News and notes for the Buffalo area duplicate bridge community appear weekly here at http://newsdupli.blogspot.com/, usually by midweek.
Is it too soon
to start making plans for the Buffalo Fall Sectional Tournament? It’s taking
place in three weeks, from Friday, Sept. 25, to Sunday, Sept. 27, in the
Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St. off Exit 1 of the northbound I-190. Find
out more about it by clicking this link.
Congratulations
to Chris Urbanek, who earned the most master points among Buffalo players at
the Great Lakes Sectional Tournament Aug. 29 and 30 in Erie, Pa. She collected
6.33 points and was tied for seventh place overall. Also doing well in Erie was
the Swiss team of Mike Ryan, Linda Burroughsford, John Ziemer and Davis
Heussler, who collected 4.75 points apiece.
Two of those Swiss team members – Linda Burroughsford and Mike Ryan – are among the five people nominated by the Unit 116 nominating committee as candidates for election to the board of directors. Also nominated are David Colligan, Jay Levy and Donna Steffan.
Unit members will choose from among
them in an election during the unit's annual meeting on Dec. 5. Want to be a
candidate? Put together a nominating petition, get signatures from at least 25
members in good standing and submit it to the unit's nominating committee at
least 60 days prior to the meeting. That deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 6.
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. Now that the National Football
League season is here, the next party game has been shifted to a Saturday,
Sept. 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.
The fall bridge lessons are about to start up at the Buffalo
Bridge Center. The first one – a 10-week series on popular bidding and playing
conventions – begins this coming Wednesday, Sept. 9, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. A
second 10-week series, an introduction to Basic Bridge, begins Thursday, Oct.
1, from 1 to 3 p.m. And for anyone curious about the game and wondering how to get
into it, there’s a one-time introductory session from 9 a.m. to noon on
Saturday, Sept. 19. For more info, call or text Ruth Nawotniak at 716-949-7574.
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.
Sadly, the Wednesday game, Delaware Wednesday, has been inactive since
mid-March.
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 is bringing back its 199er team championship game
after a two-year absence. It's at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 23, and it’s
open to anyone with fewer than 200 master points as of last Jan.1.
BCON also is starting up new rounds of bridge lessons.
Beginner Bridge with Selina Volpatti kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10,
and continues for eight weeks. Cost is $200 Canadian. For more info, email lessons@bcon.club.
BCON also has a series of six bidding workshops with
Doug Dolbear that are aimed at intermediate and advancing players. First one –
on overcalls and partner response – is at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9. Cost in
Canadian funds is $30 each, $160 for all six. Maximum of 12 students per
session. Register by emailing 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. The Tonawanda Senior
Center game resumes this coming Wednesday, Sept. 9, after being on hiatus for
two weeks.
Upcoming
tournaments
Toronto Labor Day Sectional – St.
Volodymyr Cultural Centre, 1280 Dundas St. West, Oakville, Ont. Today, 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 Aug. 24 to Aug. 30
Buffalo Bridge Center Monday evening – 0-900
game online. (Tie) Candace Graser and Cynthia Tashjian, Jim Hildebrand and
Susan Mann Dolce, 55.56%; Mike and Jim Hassett, 54.63%; David Schott and Fran
Riordan, 50.93%.
Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday morning – 0-1,600
game. North-South, Larry Himelein and David Schott, 68.50%; Pat Haynes and
Maryann Szafran, 62.08%; Ruth Wurster and Mary Terrana, 58%; Paula Rosen and
Jim McClure, 50%; east-west, Linda Milch and Linda Zittel, 68.75%; Julie
Mitchell and Mike Meacham, 56.25%; (tie) Mary Ball and Mike Segal, Betty Metz
and Ruth Nawotniak, 49.58%.
Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning –
Open game. Chris Urbanek and Kamil Bishara, 61.57%; (3-way tie) Martha Welte
and Howard Foster, Donna Steffan and Jim Gullo, John Ziemer and Mike Ryan,
59.72%; Jay Costello and Bud Seidenberg, 53.24%.
Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday morning –
0-2,000 game. North-south, Paula Rosen and Richard McGowan, 60.95%; Betty Metz
and Barbara Landree, 55.24%; Bonnie Clement and David Schott, 52.38%;
east-west, Adrian Figliotti and Audrey Ray, 67.22%; Mary Terrana and Paul
Zittel, 56.67%; Mary Ball and Joyce Frayer, 55%.
Buffalo Bridge Center Friday morning –
Open game. Jay Costello and Bud Seidenberg, 63.19%; Chris Urbanek and Larry
Himelein, 58.33%; Judy Graf and John Ziemer, 57.64%; Donna Steffan and Davis
Heussler, 56.25%; Judy Zeckhauser and Mike Ryan, 52.78%.
Buffalo Bridge Center Saturday afternoon –Open
game. North-south, Judy Graf and Mike Ryan, 60.97%; Jay Levy and Bud
Seidenberg, 60.87%; Barbara Libby and Sandi England, 55.08%; Betty Metz and
Ruth Nawotniak, 54.95%; Davis Heussler and David Colligan, 54.49%; Martha Welte
and Jo Nasoff-Finton, 54.42%; Ann and Joe Williams, 53.27%; Pat Haynes and Agi
Maisel, 53.19%; John Bava and Larry Abatye, 52.28%; east-west, Chris Urbanek
and Dan Gerstman, 67.44%; Maria and Sushil Amlani, 63.33%; Ed Harman and Jim
Lanzo, 61.65%; John Ziemer and Vic Bergsten, 59.76%; Terry and Brian Hamovitch,
55.97%; Linda Zittel and Bert Feasley, 53.53%; Rajat Basu and Mike Silverman,
53%; Mary Terrana and Gordon Crone, 52.56%.
Bridge Club of East Aurora Wednesday
morning – Open game. Jan and Carl Hasselback, 57.29%;
Marueen Cancilla and Mary Smith, 55.21%; Dan Clark and Dave Larcom, 54.17%;
Mary Terrana and Gordon Crone, 52.08%.
Non-sanctioned
clubs
Amherst Senior Center Monday afternoon – North-south,
Edna and Ron Fill, 67%; Cindy Darone and Rich Kayton, 54%; east-west, Jack
Cukierman and Mel Mesnekoff, 63%; Angela Curis and Dan Blatz, 55%.
Amherst Senior Center Friday afternoon – North-south,
Ruth Nawotniak and Betty Metz, 59%; Paul Orosz and Nels Larson, 57%; Shrikant
Joshi and Ron Helfman, 60%; (tie) David Young and Tim Hartnett, Gus Alfano and
James Cook, 54.46%.
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.
