News and notes for the Buffalo area duplicate bridge community appear weekly here at http://newsdupli.blogspot.com/, usually by midweek.
Autumn is the theme of this month’s party game today, Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St. off Exit 1 of the northbound I-190. Snacks at noon, bring some to share. Game at 12:30 p.m.
Need a partner for the party games? The club has
started using a Google form to help players match up. To find it, go to BBC
website and click on Announcements. There you’ll see who’s looking for a
partner, fill out a form and add your name to the list. For more info, contact
Julie Mitchell by calling 845-978-9480 or emailing jkmitchell070121@gmail.com.
Congratulations
to Mike Ryan, Linda Burroughsford, John Ziemer and Davis Heussler, who won the
most master points among Buffalo players Oct. 10 and 11 at the Rochester Fall
Sectional Tournament. As a team in the Swiss team game, they finished third and
earned 3.25 points apiece.
There’s a regular lineup of
in-person games at the Bridge Center from Tuesday through Friday with party
games once a month on weekends, usually on Sundays, except during football
season. Next party game is Saturday, Oct. 17. 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.
Linda Burroughsford will lead the next round of
lessons at the Bridge Center, starting in November. The topic: The two-over-one
bidding system, including the forcing 1 No Trump, rebids and Bergen raises. The
course begins Monday, Nov. 2, and continues most Mondays from 12:30 to 3 p.m.
Cost is $175. For info and sign-up, call or text Linda at 289-241-4449 or email
her at burroughsford@icloud.com.
An online game for players with fewer than 900 master
points is hosted by the Bridge Center at 7 p.m. Monday on RealBridge. For more
info, including a player guide, visit realbridge.online.
In addition, the club hosts a supervised play session
for players who want to gain some experience and get some advice to improve
their game. It’s from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mondays and it’s 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 at 10
a.m. on Tuesdays, which is just for fun. 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.
The Bridge Centre of Niagara
(BCON) in St. Catharines, Ont., offers face-to-face games five days a week and
Saturday nights at its club in Tremont Square opposite the Pen Centre shopping
plaza off Glendale Avenue. Website is bridgewebs.com/Niagara.
Other ACBL sanctioned clubs: Bridge
Club of East Aurora holds an open game 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 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
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.
Finger Lakes Sectional –
Cornell Cooperative Extension, 480 N. Main St., Canandaigua. Saturday, Nov. 7,
and Sunday, Nov. 8. For more info, click this link.
District 5 Sectional Tournament at the
Clubs (STaC) – Participating bridge clubs. (No local
clubs yet.) Monday, Dec. 7, to Sunday, Dec. 13.
Cleveland Rock and Roll Regional –
Embassy Suites Hotel, 5800 Rockside Woods Road, Independence, Ohio. Wednesday,
Jan. 6, 2027, to Sunday, Jan. 10, 2017. For more info, click this link.
Toronto Non-Life Master Regional –
Sheraton Centre Toronto, 123 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ont. Friday, Jan. 8,
2027, to Sunday, Jan. 10, 2027. For more info, click this link.
Toronto New Year’s Sectional –
Sheraton Centre Toronto, 123 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ont. Friday, Jan. 8,
2027, to Sunday, Jan. 10, 2027. For more info, click this link.
Niagara Winter Sectional
– Holiday Inn and Suites, 327 Ontario St., St. Catharines, Ont. Friday, Feb.
19, 2027, to Sunday, Feb. 21, 2027.
Toronto Easter Regional –
Sheraton Centre Toronto, 123 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ont. Tuesday, March 23,
2027, to Sunday, March 28, 2027. For more info, click this link.
Scores
from ACBL Live for Clubs
Week
of Oct. 5 to Oct. 11
Buffalo Bridge Center Monday evening – 0-900
game online. David Schott and Frank Riordan, 58.33%; Laura and John Houghtaling,
54.17%; Jeannine and Michel Dupuis, 52.78%; Bob and Mike Rupp, 50%.
Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday morning – 0-1,600
game. North-south, Fran Hirsch and Bert Feasley, 68.33%; Larry Himelein and
David Schott, 54.58%; Betty Metz and Ruth Nawotniak, 54.17%; east-west, Agi Maisel
and Dennis Daly, 62.08%; Mike Meacham and Julie Mitchell, 57.08%; Linda Milch
and Susan Cardamone, 55%; Mary Ball and Joyce Frayer, 54.17%.
Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning –
Open game. Fred Yellen and Howard Foster, 69.05%; Davis Heussler and David
Colligan, 52.38%; Jay Costello and Bud Seidenberg, 49.40%; Donna Steffan and
Judy Graf, 48.81%.
Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday morning –
0-2,000 game. North-south, Joanne Nover and Bonnie Clement, 59.52%; Joyce
Frayer and Mary Ball, 55.56%; Paul Zittel and Adrian Figliott, 49.60%;
east-west, Ed Morgan and Paula Kotowski, 59.13%; Larry Himelein and David
Schott, 58.33%; Walt Olszewski and Sushil Amlani, 56.75%; Brian Fleming and
Julie Mitchell, 52.38%.
Buffalo Bridge Center Friday morning –
Open game. Jay Costello and Bud Seidenberg, 60.42%; John Ziemer and Mike Ryan,
58.33%; Mary Ball and Donna Steffan, 50%; (tie) Tova and Andrei Reinhorn, Ed
Morgan and Paula Kotowski, 48.96%.
Buffalo Bridge Center Saturday afternoon –
Swiss teams. Martha Welte, Michael Segal, Pat Haynes and Kathy Pyjas, 88
victory points; Marilyn Wortzman, Ilene Rothman, Joyce Frayer and Alice Cooley,
68 vps.
Bridge Club of East Aurora Wednesday
morning – Open game. Paul and Linda Zittel, 60.42%; Joyce Greenspan
and Ruth Wurster, 58.33%; Joanne LaFay and Joe Miranda, 56.25%; (tie) Joe and
Ann Williams, Nancy Kessler and Paula Kotowski, 50%.
Non-sanctioned
clubs
Amherst Senior Center Monday afternoon – North-south,
Nels Larson and Joe Graner, 59%; Violet and Jasbeer Makhija, 54%; east-west,
Walt Olszewski and Ed Drozen, 61%; Jim and Mary Atwood, 59%.
Amherst Senior Center Friday afternoon – North-south,
George Mayers and Shirley Cassety, 62%; Shrikant Joshi and Ron Helfman, 59%;
east-west, Dan Blatz and Will Brick, 58%; Fritz Schweiger and Carol Neuhaus, 54%.
Unit
116 Master Point Leaders for Virtual Club Play online
Jan.
1, 2026, to Sept. 30, 2026
0 – 5 master points – None.
5 – 20 – Mike Rupp, 8.05; Susan
Mann Dolce, 6 even; Bob Rupp, 4.10; Fran Holmes, 2.31; Joan Warren, 1.86; Amy
Licata, 1.62; David Taylor, 0.54.
20 – 50 – Devon
Marlette, 2.39.
50 – 100 – Mike
Metzger, 7.95; Anne Slater, 6.51; Kathleen Voigt, 5.24; Frank Riordan, 4.85; Susan
Burns, 4.33; Jo Ann Smith, 2.44; Elaine Idzik, 2.43; (tie) Cherry Searle, Nancy
Deneen, 0.77.
100 – 200 –
Brian Fleming, 13.89; Jim Hassett, 11.60; Cynthia Tashjian, 11.34; Candace
Graser, 9.61; Maria Schory, 9.33; Amy Habib, 4.09; John Houghtaling, 3.78; Jim
Greno, 1.51; Betsy Greno, 0.97; Ilene Rothman, 0.60.
200 – 300 – Laura
Houghtaling, 3.78.
300 – 500 – Maria
Amlani, 41.69; David Schott, 5.33; Eugene Giorgini, 2.38; Kusum Phadke, 1.36.
500 – 1,000 – (Tie)
Bram Hamovitch, Terry Hamovitch, 37.46; Sushil Amlani, 21.18; Martha Townson,
20.02; Richard McGowan, 11.72; Sharon Wilcox, 7.24; Jeff Bender, 4.50; Henry
Chudy, 3.62; Pat Haynes, 3.17; Ed Harman, 2.08; Joyce Frayer, 1.17; Diana
Smith, 0.22.
1,000 – 1,500 – Vic
Bergsten, 41.41; Mary Ball, 6.04; Bill Rich, 2.05; Bert Feasley, 0.80.
1,500 – 2,500 – Jim
Lanzo, 94.98; Rajat Basu, 1.79; Walt Olszewski, 1.73; John Bava, 0.64; Martin
Pieterse, 0.27.
2,500 – 3,500 – Art
Morth, 8.08.
3,500 – 5,000 – Martha
Welte, 3.63.
Over 5,000 – Saleh
Fetouh, 115.80; Dian Petrov, 14.14; Jay Levy, 6.88.
A Gold Life Master with more than 3,000
master points, Dale Anderson has compiled
notes on duplicate bridge activities locally since he began playing in
competition more than 20 years ago. He also comments on his bridge adventures
on his pages here at blogger.com. You can call or text him at 716-860-2305. Email
is dahotwings@aol.com.



