, Jan. 4. For more info, click this link.

Cleveland Rock and Roll Regional – Embassy Suites Hotel, 5800 Rockside Woods Road, Independence, Ohio. Wednesday, Jan. 7, to Sunday, Jan. 11. For info, click this link.

Niagara Winter Sectional – Holiday Inn & Suites Parkway Conference Center, 327 Ontario St., St. Catharines, Ont. Friday, Feb. 13, to Sunday, Feb. 15. For more info, click this link.

Toronto Easter Regional – Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, 123 Queen St. West, Toronto, Ont. Tuesday, March 31, to Sunday, April 5. For more info, click this link.

Buffalo Spring Sectional – Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St. Friday, April 10, to Sunday, April 12. For info, click this link.

 

Scores from ACBL Live for Clubs

Week of Dec. 22 to Dec. 28

Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday morning – 0-1,600 game. Joanne Nover and David Schott, 61.11%; Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 56.94%; Carol Licata and Ilene Rothman, 52.08%; Brian Fleming and Dennis Daly, 47.22%.

Non-sanctioned clubs

Amherst Senior Center Monday afternoon – North-south, Joe Huber and Fritz Schweiger, 58%; Shirley Cassety and George Mayers, 54%; east-west, Judie Bailey and Paul Orosz, 59%; Mary and Jim Atwood, 54%.

Amherst Senior Center Friday afternoon – Mary and Jim Atwood, 69%; Shirley Cassety and George Mayers, 61%; Rich Kayton and Ted Kotlarz, 54%.

Dale Anderson made his first 3 No Trump contract as a teen and has compiled notes on duplicate bridge activities locally for more than 20 years. A Gold Life Master, he reached a career milestone, 3,000 master points, last September at the Buffalo Fall Sectional Tournament. He can be reached by phone or text at 716-860-2305 or by email at dahotwings@aol.com.