Buffalo Niagara duplicate bridge notes: August 1, 2026 (revised)

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

Save Saturday, Aug. 29, for the annual ACBL Unit 116 picnic and bridge game. Free picnic lunch is at 11:30 a.m. at the Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St. off Exit 1 of the northbound I-190. Game starts at 12:30 p.m. It’s $10 for unit members, $15 for non-members. You’ll need to register in advance with John Bava. Text or call him at 908-256-6466 or email jbava@roadrunner.com.

Congratulations to Mike Ryan and John Ziemer, who tied for third place in the Rochester Summer Sectional Tournament on July 25 and 26. They earned 11.99 master points. Other Buffalo players doing well in Rochester were Linda Burroughsford and Davis Heussler with 5.57 points.

Next nearby tournament is the Niagara 0-750 Sectional from Friday, Aug. 14, to Sunday, Aug. 16, for players with fewer than 750 master points in the Niagara-on-the-Lake Community Center, 14 Anderson Lane, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. For more info, click this link.

Come fall, the Buffalo Bridge Center will be serving up a new round of lessons. A class on the most common bidding conventions will be held on Wednesday afternoons, beginning in September. October will bring a 10-week class for new and beginning players on Thursday afternoons. And for those curious about the game and wondering how to start playing, a one-time introductory session will be offered from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 19. For more info, call or text Ruth Nawotniak at 716-949-7574. 

The 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 party game is Aug. 16. 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 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

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 Racetrack and Casino, 340 Racetrack Road, Washington, Pa. Monday, Sept. 14, to Sunday, Sept. 20. For more info, click this link.

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 July 20 to July 26

Buffalo Bridge Center Monday evening – 0-900 game online. (Tie) Fran Riordan and David Schott, Mike and Jim Hassett, 50%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday morning – 0-1,600 game. North-South, Audrey Ray and Adrian Figliotti, 55.42%; Pat Haynes and Maryann Szafran, 54.58%; Jim McClure and Fred Hirsch, 52.92%; Jini and John Rubinstein, 52.50%; east-west, Ruth Nawotniak and Richard McGowan, 58.33%; Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 57.50%; Nathan and Bill Kross, 54.17%; Ruth Wurster and Mary Terrana, 52.92%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning – Open game. Jay Costello and Bud Seidenberg, 69.80%; Linda Burroughsford and Jay Levy, 62.96%; Chris Urbanek and Kamil Bishara, 56.77%; John Ziemer and Mike Ryan, 50%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday morning – 0-2,000 game. Jo Nasoff-Finton and Walt Olszewski, 60%; (tie) Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, Joanne Nover and Bonnie Clement, 52.50%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Friday morning – Open game. Judy Graf and Bert Feasley, 58%; Donna Steffan and Davis Heussler, 57%.

Bridge Club of East Aurora Wednesday morning – Open game. Paul Zittel and Jim Lanzo, 59.96%; Joyce Greenspan and Ruth Wurster, 57.78%; Joanne LaFay and Linda Zittel, 56.94%; Jan and Carl Hasselback, 53.71%; Donna Starnes and Pepe Justicia-Linda, 51.15%.

Non-sanctioned clubs

Amherst Senior Center Monday afternoon – North-south, George Mayers and Bill Rogers, 59%; Judie Bailey and Paul Orosz, 53%; east-west, David Young and Tim Hartnett, 59%; Margretta Lisick and Pat Radtke, 53%.

Amherst Senior Center Friday afternoon – North-south, Mary and Jim Atwood, 64%; Paul Orosz and Nels Larson, 60%; east-west, Elaine Wegrzyn and Gus Alfano, 64%; Shrikant Joshi and Ron Helfman, 58%.

Tonawanda Senior Center Wednesday afternoon – Lynda Pettit and Ann Dunlop, 60%; Susan and Harvey Lichtblau, 55%; Judy White and Fritz Schweiger, 50%.

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.

  

Buffalo Niagara duplicate bridge notes: July 25, 2026 (updated)

 

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

No face-to-face games next week at the Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St. off Exit 1 of the northbound I-190. No lessons or supervised play either. Roof repairs. They're supposed to begin Monday, July 27, and continue for five or six days. The parking lot also will be off limits for the duration of the project. The Bridge Center hopes to be back to normal on Monday, Aug. 3.

Elsewhere, the Summer Regional tournament continues in Oakville, Ont., today, Saturday, July 25, and Sunday, July 26. For more info, click this link. Also running today, Saturday, July 25, and Sunday, July 26, is the Rochester Summer Sectional, which takes place in the Gates Community Center, 1605 Buffalo Road (Route 33), Rochester. Info available at this link.

When the roof work is done, the Buffalo Bridge Center will resume a regular lineup of in-person games Tuesday through Friday with party games once a month on weekends, usually on Sundays. Next party game is Aug. 16. 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.

The Buffalo Bridge Center currently has lessons on competitive bidding, covering things like overcalls, pre-emptive bids and doubles, continues Wednesdays at 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. through Aug. 26. For more info, text 716-984-3570. On Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m., there’s another class on popular bidding conventions. It runs through Aug. 27. For that one, text 716-949-7574 for info.

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 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.

Tournament calendar

Oakville Summer Regional – St. Volodymyr Cultural Centre, 1280 Dundas St. West, Oakville, Ont. Continues today, Saturday, July 25, and Sunday, July 26. For more info, click this link.

Rochester Summer Sectional – Gates Community Center, 1605 Buffalo Road (Route 33), Rochester. Today, Saturday, July 25, and Sunday, July 26. For more info, click this link.

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 Racetrack and Casino, 340 Racetrack Road, Washington, Pa. Monday, Sept. 14, to Sunday, Sept. 20. For more info, click this link.

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 July 13 to July 19

Buffalo Bridge Center Monday evening – 0-900 game online. Leslie Deich and Fran Holmes, 69.44%; Fran Riordan and David Schott, 66.67%; Fran Schmidt and Richard McGowan, 55.56%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday morning – 0-1,600 game. North-South, Jini and John Rubenstein, 63.39%; Joanne Nover and Larry Himelein, 55.06%; Ruth Wurster and Mary Terrana, 53.27%; Bonnie Clement and David Schott, 49.40%; east-west, Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 57.74%; Betty Metz and Dennis Daly, 57.44%; Carol Licata and Ilene Rothman, 55.95%; Agi Maisel and Pat Haynes, 52.08%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning – Open game. Chris Urbanek and Kamil Bishara, 72.50%; Judy Graf and Mike Ryan, 70%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday morning – 0-2,000 game. Jo Nasoff-Finton and Walt Olszewski, 62.50%; Adrian Figliotti and Audrey Ray, 58.33%; Larry Himelein and David Schott, 55.56%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Friday morning – Open game. Judy Graf and Mike Ryan, 64.58%; Jim Lanzo and John Ziemer, 55.21%; Tova and Andrei Reinhorn, 53.13%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Sunday afternoon –Open game. North-south, Howard Foster and Mike Ryan, 62.43%; Linda Burroughsford and John Ziemer, 56.88%; Martha Welte and Larry Abate, 49.47%; Sushil Amlani and Jim Lanzo, 48.68%; Julie Mitchell and Walt Olszewski, 48.15%; east-west, Chris Urbanek and Kamil Bishara, 66.37%; Ruth Nawotniak and Joyce Frayer, 56.25%; Tova Reinhorn and Jo Nasoff-Finton, 51.49%; Nathan and Bill Kross, 50.89%; Florence Boyd and Dale Anderson, 49.70%.

Bridge Club of East Aurora Wednesday morning – Open game. Nancy Kessler and Paula Kotowski, 63.55%; Mary Terrana and Gordon Crone, 61.98%; Joanne LaFay and Barbara Booi. 59.72%; (tie) Ann and Joe Williams, Linda and Paul Zittel, 58.85%.

Non-sanctioned clubs

Amherst Senior Center Monday afternoon – North-south, Julie Bailey and Paul Orosz, 63%; Joe Huber and Fritz Schweiger, 57%; east-west, Violet and Jasbeer Makhija, 66%; Ron Helfman and Bob Kaprove, 56%.

Amherst Senior Center Friday afternoon – North-south, Paul Orosz and Nels Larson, 58%; Bobbi and Joe Huber, 56%; east-west, Will Brick and Dan Blatz, 62%; Ellen Lochead and Joan Stankiewicz, 53%.

Tonawanda Senior Center Wednesday afternoon – Rose Bochiechio and Edna Fill, 58.7%; Susan and Harvey Lichtblau, 55%.

Unit 116 Master Point Leaders for Play in All Venues

Jan. 1, 2026, to June 30, 2026

0-5 Points – Art Ziller, 2.99; Aleksandar Ivanov, 1.71; Jane Arnold, 1.25; Barbara Burns, 0.20; Michael Segal, 0.10.

5-20 Points –Susan Mann Dolce, 12.05; 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; John Brennan, 1.43; Amber Dixon, 0.72.

20-50 Points – Julie Mitchell, 36.76; Gini Sicignano, 6.70; Devon Marlette, 5.79; Bill Kross, 4.92; Anthony Girasole, 2.82.

50-100 Points – Molly Morris, 9.81; Susan Burns, 9.74; Anne Slater, 7.07; Mike Metzger, 6.71; Kathleen Voigt, 5.80; Mary Berlow, 4.60; Fran Riordan, 4.58; Susan Cardamone, 4.03; Elaine Idzik, 3.99; Jo Ann Smith, 2.44.

100-200 Points – Brian Fleming, 34.29; Mike Meacham, 28.58; Jack Fuller, 16.35; Candace Graser, 13.03; Fran Schmidt, 10.81; Cynthia Tashjian, 10.57; Ilene Rothman, 9.05; Carol Licata, 8.83; Jim Hassett, 8.71; Dennis Daly, 8.19.

200-300 Points – Judy McDermid, 16.26; Ethan Xie, 9.50; Betty DeFeo, 4.15; Laura Houghtaling, 3.02.

300-500 Points – David Schott, 33.95; Maria Amlani, 29.46; Joanne Nover, 22.68; Ruth Nawotniak, 15.60; Carl Hasselback, 10.11; Agi Maisel, 7.20; Maryann Szafran, 6.64; David Whitt, 6.63; Linda Milch, 6.50; Judy Zeckhauser, 4.52. 

500-1,000 Points – Larry Himelein, 53.95; Jo Nasoff-Finton, 35.17; Terry Hamovitch, 31.60; Bram Hamovitch, 31.56; Sushil Amlani, 28.41; Joyce Frayer, 24.79; Martha Townson, 22.64; Pat Haynes, 22.27; Linda Zittel, 16.46%; Andrei Reinhorn, 19.29%.

1,000-1,500 Points – Bert Feasley, 30.08; Vic Bergsten, 28.40; Mary Ball, 27.02; Paul Zittel, 23.27; Ed Morgan, 19.86; Terry Fraas, 17.78; (tie) Jim Easton, Marilyn Wortzman, 15.69; Joanne LaFay, 15.42; Judie Bailey, 8.05.

1,500-2,500 Points –Jim Lanzo, 75.73; David Colligan, 60.38; Paula Kotowski, 34.12; Kamil Bishara, 30.32; Pinky Regan, 27.56; Tova Reinhorn, 21 even; Rajat Basu, 17.31; Howard Foster, 16.69; Joyce Greenspan, 14.41; Walt Olszewski, 14.12.

2,500-3,500 Points – Dale Anderson, 16.86; Art Morth, 13.30; Fred Yellen, 8.23; Elaine Kurasiewicz, 0.16.

3,500-5,000 Points – Linda Burroughsford, 159.34; John Ziemer, 66.66; Judy Graf, 35.96; Donna Steffan, 28.47; Martha Welte, 22.37; Chongmin Zhang, 6.69; Bill Rushmore, 6.59; Mike Silverman, 3.15; Allen Beroza, 2.70.

More than 5,000 Points – Saleh Fetouh, 455.14; Davis Heussler, 210.59; Dian Petrov, 164.26; Mike Ryan, 76.40; Jay Levy, 63.54; Bud Seidenberg, 43.46; Jay Costello, 42.30; Chris Urbanek, 33.86; Glenn Milgrim, 27.04; Kathy Pollock, 16.05.

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.

Buffalo Niagara duplicate bridge notes: July 18, 2026

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

Next party game is Sunday, July 19, at the Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St., with a summer fun theme. Refreshments at noon, game at 12:30 p.m. $8 members, $12 non-members. It’s also a unit championship game, rewarding winners with extra master points. Bring a snack to share. For partnerships, Julie Mitchell is the contact. Call 845-978-9480 or email jkmitchell070121@gmail.com.

Congratulations to Mike Ryan, who finished first among master point winners in the Buffalo Summer Sectional Tournament July 10 to July 12 in the Buffalo Bridge Center. He had 15.90 points. Runner-up was Fred Yellen, with 14.01 points.

Also doing well were Donna Steffan with 12.51 points, Judy Graf with 12.46 and Howard Foster with 12.15. Also John Ziemer, 9.53; Jay Levy, 9.44; Sushil Amlani, 8.36; Bill Rushmore, 7.56; Larry Abate, 6.55; Kamil Bishara and Chris Urbanek, both with 5.45; and Linda Zittel with 5 even. In all, 58 players earned 228.54 points.

Speaking of tournaments, the Oakville, Ont., Summer Regional gets underway on Tuesday, July 21, and continues to Sunday, July 26. For more info, click this link. 

And the Rochester Summer Sectional takes place next weekend in the Gates Community Center, 1605 Buffalo Road (Route 33), Rochester. Info available at this link.

Want to play face-to-face games in the cool of the evening? If enough players are interested, they could be organized. Email me at dahotwings@aol.com and I’ll pass your message along to people who are trying to start one.

A new round of lessons is underway at the Buffalo Bridge Center. A class on competitive bidding, covering things like overcalls, pre-emptive bids and doubles, continues Wednesdays at 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. through Aug. 26. For more info, text 716-984-3570. On Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m., there’s 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. 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 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

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. For more info, click this link.

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 Racetrack and Casino, 340 Racetrack Road, Washington, Pa. Monday, Sept. 14, to Sunday, Sept. 20. For more info, click this link.

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 July 6 to July 12

Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday morning – 0-1,600 game. North-South, Joanne Nover and David Schott, 63.75%; Ruth Nawotniak and Betty Metz, 58.75%; Jim McClure and Richard McGowan, 48.75%; east-west, Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 59.17%; Linda Milch and Susan Cardamone, 52.50%; Julie Mitchell and Mike Meacham, 50.83%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning – Open game. Chris Urbanek and Kamil Bishara, 62.96%; Mike Ryan and John Ziemer, 61.11%; Jay Costello and Bud Seidenberg, 60.65%; Jay Levy and Mary Ball, 59.72%; Davis Heussler and Glenn Milgrim, 55.09%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday morning – 0-2,000 game. North-south, Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 60.34%; Maryann Szafran and Betty Metz, 53.45%; Joanne Nover and Dennis Daly, 53.01%; east-west, Paula Kotowski and Ed Morgan, 55.65%; Jim McClure and Richard McGowan, 53.30%; Julie Mitchell and Brian Fleming, 51.14%.

Bridge Club of East Aurora Wednesday morning – Open game. Mary Terrana and Gordon Crone, 62.50%; Pat Rasmus and Paul Zittel, 59.38%; Joanne LaFay and Linda Zittel, 57.29%.

Buffalo Summer Sectional: Friday morning open pairs – Howard Foster and Mike Ryan, 63.59%; Jay Levy and Fred Yellen, 62.64%; Judy Gray and Jim Gullo, 62.17%; Chris Urbanek and Kamil Bishara, 61.28%; Vinnie Gupta and Rajiv Tiwary, 60.71%; Jay Costello and Bud Seidenberg, 58.84%; (tie) Sushil Amlani and Larry Abate, Linda Zittel and Joanne LaFay, 57.73%.

Buffalo Summer Sectional: Friday afternoon open pairs – Donna Steffan and John Ziemer, 66.98%; Vinnie Gupta and Rajiv Tiwary, 61.53%; Chris Urbanek and Kamil Bishara, 59.49%; Howard Foster and Mike Ryan, 56.33%; Sushil Amlani and Larry Abate, 55.86%; Mary Terrana and Gordon Crone, 53.66%; Linda Zittel and Joanne LaFay, 50.65%; Jennifer and Howard Epstein, 49.82%.

Buffalo Summer Sectional: Saturday morning stratified pairs – Vinnie Gupta and Rajiv Tiwary, 67.59%; Donna Steffan and Fred Yellen, 67.28%; Jay Levy and David Colligan, 56.58%; Bill Rushmore and Art Morth, 56.38%; Sushil Amlani and Walt Olszewski, 55.35%; Judy Graf and Mike Ryan, 55.09%; Tova and Andrei Reinhorn, 54.94%; Barbara Landree and Betty Metz, 53.70%.

Buffalo Summer Sectional: Saturday afternoon open pairs – Donna Steffan and Fred Yellen, 58.89%; Bill Rushmore and Art Morth, 55.93%; Judy Graf and Mike Ryan, 55.56%; Sushil Amlani and Rajat Basu, 51.48%; Jim Lanzo and Larry Abate, 51.11%; Vinnie Gupta and Rajiv Tiwary, 48.89%.

Buffalo Summer Sectional: Sunday Swiss teams – John Ziemer, Mike Ryan, Howard Foster and Judy Graf, 151 victory points; Joanne Nover, Larry Himelein, David Schott and Bonnie Clement, 150 vps; Jay Levy, Bill Rushmore, Fred Yellen and Kathy Pollock, 147 vps; Linda and Paul Zittel, Joyce Greenspan and Florence Boyd, 98 vps.

Non-sanctioned clubs

Amherst Senior Center Monday afternoon – North-south, Connie Wilson and Miriam Regnet, 61%; Shirley Cassety and George Mayers, 60%; east-west, Mary and Jim Atwood, 58%; (tie) Violet and Jasbeer Makhija, Jack Cukierman and Melvyn Mesnekoff, 57%.

Amherst Senior Center Friday afternoon – North-south, Bobbi and Joe Huber, 63%; Elaine Wegrzyn and George Mayers, 58%; east-west, Jill and Bruce Brown, 70%; Will Brick and Dan Blatz, 62%.

Tonawanda Senior Center Wednesday afternoon – Judy White and Fritz Schweiger, 56.9%; JoAnne Biondo and Ron Fill, 54.1%; Susan and Harvey Lichtblau, 52.7%.

Unit 116 Master Point Leaders for Virtual Club Play

Jan. 1, 2026, to June 30, 2026

0-5 Points – None.

5-20 Points – Susan Mann Dolce, 5.46; Mike Rupp, 4.08; Bob Rupp, 3.27; Joan Warren, 1.86; Amy Licata, 1.62; David Taylor, 0.54; Fran Holmes, 0.48.

20-50 Points – Bill Kross, 7.60; Devon Marlette, 2.39.

50-100 Points – Mike Metzger, 6.71; Anne Slater, 6.51; Kathleen Voigt, 5.24; Susan Burns, 4.33; Fran Riordan, 3.01; Jo Ann Smith, 2.44; Elaine Idzik, 2.28; (tie) Cherry Searle, Nancy Deneen, 0.17.

100-200 Points – Fran Schmidt, 10.81; Cynthia Tashjian, 10.31; Brian Fleming, 9.29; Jim Hassett, 8.64; Candace Graser, 8.58; Maria Schory, 8.09; Amy Habib, 4.09; John Houghtaling, 3.02; Betsy Heuer, 2.13; Jim Greno, 1.51; Betsy Greno, 1.29.

200-300 Points – Judy McDermid, 16.26; Laura Houghtaling, 3.02.

300-500 Points – Maria Amlani, 25.59; David Schott, 3.49; Eugene Giorgini, 1.26; Kusum Phadke, 0.28.

500-1,000 Points – (Tie) Bram Hamovitch, Terry Hamovitch, 22.60; Martha Townson, 16.08; Sushil Amlani, 14.83; Richard McGowan, 11.38; Pat Haynes, 2.29; (tie) Jeff Bender, Henry Chudy, 1.77; Joyce Frayer, 1.17; Ed Harman, 1.16.

1,000-1,500 Points – Vic Bergsten, 25.47; Mary Ball, 6.04; Bill Rich, 2.05; Bert Feasley, 0.80.

1,500-2,500 Points – Jim Lanzo, 63.26; Walt Olszewski, 1.73; Rajat Basu, 0.76; Martin Pieterse, 0.27.

2,500-3,500 Points – Art Morth, 8.08.

3,500-5,000 Points – Martha Welte, 3.16.

More than 5,000 Points – Saleh Fetouh, 100.85; Dian Petrov, 10.30; Jay Levy, 5.98.

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. 

Buffalo Niagara duplicate bridge notes: July 11, 2026

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

The Buffalo Summer Sectional Tournament continues today, Saturday, July 11, at the Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St., with pairs games at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. The tournament wraps up with Swiss teams at 10 a.m. Sunday, July 12. For more info, click this link.

Summer fun is the theme of the next party game at the Buffalo Bridge Center on Sunday, July 19. It’s also a unit championship game, rewarding winners with extra master points. Refreshments at noon, game at 12:30 p.m. $8 members, $12 non-members. Bring a snack to share. For partnerships, Julie Mitchell is the contact. Call 845-978-9480 or email jkmitchell070121@gmail.com.

Whatever happened to face-to-face evening games? They've disappeared, but there's interest in bringing them back if enough players are available. Twenty or 30 years ago, there used to be games almost every evening of the week in the Buffalo area. Email me at dahotwings@aol.com and I’ll pass your message along to people who are trying to organize one.

A new round of lessons is under way at the Buffalo Bridge Center. A class on competitive bidding, covering things like overcalls, pre-emptive bids and doubles, continues Wednesdays at 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. through Aug. 26. For more info, text 716-984-3570. On Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m., there’s 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. 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 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

Buffalo Summer Sectional – Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St. Today, Saturday, July 11, and 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 Racetrack and Casino, 340 Racetrack Road, Washington, Pa. Monday, Sept. 14, to Sunday, Sept. 20. For more info, click this link.

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 29 to July 5

Buffalo Bridge Center Monday evening – 0-900 game online. Bonnie Clement and David Schott, 67.50%; (tie) Jim and Michael Hassett, Richard McGowan and Fran Schmidt, 52.50%; Susan Mann Dolce and Jim Hildebrand, 51.25%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday morning – 0-1,600 game. North-South, Joanne Nover and Larry Himelein, 59.13%; Bonnie Clement and David Schott, 55.56%; Judy Zeckhauser and Jim McClure, 53.97%; Jini and John Rubenstein, 50%; east-west, Marily Wortzman and Jim Easton, 58.33%; Ruth Nawotniak and Richard McGowan, 57.54%; Linda Milch and Susan Cardamone, 55.16%; Maray Ball and Joyce Frayer, 53.57%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning – Open game. Jay Costello and Bud Seidenberg, 61.81%; Chris Urbanek and Kamil Bishara, 58.33%; Martha Welte and Howard Foster, 50.59%; Mike Ryan and John Ziemer, 49.31%; (tie) Ed Morgan and Andrei Reinhorn, Donna Steffan and Judy Graf, 48.61%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday morning – 0-2,000 game. Paula Kotowski and Walt Olszewski, 62.70%; Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 56.35%; Mary Ball and Joyce Frayer, 55.56%; Maryann Szafran and Jim McClure, 54.76%; Larry Himelein and David Schott, 51.89%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Friday morning – Open game. Vic Bergsten and John Ziemer, 61.46%; Martha Welte and Larry Abate, 59.38%; Jay Costello and Bud Seidenberg, 58.33%; Chris Urbanek and Kamil Bishara, 54.63%; Davis Heussler and Howard Foster, 54.17%; Linda Burroughsford and Judy Graf, 51.56%.

Bridge Club of East Aurora Wednesday morning – Open game. Linda and Paul Zittel, 63.54%; Sandi England and Dave Larcom, 60.42%; Nancy Kessler and Paula Kotowski, 57.29%; Maureen Cancilla and Kathy Donnelly, 47.92%.

Non-sanctioned clubs

Amherst Senior Center Monday afternoon – North-south, Paul Orosz and Ron Helfman, 62%; Shirley Cassety and George Mayers, 59%; east-west, Pat Radtke and Nels Larson, 62%; Angela Curtis and Dan Blatz, 55%.

Tonawanda Senior Center Wednesday afternoon – Mike and Bob Rupp, 63.8%; Lynda Pettit and Ann Dunlop, 54.1%.

Unit 116 Master Point Leaders for Club Play

Jan. 1, 2026, to June 30, 2026

0-5 Points – Karl Bauer, 2 even; Jane Arnold, 1.25; Art Ziller, 0.74; Barbara Burns, 0.20; Mike Segal, 0.10.

5-20 Points – Frank Dluhy, 7.57; Susan Mann Dolce, 5.10; Maureen Piasecki, 4.50; Linda Marsh, 3.60; Amy Licata, 3.27; Joan Warren, 1.68; Ann Bonte, 1.49; Amber Dixon, 0.72; John Brennan, 0.65.

20-50 Points – Julie Mitchell, 19.61; Bill Kross, 4.86; Gini Sicignano, 4.64; Devon Marlette, 3.40; Anthony Girasole, 1.85.

50-100 Points – Molly Morris, 9.81; Mary Berlow, 4.60; Susan Burns, 4.15; Susan Cardamone, 4.03; Elaine Idzik, 1.71; (tie) Anne Slater, Kathleen Voigt, 0.56; (tie) Cherry Searle, Nancy Deneen, 0.55; Fran Riordan, 0.53.

100-200 Points – Brian Fleming, 15.05; (tie) Ilene Rothman, Carol Licata, 8.10; Dennis Daly, 5.38; Candace Graser, 4.45; Mike Meacham, 3.57; Pam Righter, 2.98; Donna Starnes, 2.19; Maureen Cancilla, 1.63; Amy Habib, 1.05.

200-300 Points – Betty DeFeo, 3.68.

300-500 Points – David Schott, 25.86; Joanne Nover, 19.94; Agi Maisel, 7.20; Ruth Nowatniak, 6.61; David Whitt, 6.03; Maryann Szafran, 4.96; Linda Milch, 4.78; Carl Hasselback, 4.67; Audrey Ray, 2.91; Judy Zeckhauser, 2.48.

500-1,000 Points – Larry Himelein, 38.65; Jo Nasoff-Finton, 35.17; Joyce Frayer, 17.37; Pat Haynes, 15.17; Linda Zittel, 12.63; Paula Rosen, 10.82; Jim McClure, 9.83; Andrei Reinhorn, 9.45; Wilson McClaren, 9.03; Sharon Wilcox, 8.66.

1,000-1,500 Points – Bert Feasley, 24.23; Paul Zittel, 20.16; Mary Ball, 16.34; Tie) Jim Easton, Marilyn Wortzman, 14.92; Joanne LaFay, 12.33; Terry Fraas, 7.10; Betty Metz, 5.76; Judie Bailey, 4.96.

1,500-2,500 Points – Paula Kotowski, 31.61; Pinky Regan, 25.50; Kamil Bishara, 18.15; Howard Foster, 12.94; Walt Olszewski, 12.39; Tova Reinhorn, 11.16; Nancy Kessler, 10:31; Sandi England, 10.10; David Colligan, 9.76; Joyce Greenspan, 8.61.

2,500-3,500 Points – Dale Anderson, 13.77; Fred Yellen, 2.99.

3,500-5,000 Points – Judy Graf, 24.35; Donna Steffan, 23.18; Linda Burroughsford, 20.15; John Ziemer, 18.65; Martha Welte, 13.39; Chongmin Zhang, 3.94; Allen Beroza, 2.70.

More than 5,000 Points – Davis Heussler, 27.10; Bud Seidenberg, 26.06; Mike Ryan, 25.45; Jay Costello, 24.90; Chris Urbanek, 17.25; Saleh Fetouh, 12.90; Kathy Pollock, 6.33; Jay Levy, 4.20; (tie) Glenn Milgrim, Dian Petrov, 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.