Buffalo Niagara duplicate bridge notes: June 27, 2026

 

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

A new round of lessons is beginning at the Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St. off Exit 1 of the I-190. A class on competitive bidding, covering things like overcalls, pre-emptive bids and doubles, started up Wednesday, June 24, and continues Wednesdays at 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. through Aug. 26. For more info, text 716-984-3570. Kicking off next Thursday, July 2, from 1 to 3 p.m. is another class on popular bidding conventions. It runs through Aug. 27. For that one, text 716-949-7574 for info.

The Buffalo Bridge Center has a regular lineup of in-person games Tuesday through Friday with party games once a month on weekends, usually on Sundays. Next one is July 19. For more info, visit the club’s 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.

Online games hosted by the Bridge Center at 7 p.m. Monday and Wednesday have been transferred from Bridge Base Online to a new platform, RealBridge. For more info, including a player guide, visit realbridge.online. The Wednesday night game, Delaware Wednesday, has been inactive since mid-March.

In addition, the club hosts a supervised play session for players who want experience and advice to improve their game from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mondays, which has been a great success. Small games now have been added to the session. All are welcome. No pre-registration is required, but things work out better if those interested in supervised play get in touch with Julie Mitchell by calling 845-978-9480 or emailing jkmitchell070121@gmail.com.

Also popular is the club’s social bridge game just for fun at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays. Signup needed for this one. Call Ruth Nawotniak at 716-949-7574 or email at ruth2250@outlook.com. 

The Bridge Center has started its mentoring program again. Experienced players who want to share their knowledge with novices are encouraged to sign up. So should new players who want to pick up tips from the masters. Call Pat Haynes at 716-472-5189 or email phaynes508@roadrunner.com.

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

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: Games are held at 12:30 p.m. Mondays and Fridays in the Amherst Senior Center and at 12:30 p.m. Wednesdays in the Tonawanda Senior Center.

Upcoming tournaments

Cleveland All American Regional – Embassy Suites Hotel, 5800 Rockside Woods Road, Independence, Ohio. Today, Saturday, June 27, and Sunday, June 28. For more info, click this link.

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

Oakville Summer Regional – St. Volodymyr Cultural Centre, 1280 Dundas St. West, Oakville, Ont. Tuesday, July 21, to Sunday, July 26. For more info, click this link.

Rochester Summer Sectional – Gates Community Center, 1605 Buffalo Road (Route 33), Rochester. Saturday, July 25, and Sunday, July 26.

Niagara 0-750 Sectional – Niagara-on-the-Lake Community Center, 14 Anderson Lane, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. Friday, Aug. 14, to Sunday, Aug. 16. For more info, click this link.

Great Lakes Sectional – Erie Bridge Club, 1221 Grant Ave., Erie, Pa. Saturday, Aug. 29, and Sunday, Aug. 30. For more info, click this link.

Toronto Labor Day Sectional – St. Volodymyr Cultural Centre, 1280 Dundas St. West, Oakville, Ont. Saturday, Sept. 5, to Monday, Sept. 7. For more info, click this link.

Pittsburgh Labor Day Regional – Doubletree Meadowlands, 340 Racetrack Road, Washington, Pa. Monday, Sept. 14, to Sunday, Sept. 20.

Buffalo Fall Sectional – Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St. Friday, Sept. 25, to Sunday, Sept. 27. For more info, click this link.

Rochester Fall Sectional – Gates Community Center, 1605 Buffalo Road (Route 33), Rochester. Saturday, Oct. 10, and Sunday, Oct. 11.

Niagara Open Sectional – Niagara-on-the-Lake Community Center, 14 Anderson Lane, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. Friday, Nov. 6, to Sunday, Nov. 8. For more info, click this link.

Scores from ACBL Live for Clubs

Week of June 15 to June 21

Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday morning – 0-1,600 game. North-South, Joanne Nover and David Schott, 67.65%; Bonnie Clement and Larry Himelein, 57.83%; Paula Rosen and Jim McClure, 52.98%; Gini Sicignano and Pat Wolcott, 51.32%; east-west, Agi Maisel and Pat Haynes, 58.16%; Mary Ball and Joyce Frayer, 52.20%; Linda Milch and Susan Cardamone, 52.08%; Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 52.04%; Julie Mitchell and Paul Zittel, 51.99%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning – Open game. (Tie) Tova and Andrei Reinhorn, Chris Urbanek and Kamil Bishara, 64.58%; Donna Steffan and Bud Seidenberg, 55.56%; (tie) Judy Gray and Mike Ryan, Audrey Ray and Larry Abate, 51.39%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday morning – 0-2,000 game. North-south, Adrian Figliotti and Paul Zittel, 60.94%; Joyce Greenspan and Andrei Reinhorn, 56.25%; Paula Rosen and Linda Milch, 47.20%; east-west, Julie Mitchell and Brian Fleming, 61.03%; Susan Bach and Fred Hirsh, 52.30%; Marily Wortzman and Jim Easton, 47.81%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Friday morning – Open game. Judy Graf and Mike Ryan, 66.07%; Jay Levy and Fred Yellen, 65.48%; John Ziemer and Jim Lanzo, 58.93%; Donna Steffan and Kamil Bishara, 57.14%.

Bridge Club of East Aurora Wednesday morning – Open game. Linda and Paul Zittel, 65%; Dan Clark and Dave Larcom, 54%; Maureen Cancilla and Bob Mampe, 51%; Joanne LaFay and Barbara Booi, 50%.

Non-sanctioned clubs

Amherst Senior Center Monday afternoon – North-south, Shirley Cassety and George Mayers, 61%; Connie Willson and Miriam Regnet, 58%; east-west, Shrikant Joshi and Ron Helfman, 60%; David Young and Tim Hartnett, 56%.

Tonawanda Senior Center Wednesday afternoon – (Tie) Bob and Mike Rupp, Rosemary Bochiechio and Edna Fill, 61.1%; JoAnne Biondo and Ron Fill, 54.1%.

Unit 116 Master Point Leaders for Play in All Venues

Jan. 1, 2026, to May 31, 2026

0-5 Points – Art Ziller, 2.99; Aleksandar Ivanov, 1.71; Jane Arnold, 1.25; (tie) Walter and Ellen Balon, 0.26; Michael Segal, 0.10.

5-20 Points – Frank Dluhy, 11.16; Susan Mann Dolce, 10.28; Linda Marsh, 5.85; Amy Licata, 5.04; Maureen Piasecki, 4.50; Mike Rupp, 4.08; Joan Warren, 3.54; Bob Rupp, 3.27; Ann Bonte, 2.44; Amber Dixon, 0.72; John Brennan, 0.65.

20-50 Points – Julie Mitchell, 28.19; Devon Marlette, 5.79; Gini Sicignano, 3.98; Bill Kross, 3.64; Anthony Girasole, 2.82; Maxine Johnson, 1.14.

50-100 Points – Susan Burns, 9.74; Molly Morris, 9.06; Anne Slater, 6.51; Mike Metzger, 5.73; Kathleen Voigt, 5.24; Mary Berlow, 4.60; Susan Cardamone, 3.32; Elaine Idzik, 2.89; Fran Riordan, 2.51; Jo Ann Smith, 2.44.

100-200 Points – Brian Fleming, 27.96; Mike Meacham, 22.10; Candace Graser, 11.94; Cynthia Tashjian, 10.23; Fran Schmidt, 9.30; Jim Hassett, 8.42; Maria Schory, 6.89; Dennis Daly, 6.57; Ilene Rothman, 6.49; Carol Licata, 6.46.

200-300 Points – Judy McDermid, 14.66; Ethan Xie, 9.24; Betty DeFeo, 3.17; Laura Houghtaling, 2.87.

300-500 Points – David Schott, 24.80; Maria Amlani, 21.82; Joanne Nover, 16.70; Ruth Nawotniak, 7.69; David Whitt, 6.63; Linda Milch, 5.52; Maryann Szafran, 5.17; Carl Hasselback, 4.67; Agi Maisel, 4.23; Eugene Giorgini, 2.10. 

500-1,000 Points – Larry Himelein, 50.39; Jo Nasoff-Finton, 35.17; Sushil Amlani, 25.54; Terry Hamovitch, 25.17; Bram Hamovitch, 25.13; Martha Townson, 21.97; Joyce Frayer, 21.61; Pat Haynes, 19.07; Sharon Wilcox, 17.09; Linda Zittel, 16.91.

1,000-1,500 Points – Bert Feasley, 30.08; Mary Ball, 24.48; Vic Bergsten, 23.83; Paul Zittel, 21.33; Joanne LaFay, 14.59; (tie) Jim Easton, Marilyn Wortzman, 14.17; Ed Morgan, 12.19; Terry Fraas, 11.75; Judie Bailey, 6.67.

1,500-2,500 Points –Jim Lanzo, 66.79; David Colligan, 37.88; Paula Kotowski, 29.62; Pinky Regan, 24.26; Kamil Bishara, 20.05; Howard Foster, 16.27; Tova Reinhorn, 14.91; Rajat Basu, 14.70; Joyce Greenspan, 13.85; Walt Olszewski, 12.25.

2,500-3,500 Points – Dale Anderson, 12.05; Art Morth, 12.03; Fred Yellen, 7.39; Elaine Kurasiewicz, 0.16.

3,500-5,000 Points – Linda Burroughsford, 86.48; John Ziemer, 33.80; Judy Graf, 26.89; Donna Steffan, 25.85; Martha Welte, 18.77; Chongmin Zhang, 6.69; Bill Rushmore, 6.59; Mike Silverman, 3.15; Allen Beroza, 2.70.

More than 5,000 Points – Saleh Fetouh, 373.45; Davis Heussler, 116.07; Dian Petrov, 82.99; Jay Levy, 40.31; Mike Ryan, 39.95; Bud Seidenberg, 34.64; Jay Costello, 34.16; Chris Urbanek, 21.01; Kathy Pollock, 16.05; Glenn Milgrim, 1.80.

A Gold Life Master, Dale Anderson has compiled notes on duplicate bridge activities locally since he began playing in competition more than 20 years ago. He reached a career milestone, 3,000 master points, at the Buffalo Fall Sectional Tournament last September. You can call or text him at 716-860-2305. Email is dahotwings@aol.com.