Buffalo Niagara duplicate bridge notes: October 31. 2026

 

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

The Niagara Open Sectional Tournament begins with pairs games at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, in the Community Centre in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., on Anderson Lane off Mississauga Street on the western end of the village. Next Saturday, Nov. 7, sees pairs games at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., followed by Swiss teams at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8. For more info, click this link.

There’s also a sectional tournament on this side of the border next weekend. The Finger Lakes Sectional will be held next Saturday, Nov. 7, and Sunday, Nov. 8, at the Cornell Cooperative Extension, 480 N. Main St., Canandaigua. Pairs games are at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday. Sunday it’s Swiss teams at 10 a.m. For more info, click this link. 

A 10-week course on the two-over-one bidding system taught Linda Burroughsford begins Monday, Nov. 2, at the Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St. off Exit 1 of the northbound I-190. Topics covered include the forcing 1 No Trump bid, rebids and Bergen raises. Classes will be held on 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.

Next party game at the Buffalo Bridge Center is Saturday, Nov. 14, and includes the club’s annual meeting. Refreshments and meeting begin at 11:30 a.m. Bring snacks to share. Game starts at 12:30 p.m. Free for club members, $12 for non-members. 

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 can 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.

There’s a regular lineup of in-person games at the Buffalo Bridge Center from Tuesday through Friday with party games once a month on weekends, usually on Sundays, except during football season. 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.

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. Next 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. 19 to Oct. 25

Buffalo Bridge Center Monday evening – 0-900 game online. Jim Hildebrand and Susan Mann Dolce, 66.67%; Frank Riordan and David Schott, 57.41%; Terry Camp and Margorie Grime, 48.15%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday morning – 0-1,600 game. North-south, Joanne Nover and David Schott, 68.61%; Larry Himelein and Bonnie Clement, 60.11%; Ilene Rothman and Carol Licata, 50.92%; east-west, Agi Maisel and Dennis Daly, 66.75%; Linda Milch and Susan Cardamone, 58.71%; Mike Meacham and Julie Mitchell, 53.36%; Brian Universal and Bob Mampe, 51.57%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning – Open game. Mike Ryan and Judy Graf, 61.11%; John Ziemer and Linda Burroughsford, 56.94%; Chris Urbanek and Kamil Bishara, 56.25%; Donna Steffan and Bud Seidenberg, 54.17%; Howard Foster and Martha Welte, 49.31%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday morning – 0-2,000 game. Betty Metz and Tony Girasole, 58.73%; Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 56.35%; Joanne Nover and Bonnie Clement, 53.17%.

Bridge Club of East Aurora Wednesday morning – Open game. Gordon Crone and Mary Terrana, 61.46%; Carl and Jan Hasselback, 59.38%; Joyce Greenspan and Joe Miranda, 54.17%.

Non-sanctioned clubs

Amherst Senior Center Monday afternoon – North-south, George Mayers and Shirley Cassety, 57%; Paul Orosz and Judie Bailey, 55%; east-west, David Young and Tim Hartnett, 61%; Fritz Schweiger and Joe Huber, 59%.

Amherst Senior Center Friday afternoon – North-south, Betty Metz and Fran Kurtz, 62.4%; George Mayers and Shirley Cassety, 61.9%; east-west, Dan Blatz and Will Brick, 60%; Bill Rogers and Ruth Nawotniak, 56%.

Tonawanda Senior Center Wednesday afternoon – Susan and Harvey Lichtblau, 72%; Mike and Bob Rupp, 65%.

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.

 

 

Buffalo Niagara duplicate bridge notes: October 24, 2026

 

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

Linda Burroughsford will lead the next round of lessons, starting Monday, Nov. 2, at the Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St. off Exit 1 of the northbound I-190. She will cover the two-over-one bidding system, including the forcing 1 No Trump, rebids and Bergen raises. The 10-week course will be held on 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.

Next party game at the Buffalo Bridge Center will be held on Saturday, Nov. 14, and includes the club’s annual meeting. Refreshments and meeting begin at 11:30 a.m. Bring snacks to share. Game starts at 12:30 p.m. Free for club members, $12 for non-members. 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 can 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.

There’s a regular lineup of in-person games at the Buffalo 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, Nov. 14. 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.

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. 12 to Oct. 18

Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday morning – 0-1,600 game. North-south, Larry Himelein and David Schott, 61.23%; Joanne Nover and Bonnie Clement, 59.18%; Ilene Rothman and Julie Mitchell, 57.48%; Brian Fleming and Mike Meacham, 55.10%; Audrey Ray and Adrian Figliotti, 51.02%; Betty DeFeo and Bert Feasley, 51.02%; east-west, Brian Universal and Bob Mampe, 72.02%; Gordon Crone and Mary Terrana, 62.50%; Linda Milch and Linda Zittel, 54.46%; Agi Maisel and Pat Haynes, 51.79%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning – Open game. Jay Costello and Bud Seidenberg, 65.63%; Jo Nasoff-Finton and Fred Yellen, 59.38%; Betty Metz and Andrei Reinhorn, 55.21%; Tova Reinhorn and Rajat Basu, 50%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday morning – 0-2,000 game. Audrey Ray and Ed Morgan, 64.01%; Agi Maisel and Pat Haynes, 59.79%; Paul Zittel and Joyce Greenspan, 52.38%; Julie Mitchell and Brian Fleming, 51.85%; Walt Olszewski and Ed Drozen, 51.63%; Joanne Nover and Bonnie Clement, 51.32%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Friday morning – Open game. (Tie) Donna Steffan and Linda Burroughsford, Jay Costello and Bud Seidenberg, 57%; (tie) Mike Ryan and Bert Feasley, John Ziemer and Jim Lanzo, 49%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Saturday afternoon – North-south, Joyce Greenspan and Tony Girasole, 60.42%; Chris Urbanek and Kamil Bishara, 55.36%; Howard Foster and Mike Ryan, 51.49%; Ruth Nawotniak and Julie Mitchell, 49.40%; east-west, John Ziemr and Vic Bergsten, 63.99%; Tova and Andrei Reinhorn, 59.52%; Davis Heussler and Brian Fleming, 57.14%; Walt Olszewski and Jo Nasoff-Fenton, 55.06%.

Bridge Club of East Aurora Wednesday morning – Open game. Dan Clark and Dave Larcom, 57.40%; Carl and Jan Hasselback, 54.17%; Joanne LaFay and Linda Zittel, 53.69%; Joe and Ann Williams, 51.17%; Jim Lanzo and Eugene Giorginin, 49.54%.

Non-sanctioned clubs

Amherst Senior Center Friday afternoon – North-south, George Mayers and Shirley Cassety, 56.3%; Ellen Lochead and Joan Stankiewicz, 55.7%; east-west, Mary and Jim Atwood, 70%; Dan Blatz and Will Brick, 54%.

Unit 116 Master Point Leaders for Play in All Venues

Jan. 1, 2026, to Sept. 30, 2026

0-5 Points – Alex Ivanov, 5.18; Jane Arnold, 1.65; Kathy Pyjas, 0.58; Mike Segal, 0.42; Barbara Burns, 0.20; Jeanne Vilz, 0.18; Elaine Rinfrette, 0.08; Cathy Hetzler, 0.04.

5-20 Points –Susan Mann Dolce, 14.08; Mike Rupp, 8.85; Amy Licata, 5.82; Bob Rupp, 4.90; Maureen Piasecki, 4.50; Joan Warren, 3.54; Ann Bonte, 2.92; Fran Holmes, 2,32; John Brennan, 1.71; Pat Wolcott, 0.77; Amber Dixon, 0.72; David Taylor, 0.54.

20-50 Points – Julie Mitchell, 60.43; Bill Kross, 8.07; Gini Sicignano, 6.89; Devon Marlette, 5.96; Tony Girasole, 4.41.

50-100 Points – Susan Burns, 11.21; Molly Morris, 9.81; Mike Metzger, 7.95; Anne Slater, 7.45; Frank Riordan, 6.94; Kathleen Voigt, 5.80; Susan Cardamone, 5.38; Mary Berlow, 4.94; Elaine Idzik, 4.14; Jo Ann Smith, 2.79; (tie) Cherry Searle, Nancy Deneen, 1.32; Pepe Justicia-Linde, 0.53.

100-200 Points – Brian Fleming, 52.45; Mike Meacham, 50.15; Jack Fuller, 35.82; Candace Graser, 14.06; Ilene Rothman, 13.70; Jim Hassett, 11.70; Cynthia Tashjian, 11.60; Dennis Daly, 11.42; Carol Licata, 9.61; Maria Schory, 9.33; Pam Righter, 6.46; Maureen Cancilla, 6.30; Amy Habib, 5.14; John Houghtaling, 3.78; Donna Starnes, 2.71; Joan Ciszak, 1.62; Jim Greno, 1.51; Betsy Greno, 0.97.

200-300 Points – Ethan Xie, 23.26; Betty DeFeo, 6.16; Laura Houghtaling, 3.78.

300-500 Points – Maria Amlani, 52.64; David Schott, 51.64; Joanne Nover, 38.56; Ruth Nawotniak, 27.99; Carl Hasselback, 14.42; Audrey Ray, 13.99; (tie) Maryann Szafran, Agi Maisel, 13.11; Stuart Caswell, 9.19; Linda Milch, 9.13; David Whitt, 6.63; Judy Zeckhauser, 5 even; Eugene Giorgini, 3.22; Kusum Phadke, 1.36. 

500-1,000 Points – Larry Himelein, 69.90; Sushil Amlani, 50.38; Jo Nasoff-Finton, 50.09; Terry Hamovitch, 48.25; Bram Hamovitch, 48.21; Linda Zittel, 43.70; Joyce Frayer, 39.07; Sharon Wilcox, 37.99; Pat Haynes, 31.21; Martha Townson, 29.44; Andrei Reinhorn, 27.74; Mary Terrana, 23.21; Gordon Crone, 22.19; Richard McGowan, 21.34; Ruth Wurster, 19.33; Paula Rosen, 16.83; Jim McClure, 15.29; Jan Hasselback, 14.42; Ed Harman, 9.53; Wilson McClaren, 9.03; Donna Pottle, 9 even; Barbara Landree, 7.18; Florence Boyd, 7.17; Dave Larcom, 6.33; Jeff Bender, 4.50; Henry Chudy, 3.62; Brian Universal, 3.45; Dan Clark, 3.41; Diana Smith, 2.80; Ed Drozen, 1.70.

1,000-1,500 Points – Vic Bergsten, 48.04; Paul Zittel, 41.49; Bert Feasley, 41.47; Mary Ball, 39.40; Ed Morgan, 30.58; Larry Abate, 30.50; Joanne LaFay, 28.26; Terry Fraas, 24.70; (tie) Jim Easton, Marilyn Wortzman, 21.19; Betty Metz, 15.31; Adrian Figliotti, 12.23; Judie Bailey, 10.93; Cathy Majewski, 7.60; Bill Rich, 2.05.

1,500-2,500 Points –Jim Lanzo, 122.12; David Colligan, 85.90; Kamil Bishara, 62.26; Howard Foster, 50.59; Paula Kotowski, 48.73; Rajat Basu, 34.52; Tova Reinhorn, 31.91; Joyce Greenspan, 22.04; Walt Olszewski, 22 even; Nancy Kessler, 19.68; Sandi England, 16.30; John Bava, 7.96; Martin Pieterse, 7.61; Bill Finkelstein, 6.63; Judy Kaprove, 5.44; Barbara Pieterse, 4.79; Sue Bergman, 1.69.

2,500-3,500 Points – Fred Yellen, 31.52; Art Morth, 23.62; Dale Anderson, 23.60; Elaine Kurasiewicz, 1.54.

3,500-5,000 Points – Linda Burroughsford, 214.55; John Ziemer, 123.28; Judy Graf, 74.28; Donna Steffan, 61.19; Martha Welte, 44.07; Bill Rushmore, 22.25; Chongmin Zhang, 6.69; Brian Meyer, 4.81; Mike Silverman, 3.59; Allen Beroza, 2.70; Barbara Libby, 1.03.

More than 5,000 Points – Saleh Fetouh, 750.16; Davis Heussler, 319.98; Dian Petrov, 233.90; Mike Ryan, 152.88; Dan Gerstman, 130.96; Jay Levy, 108.70; Chris Urbanek, 81.68; Jay Costello, 76.57; Bud Seidenberg, 71.29; Kathy Pollock, 27.35; Glenn Milgrim, 27.04.

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.

 

Buffalo Niagara duplicate bridge notes: October 17, 2026

 

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.

Buffalo Niagara duplicate bridge notes: October 10, 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 at the Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St. off Exit 1 of the northbound I-190, is next Saturday, Oct. 17, and it has an Autumn theme. Bring snacks to share at noon. Game at 12:30 p.m. Need a partner for the party game? 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.

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.

A new 10-week series of bridge lessons the Bridge Center, an introduction to Basic Bridge, began Thursday, Oct. 1, from 1 to 3 p.m. For more info, call or text Ruth Nawotniak at 716-949-7574.

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.

BCON has a series of bidding workshops at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesdays with Doug Dolbear that are aimed at intermediate and advancing players. Cost in Canadian funds is $30 each. Maximum of 12 students per session. For more info and registration, email dougdolbear@gmail.com.

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

Rochester Fall Sectional – Gates Community Center, 1605 Buffalo Road (Route 33), Rochester. Today, Saturday, Oct. 10, and Sunday, Oct. 11. For more info, click this link.

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 Sept. 28 to Oct. 4

Buffalo Bridge Center Monday evening – 0-900 game online. Leslie Deich and Fran Holmes, 60%; Laura and John Houghtaling, 56.25%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday morning – 0-1,600 game. North-south, Ruth Nawotniak and Richard McGowan, 72.57%; Barbara Landree and Paul Zittel, 54.14%; Audrey Ray and Ed Morgan, 50.89% Joanne Nover and Larry Himelein, 48.01%; east-west, Julie Mitchell and Mike Meacham, 63.44%; Agi Maisel and Dennis Daly, 55.70%; Mary Ball and Joyce Frayer, 55.65%; Linda Milch and Susan Cardamone, 51.86%; Kathy Pyjas and Jennifer Nassivera, 51.24%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning – Open game. Chris Urbanek and Kamil Bishara, 59.38%; Jo Nasoff-Finton and Fred Yellen, 56.25%; John Ziemer and Mike Ryan, 54.17%; Judy Graf and Bud Seidenberg, 53.13%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday morning – 0-2,000 game. North-south, Joanne Nover and Bonnie Clement, 57.14%; Audrey Ray and Adrian Figliotti, 55.95%; Paula Rosen and Linda Milch, 52.78%; Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 51.59%; east-west, Larry Himelein and David Schott, 61.11%; Jim McClure and Richard McGowan, 55.56%; Paula Kotowski and Walt Olszewski, 49.60%; Julie Mitchell and Brian Fleming, 49.21%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Friday morning – Open game. John Ziemer and Vic Bergsten, 62%; Jay Costello and Bud Seidenberg, 59%; Mike Ryan and Jim Gullo, 53%.

Bridge Club of East Aurora Wednesday morning – Open game. Joanne LaFay and Sandi England, 66.07%; Paula Kotowski and Ed Morgan, 64.88%; Mary Terrana and Gordon Crone, 54.76%; Dan Clark and Dave Larcom, 50%.

Non-sanctioned clubs

Amherst Senior Center Monday afternoon – North-south, (Tie) Paul Orosz and Judie Bailey, Bruce and Jill Brown, 58.04%; (tie) George Mayers and Karen Synor, Rich Kayton and Cindy Darone, 52.79%; east-west, Jim Cook and Gus Alfano, 60%; Will Brick and Dan Blatz, 59%.

Amherst Senior Center Friday afternoon – North-south, Paul Orosz and Nels Larson, 64%; Bruce and Jill Brown, 56%; east-west, Rich Kayton and Ted Kotlarz, 59%; Ruth Nawotniak and Julie Mitchell, 56%.

Tonawanda Senior Center Wednesday afternoon – Rose Bochiechio and Edna Fill, 55%; Lynda Pettit and Ann Dunlop, 52.5%; Susan and Harvey Lichtblau, 51.25%.

Unit 116 Master Point Leaders for Club Play

Jan. 1, 2026, to Sept. 30, 2026

Players with 0 – 5 master points – Alex Ivanov, 1.87; Jane Arnold, 1.65; Kathy Pyjas, 0.58; Mike Segal, 0.32; Barbara Burns, 0.20.

5 – 20 – Susan Mann Dolce, 6.59; Maureen Piasecki, 4.50; Amy Licata, 4.20; Ann Bonte, 1.97; Joan Warren, 1.68; John Brennan, 0.93; Pat Wolcott, 0.75; Amber Dixon, 0.72.

20 – 50 – Julie Mitchell, 33.31; Bill Kross, 7.90; Gini Sicignano, 4.83; Devon Marlette, 3.57; Anthony Girasole, 3.44.

50 – 100 – Molly Morris, 9.81; Susan Burns, 5.62; Susan Cardamone, 5.38; Mary Berlow, 4.94; Elaine Idzik, 1.71; Frank Riordan, 1.05; Anne Slater, 0.91; Kathleen Voigt, 0.56; (tie) Cherry Searle, Nancy Deneen, 0.55; Pepe Justicia-Linde, 0.53; Jo Ann Smith, 0.35.

100 – 200 – Brian Fleming, 19.19; Mike Meacham, 11.95; Ilene Rothman, 9.77; Carol Licata, 8.88; Dennis Daly, 8.61; Maureen Cancilla, 6.30; Pam Righter, 4.77; Candace Graser, 4.45; Donna Starnes, 2.51; Joan Ciszak, 1.62; Amy Habib, 1.05; Cynthia Tashjian, 0.26.

200 – 300 – Betty DeFeo, 5.69.

300 – 500 – David Schott, 35.45; Joanne Nover, 30.51; Ruth Nawotniak, 17.62; Agi Maisel, 13.11; Maryann Szafran, 11.43; Audrey Ray, 11.42; Carl Hasselback, 8.98; Linda Milch, 7.41; David Whitt, 6.03; Maria Amlani, 5.07; Judy Zeckhauser, 2.96; Eugene Giorgini, 0.84.

500 – 1,000 – Larry Himelein, 50.43; Jo Nasoff-Finton, 47.09; Linda Zittel, 27.86; Joyce Frayer, 27.83; Pat Haynes, 22.79; Mary Terrana, 19.20; Gordon Crone, 18.18; Andrei Reinhorn, 16.39; Sushil Amlani, 13.41; Paula Rosen, 13.25; Jim McClure, 12.73; Ruth Wurster, 12.46; Richard McGowan, 9.62; Wilson McClaren, 9.03; Jan Hasselback, 8.98; Sharon Wilcox, 8.66; Donna Pottle, 7.74; (tie) Bram Hamovitch, Terry Hamovitch, 7.10; Dave Larcom, 6.33; Barbara Landree, 5.16; Brian Universal, 3.45; Dan Clark, 3.41; Ed Harman, 2.61; Diana Smith, 2.24; Florence Boyd, 2.20; Ed Drozen, 1.70.

1,000 – 1,500 – Paul Zittel, 35.18; Bert Feasley, 30.85; Mary Ball, 24.10; (tie) Jim Easton, Marilyn Wortzman, 20.41; Joanne LaFay, 19.17; Larry Abate, 14.80; Ed Morgan, 13.98; Betty Metz, 13.29; Adrian Figliotti, 11.43; Terry Fraas, 8.70; Judie Bailey, 7.84; Vic Bergsten, 6.63; Cathy Majewski, 1.66.

1,500 – 2,500 – Paula Kotowski, 41.48; Kamil Bishara, 38.22; Howard Foster, 27.15; Tova Reinhorn, 20.56; Nancy Kessler, 17.51; Walt Olszewski, 16.84; Sandi England, 15.19; Joyce Greenspan, 14.23; David Colligan, 14.06; Jim Lanzo, 8.99; Rajat Basu, 7.30; Bill Finkelstein, 6.63; Judy Kaprove, 5.44; (tie) Barbara Pieterse, Martin Pieterse, 4.19; Sue Bergman, 1.69; John Bava, 0.43.

2,500 – 3,500 – Dale Anderson, 20.05; Fred Yellen, 7.04; Elaine Kurasiewicz, 1.38.

3,500 – 5,000 – Judy Graf, 38.06; John Ziemer, 35.84; Martha Welte, 32.10; Donna Steffan, 31.07; Linda Burroughsford, 28.89; Chongmin Zhang, 3.94; Allen Beroza, 2.70; Barbara Libby, 1.03; Mike Silverman, 0.44.

Over 5,000 – Mike Ryan, 55.77; Bud Seidenberg, 43.21; Davis Heussler, 41.75; Chris Urbanek, 41.37; Jay Costello, 40.32; Saleh Fetouh, 14.17; Jay Levy, 9.93; Kathy Pollock, 8.99; Dan Gerstman, 4.64; Glenn Milgrim, 1.80.

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.