Duplicate Bridge: Oct. 9, 2021

 

This would have been the week of the Buffalo Regional Tournament, but for the continuing danger of the pandemic. Western New York Unit 116 hopes to be able to hold its next two events face-to-face – the annual meeting Dec. 4 and the Winter Sectional on Jan. 21 to 23. Both are planned for the Main-Transit Fire Hall, 6777 Main St., Amherst.

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The East Aurora Bridge Club has been holding face-to-face games for quite some time now, the only ACBL sanctioned club in the area to hold live competition. Play begins at 10 a.m. Wednesdays in the Aurora Senior Citizens Center, 101 King St., East Aurora. Players must wear masks. For more info, email director Dave Larcom at dmocral@verizon.net.

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In the meantime, players can earn ACBL master points in a variety of games sponsored by local clubs on Bridge Base Online. Info can be found at acbl.org or bridgebase.com.

The Rust Belt Bridge Group, which invites players from Buffalo, Cleveland and Pittsburgh to play on Bridge Base Online, has novice games at 9:45 a.m. Monday to Saturday, with open games at 9:50. To visit the group’s homepage, click this link. For other info, call Dian Petrov at 688-1226 or email dpetrov@roadrunner.com.

The Airport Bridge Club is linked on Bridge Base Online with the Alliance Bridge Club, the ACBL’s largest bridge club, which offers more than a dozen games every day. Anyone who has played at the Airport Club is automatically a member. For more info, visit alliancebridgeclub.com or call Airport Club manager Bill Finkelstein at 603-6943.

The Buffalo Bridge Center offers games at least three days a week – Monday, Tuesday and Thursday – on Bridge Base Online. Open games often are added to the games for beginning players on BBO at 7 p.m. Monday and noon on Tuesday and Thursday. Winners in the open games, which begin a few minutes after the novice games, receive larger point rewards since they are based on the total table count from both sections. For more info, visit the Buffalo Bridge Center website, call 691-6201 or email acting club manager Terry Fraas at tmfraas@gmail.com.

The Delaware Wednesday Club plays under auspices of the Buffalo Bridge Center on Bridge Base Online at 7 p.m. Wednesday. For info, call Ed Harman at 480-1666 or email eharmon@roadrunner.com.

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Tournament calendar

2021

CANCELED: Buffalo Regional – Millennium Buffalo Hotel, 2040 Walden Ave., Cheektowaga. Today, Saturday, Oct. 9, and Sunday, Oct. 10.

CANCELED: Niagara Falls Regional – Crowne Plaza Hotel, 5685 Falls Ave., Niagara Falls, Ont. Tuesday, Nov. 9, to Sunday, Nov. 14. 

CANCELED: Unit 255 Sectional – Niagara-on-the-Lake Community Centre, 14 Anderson Path, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. Friday, Nov. 13, to Sunday, Nov. 15. 

District 5 Winter STaC – Local clubs, if face-to-face play has resumed. Monday, Dec. 6, to Sunday, Dec. 12. 

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Bridge club websites:

Click names for links.

Bridge Center of Buffalo.

Bridge Club Meridian.

Western New York Unit 116.

The Airport Bridge Club does not have a website. For info, call 716-603-6943.

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The Duplicate Bridge column is compiled weekly by News Staff Reporter Dale Anderson. The print version stopped appearing Saturdays in The Buffalo News in March 2020 when the pandemic forced local bridge clubs to halt face-to-face play.

These days you can find it in two places online. Google “Duplicate Bridge” plus the current Saturday date and that should bring up a link to it on buffalonews.com, the Buffalo News website. Another place to find it is on Dale Anderson’s bridge blog at http://newsdupli.blogspot.com/

Deadline for submission of scores and notices is Tuesday night. Email danderson@buffnews.com or dahotwings@aol.com. Office phone is 716-849-4420.

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Now a Gold Life Master, Dale Anderson is playing online these days and has a career total of more than 2,885 master points. Online play doesn’t provide as much drama for his bridge blog as face-to-face competition, but he still writes about his quest for the next measure of achievement, Sapphire Life Master (3,500 points), and other bridge adventures here.

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Duplicate scores from Bridge Base Online
Week of Sept. 27 to Oct. 3

Buffalo Bridge Center Monday evening – 0-750 game. North-south, Margaret Zhou and Joyce Frayer, 64.24%; Janet and David Desmon, 61.46%; Audrey Ray and Ruth Nawotniak, 58.33%; Jo Ann Smith and Maria Schory, 54.51%; east-west, Violet and Jasbeer Makhija, 62.85%; Bev Hall and Gary Keenan, 59.72%; Dorothy Soong and partner, 52.08%; Bonnie Clement and David Schott, 48.26%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday afternoon – 999er game. North-south, Janet Desmon and Joanne Nover, 66.67%; Patricia Konrad and Diane Appleby, 59.58%; Mary Ball and Joyce Frayer, 57.08%; Betsy and Jim Greno, 52.50%; Paula Rosen and Jim McClure, 51.67%; east-west, Amita Arora and Jim Lanzo, 73.33%; Audrey Ray and Sharon Wilcox, 65%; Judy Zeckhauser and Pat Haynes, 57.08%; Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 53.75%; Hannah Weinberg and Judith Babat, 49.58%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday afternoon – 299ers. Martha Cain and Linda Henschel, 60.83%; Laura and John Houghtaling, 60%; Betsy and Jim Greno, 59.58%; Joanne Nover and Janet Desmon, 59.17%; Jennifer Epstein and Susan Eiger, 56.67%; Larry Himelein and David Schott, 55%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday afternoon – Open Game. Martha and John Welte, 58.73%; Mark Pickett and partner, 56.35%; (tie) Mary Ball and Joyce Frayer, Agi Maisel and Tova Reinhorn, 50.79%.

Bridge Club of East Aurora Wednesday morning – Pat Haynes and Joe Miranda, 64%; Martha Townson and Jim Lanzo, 57%; Bill Feasley and Paul Zittel, 52%.

(The Real) Delaware Wednesday evening – (Tie) Henry Chudy and Jeff Bender, 64.81%; Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 54.63%; (tie) Martha Townson and Jim Lanzo, Violet and Jasbeer Makhija, 51.85%.