Duplicate Bridge: Jan. 1, 2022

 

Still on the calendar, pandemic permitting, is the Buffalo Winter Sectional Tournament, scheduled for Friday, Jan. 21, to Sunday, Jan. 23, in the banquet hall of the Main-Transit Fire Hall, 6777 Main St., Amherst. For more info, click this link.

The ACBL has declared that masks are required for everyone playing in tournaments, along with proof of vaccination. District 5 has sent out a notice that this order will be in effect at the Rock & Roll Regional in Cleveland from Wednesday, Jan. 5, to Sunday, Jan. 9.

“You will have to wear a mask covering your nose and mouth. Single layered cloths are not acceptable,” District president and tournament chairman Jim Overcasher said in an email. “We are sorry for the inconvenience, but we have to follow ACBL guidelines.”

• • •

Face-to-face games in the bridge clubs are closing down because of Covid again. The Bridge Center of Buffalo has moved its game at noon Thursday back to Bridge Base Online. Master point limit is 1,500. For the moment, the club is continuing its other face-to-face games – a 999er game at noon Tuesday, an open game at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday and an open game at 10:30 a.m. Friday. Attendance is ranging from three to five tables.

Continuing on Bridge Base Online are the club’s 0-750 master point game at 7 p.m. Mondays and the Delaware Wednesday game at 7 p.m. Wednesday for players with fewer than 2,000 points. For more info, visit the Buffalo Bridge Center website, call 716-691-6201 or email acting club manager Terry Fraas at tmfraas@gmail.com.

• • •

The Bridge Centre of Niagara in St. Catharines, Ont., has stopped holding its in-person games on Wednesdays and Thursdays due to Covid-19. All of the club’s games are back on Bridge Base Online. When will face-to-face play return? The board of directors will discuss it later this month.

• • •

The East Aurora Bridge Club has been holding face-to-face games for more than a year. Play begins at 10 a.m. Wednesdays in the Aurora Senior Citizens Center, 101 King St., East Aurora. Players must wear masks. Attendance is generally three or four tables. For more info, email director Dave Larcom at dmocral@verizon.net.

Also back to in-person play is the Lockport Duplicate Club. Games begin at 1 p.m. Saturdays in the Dale Center, 33 Ontario St., Lockport. For info, call Dian Petrov at 716-668-1226.

• • •

Players who aren’t comfortable with face-to-face play or who are not vaccinated 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 716-688-1226 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 716-603-6943.

The Delaware Wednesday Club plays on Bridge Base Online under auspices of the Buffalo Bridge Center at 7 p.m. Wednesday. For info, call Ed Harman at 716-480-1666 or email eharmon@roadrunner.com.

• • •

Tournament calendar

2022

Cleveland Rock and Roll Regional – Embassy Suites Hotel, 5800 Rockside Woods Blvd., Independence, Ohio. Wednesday, Jan. 5, to Sunday, Jan. 9. For more info, click this link.

Buffalo Winter Sectional – Main-Transit Fire Hall, 6777 Main St., Amherst. Friday, Jan. 21, to Sunday, Jan. 23. For more info, click this link.

St. Catharines Sectional – Holiday Inn & Suites Parkway Conference Center, 327 Ontario St., St. Catharines, Ont. Friday, Feb. 11, to Sunday, Feb. 13. For info, click this link.

• • •

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.

• • •

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.

• • •

Now a Gold Life Master, Dale Anderson is playing online these days and has a career total of nearly 2,900 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.

• • •

Duplicate scores from Bridge Base Online
Week of Dec. 20 to Dec. 26

Buffalo Bridge Center Monday evening – 0-750 game. Larry Himelein and David Schott, 65.28%; Paula Rosen and Linda Milch, 63.19%; Violet and Jasbeer Makhija, 56.94%; Jennifer and Howard Eptstein, 52.08%; Jim and Michael Hassett, 51.39%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday afternoon – 0-1,150 game. Jim McClure and Richard McGowan, 60%; Sol Messinger and John Marvin, 52.50%; Pat Haynes and David Schott, 47.50%.  

Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning – Open game. Donna Steffan and John Sinclair, 62.35%; Sharon Benz and Stan Kozlowski, 55.36%; Chris Urbanek and Sue Neubecker, 54.32%; Howard Foster and Davis Heussler, 51.19%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday morning – 0-1,500 game. North-south, Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 63.49%; John Bava and Rajat Basu, 56.98%; Violet Makhija and Judy Zeckhauser, 56.35%; Larry Himelein and David Schott, 53.57%; east-west, Agi Maisel and Tova Reinhorn, 57.14%; Paul Rosen and Jim McClure, 53.18%.

Bridge Club of East Aurora Wednesday morning – Linda and Paul Zittel, 61.46%; Dan Clark and Dave Larcom, 60.42%; Renee Cancilla and Peggy Meade, 51.04%.

Delaware Wednesday evening – North-south, Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 70.83%; Violet and Jasbeer Makhija, 58.33%; Jan O’Mara and Bill Rich, 55.56%; Henry Chudy and Jeff Bender, 50%; Jennifer and Howard Epstein, 48.61%.

Duplicate Bridge: Dec. 25, 2021

 

Face-to-face games in the bridge clubs are closing down because of Covid again. The Bridge Center of Buffalo has moved its game at noon Thursday back to Bridge Base Online. Master point limit is 1,500. For the moment, the club is continuing its other face-to-face games – a 999er game at noon Tuesday with lessons at 11 and 11:30 a.m.; an open game at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday; and an open game at 10:30 a.m. Friday. Attendance is ranging from three to five tables.

Continuing on Bridge Base Online are the club’s 0-750 master point game at 7 p.m. Mondays and the Delaware Wednesday game at 7 p.m. Wednesday for players with fewer than 2,000 points. For more info, visit the Buffalo Bridge Center website, call 716-691-6201 or email acting club manager Terry Fraas at tmfraas@gmail.com.

• • •

Still on the calendar, pandemic permitting, is the Buffalo Winter Sectional Tournament, scheduled for Friday, Jan. 21, to Sunday, Jan. 23, in the social hall of the Main-Transit Fire Hall, 6777 Main St., Amherst. For more info, click this link.

• • •

The Bridge Centre of Niagara in St. Catharines, Ont., has stopped holding its in-person games on Wednesdays and Thursdays due to Covid-19. All of the club’s games are back on Bridge Base Online. When will face-to-face play return? The board of directors will discuss it next month.

• • •

The East Aurora Bridge Club has been holding face-to-face games for more than a year. Play begins at 10 a.m. Wednesdays in the Aurora Senior Citizens Center, 101 King St., East Aurora. Players must wear masks. Attendance is generally three or four tables. For more info, email director Dave Larcom at dmocral@verizon.net.

Also back to in-person play is the Lockport Duplicate Club. Games begin at 1 p.m. Saturdays in the Dale Center, 33 Ontario St., Lockport. For info, call Dian Petrov at 716-668-1226.

• • •

In-person games also are held twice a week at the Bridge Centre of Niagara, in a plaza at 2 Tremont Drive, St. Catharines, Ont., off Glendale Avenue across from the Pen Centre Mall. There’s an open game at 1 p.m. Wednesday and a 499er game at 1 p.m. Thursday. The Wednesday game has been filling nine to 13 tables, while the Thursday game is seeing six to nine tables. Proof of vaccination and masks required. Americans crossing into Canada also will need an approved test to guarantee that they are virus-free. For those who can’t attend, the club also hosts several games on Bridge Base Online throughout the week. See the schedule at https://www.bridgewebs.com/niagara.

• • •

Players who aren’t comfortable with face-to-face play or who are not vaccinated 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 716-688-1226 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 716-603-6943.

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 716-480-1666 or email eharmon@roadrunner.com.

• • •

Tournament calendar

2022

Cleveland Rock and Roll Regional – Embassy Suites Hotel, 5800 Rockside Woods Blvd., Independence, Ohio. Wednesday, Jan. 5, to Sunday, Jan. 9. For more info, click this link.

Buffalo Winter Sectional – Main-Transit Fire Hall, 6777 Main St., Amherst. Friday, Jan. 21, to Sunday, Jan. 23. For more info, click this link.

• • •

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.

• • •

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.

• • •

Now a Gold Life Master, Dale Anderson is playing online these days and has a career total of nearly 2,900 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.

• • •

Duplicate scores from Bridge Base Online
Week of Dec. 13 to Dec. 19

Buffalo Bridge Center Monday evening – 0-750 game. North-south, Paula Rosen and Linda Milch, 73.68%; James and Michael Hassett, 58.07%; Jo Ann Smith and Maria Schory, 53.04%; east-west, Violet and Jasbeer Makhija, 59.92%; Ruth Nawotniak and Richard McGowan, 58.20%; Leslie Deich and Mary Holmes, 56.75%; Jennifer and Howard Epstein, 50.13%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday afternoon – 0-1,150 game. (Tie) Pat Haynes and Audrey Ray, John Marvin and Sol Messinger, 56.25%; Larry Himelein and David Schott, 51.25%.  

Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning – Swiss teams. Bala Srinivasan, Georganne Mackaronis and partners, 97 victory points; Jim Greno, David Taylor and partners, 80 vps; Terry and Bram Hamovitch, Bonnie Clement and Agi Maisel, 69 vps.

Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning – Open game. Chris Urbanek and John Sinclair, 66.67%; Saleh Fetouh and Jay Costello, 61.46%; Sharon Benz and Judy Graf, 47.92%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday morning – 0-1,500 game. North-south, Agi Maisel and Tova Reinhorn, 63.10%; Maria Schory and Jim Hassett, 59.92%; Martha Townson and Jim Lanzo, 58.33%; east-west, Larry Himelein and David Schott, 58.33%; Richard McGowan and Bill Rich, 53.97%; Rivona Ehrenreich and Judith Babat, 53.17%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Friday morning – Open Game. John Ziemer and Vic Bergsten, 61.31%; Christy Kellogg and Stan Kozlowski, 60.12%; Bud Seidenberg and Jay Costello, 54.76%.

Bridge Club of East Aurora Wednesday morning – Pat Maynes and Joe Miranda, 59%; Linda and Paul Zittel, 58%.

Delaware Wednesday evening – North-south, Mary Ball and Joyce Frayer, 64.29%; Amita Arora and Martha Townson, 55.95%; Carol Licata and Stephane Ronget, 54.37%; east-west, Violet and Jasbeer Makhija, 66.27%; Richard McGowan and Bill Rich, 58.73%; Betsy and Jim Greno, 54.37%.

Other clubs

Amherst Senior Center Thursday – North-south, Joe Huber and Ron Canestro, 56.3%; Raj Puri and Joshi Shirkant, 55.6%; east-west, Alicia Kolipinski and Shirley Cassety, 65%; (tie) Jill and Bruce Brown, Edna and Ron Fill, 51%.

Amherst Senior Center Friday – North-south, Edna and Ron Fill, 60%; Shirley Cassety and George Mayers, 53%; east-west, Bobbi and Joe Huber, 60%; Rich Kayton and Ted Kotlarz, 51%.

Duplicate Bridge: Dec. 18, 2021

 

First local bridge event of 2022 will be the Buffalo Winter Sectional Tournament, scheduled for Friday, Jan. 21, to Sunday, Jan. 23, in the social hall of the Main-Transit Fire Hall, 6777 Main St., Amherst. For more info, click this link.

• • •

In-person games are available at the Buffalo Bridge Center – a 999er game at noon Tuesday with lessons at 11 and 11:30 a.m.; an open game at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday; a 0-2,000 master point game at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, and an open game at 10:30 a.m. Friday. Attendance is ranging from three to five tables.

Continuing on Bridge Base Online are the club’s 0-750 master point game at 7 p.m. Mondays and the Delaware Wednesday game at 7 p.m. Wednesday for players with fewer than 2,000 points. For more info, visit the Buffalo Bridge Center website, call 716-691-6201 or email acting club manager Terry Fraas at tmfraas@gmail.com.

Also resuming face-to-face play is the Lockport Duplicate Club. Games begin at 1 p.m. Saturdays in the Dale Center, 33 Ontario St., Lockport. For info, call Dian Petrov at 716-668-1226.

• • •

The East Aurora Bridge Club has been holding face-to-face games for more than a year. Play begins at 10 a.m. Wednesdays in the Aurora Senior Citizens Center, 101 King St., East Aurora. Players must wear masks. Attendance is generally three or four tables. For more info, email director Dave Larcom at dmocral@verizon.net.

• • •

In-person games also are held twice a week at the Bridge Centre of Niagara, in a plaza at 2 Tremont Drive, St. Catharines, Ont., off Glendale Avenue across from the Pen Centre Mall. There’s an open game at 1 p.m. Wednesday and a 499er game at 1 p.m. Thursday. The Wednesday game has been filling nine to 13 tables, while the Thursday game is seeing six to nine tables. Proof of vaccination and masks required. Americans crossing into Canada also will need an approved test to guarantee that they are virus-free. For those who can’t attend, the club also hosts several games on Bridge Base Online throughout the week. See the schedule at https://www.bridgewebs.com/niagara.

• • •

Players who aren’t comfortable with face-to-face play or who are not vaccinated 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 716-688-1226 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 716-603-6943.

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 716-480-1666 or email eharmon@roadrunner.com.

• • •

Tournament calendar

2022

Cleveland Rock and Roll Regional – Embassy Suites Hotel, 5800 Rockside Woods Blvd., Independence, Ohio. Wednesday, Jan. 5, to Sunday, Jan. 9. For more info, click this link.

Buffalo Winter Sectional – Main-Transit Fire Hall, 6777 Main St., Amherst. Friday, Jan. 21, to Sunday, Jan. 23. For more info, click this link.

• • •

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.

• • •

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.

• • •

Now a Gold Life Master, Dale Anderson is playing online these days and has a career total of nearly 2,900 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.

• • •

Duplicate scores from Bridge Base Online
Week of Dec. 5 to Dec. 12

Buffalo Bridge Center Monday evening – 0-750 game. North-south, Rosemary Galmiche and Bev Hall, 62.22%; Carol Licata and Stephane Ronget, 60.18%; Jo Ann Smith and Maria Schory, 50.18%; east-west, Carol Roth and Patty Porter, 61.85%; David Schott and Larry Himelein, 58.61%; Linda Milch and Paula Rosen, 53.98%; Jeannine Dupuis and Joann Keenan, 52.13%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday afternoon – 0-1,150 game. Martha Townson and Jim Lanzo, 69.44%; David Schott and Richard McGowan, 59.72%; Bonnie Clement and Larry Himelein, 55.56%.  

Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning – Open game. Saleh Fetouh and Jay Costello, 57.54%; Howard Foster and Mike Ryan, 56.18%; Judy Graf and Stan Kozlowski, 53.96%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday morning – 0-2,100 game. Larry Himelein and David Schott, 60%; (tie) Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, Betsy and Jim Greno, 53%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Friday morning – Open Game. Davis Heussler and Fred Yellen, 64%; Chris Urbanek and Sharon Benz, 59%.

Bridge Club of East Aurora Wednesday morning – Linda and Paul Zittel, 63%; Pat Haynes and Joe Miranda, 53%; Dan Clark and Dave Larcom, 50%.

Delaware Wednesday evening – Amita Arora and Jim Lanzo, 73.33%; Walt Olszewski and Sushil Amlani, 62.22%; Mary Ball and Joyce Frayer, 61.11%; Ed Harman and Bill Rich, 60%; Jeff Bender and Henry Chudy, 50.56%; Terry Camp and Bob Ciszak, 50%.

Other clubs

Amherst Senior Center Thursday – North-south, Joe Huber and Ron Canestro, 56%; Raj Puri and Joshi Shrikant, 55%; east-west, Edna and Ron Fill, 60%; David Young and Tim Hartnett, 49%.

Amherst Senior Center Friday – North-south, Shirley Cassety and George Mayers, 60%; Jill and Bruce Brown, 56%; Karen Synor and Jeff Peters, 55%.

Unit 116 Master Point Leaders for Overall Play

Jan. 1, 2021 – Oct. 31, 2021

0-5 Points – Donna Starnes, 20.48; Howard Epstein, 18.88; Michel Dupuis, 10.86.

5-20 Points – Jennifer Epstein, 31.54; Gary Keenan, 30.37; Cynthia Tashjian, 30.14; John Houghtaling, 19.47; Maria Schory, 19.12; Anne Slater, 14.92; Kathleen Voigt, 13.20.

20-50 Points – Jim Hassett, 50.67; Jim Greno, 43.85; Betsy Greno, 43.33; Candace Graser, 38.58; Fran Schmidt, 33.41; Amy Habib, 29.64; Carol Licata, 26.39.

50-100 Points – Linda Henschel, 68.57; David Schott, 66.71; Janet Desmon, 57.05; Martha Cain, 34.07; Maria Amlani, 31.20.

100-200 Points – Martha Townson, 197.35; Larry Himelein, 149.85; Carol Roth, 59.35; Joanne Nover, 56.82; Pat Haynes, 38.53.

200-300 Points – (Tie) Bram and Terry Hamovitch, 115.80; Audrey Ray, 69.14; Agi Maisel, 53.07; Judy Zeckhauser, 33.24; Margaret Zhou, 33.20.   

300-500 Points – Jim Lanzo, 238.13; Vic Bergsten, 179.70; Violet Makhija, 105.09; Bonnie Clement, 101.53; Jasbeer Makhija, 93.19; Joyce Frayer, 81.48; Richard McGowan, 71.71.

500-1,000 Points – Amita Arora, 180.07; Jim Easton, 133.87; Marilyn Wortzman, 131.62; Mary Ball, 68.62; Bill Rich, 62.99; Sushil Amlani, 60.53; Rajat Basu, 51.69.

1,000-1,500 Points – Sandi England, 122.86; John Bava, 100.94; David Colligan, 64.46; John Marvin, 39.86; Tova Reinhorn, 31.68.

1,500-2,500 Points – Gay Simpson, 139.18; Pinky Regan, 58.15; Linda Burroughsford, 57.95; Walt Olszewski, 22.71.

2,500-3,500 Points – (Tie) John and Martha Welte, 587.92; Ken Meier, 194.58; Davis Heussler, 112.43; Allen Beroza, 106.95; Dale Anderson, 54.82; Bill Rushmore, 27.24.

3,500-5,000 Points – Barbara Libby, 139.45; Sharon Benz, 87.33; Dian Petrov, 78.39; Judy Padgug, 75.40; Kathy Pollock, 29.46.

Over 5,000 Points – Judi Marshall, 83.87; Chris Urbanek, 68.84; Saleh Fetouh, 53.04; Christy Kellogg, 36.86; Jay Levy, 35.29; Bud Seidenberg, 32.54.

 

 

Duplicate Bridge: Dec. 11, 2021

 

Congratulations to the newly-elected board members of ACBL Western New York Unit 116. Earning three-year terms in votes counted at the annual meeting Dec. 4 were Joyce Greenspan and Sandi England. Two-year terms went to Kathy Pollock and Barbara Libby.

• • •

In-person games are back at the Buffalo Bridge Center – a 999er game at noon Tuesday with lessons at 11 and 11:30 a.m.; an open game at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday; a 0-2,000 master point game at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, and an open game at 10:30 a.m. Friday. Attendance is ranging from three to five tables.

Continuing on Bridge Base Online are the club’s 0-750 master point game at 7 p.m. Mondays and the Delaware Wednesday game at 7 p.m. Wednesday for players with fewer than 2,000 points. For more info, visit the Buffalo Bridge Center website, call 716-691-6201 or email acting club manager Terry Fraas at tmfraas@gmail.com.

Also resuming face-to-face play is the Lockport Duplicate Club. Games begin at 1 p.m. Saturdays in the Dale Center, 33 Ontario St., Lockport. For info, call Dian Petrov at 716-668-1226.

• • •

The East Aurora Bridge Club has been holding face-to-face games for more than a year. Play begins at 10 a.m. Wednesdays in the Aurora Senior Citizens Center, 101 King St., East Aurora. Players must wear masks. Attendance is generally three or four tables. For more info, email director Dave Larcom at dmocral@verizon.net.

• • •

In-person games also are held twice a week at the Bridge Centre of Niagara, in a plaza at 2 Tremont Drive, St. Catharines, Ont., off Glendale Avenue across from the Pen Centre Mall. There’s an open game at 1 p.m. Wednesday and a 499er game at 1 p.m. Thursday. The Wednesday game has been filling nine to 13 tables, while the Thursday game is seeing six to nine tables. Proof of vaccination and masks required. Americans crossing into Canada also will need an approved test to guarantee that they are virus-free. For those who can’t attend, the club also hosts several games on Bridge Base Online throughout the week. See the schedule at https://www.bridgewebs.com/niagara.

• • •

Players who aren’t comfortable with face-to-face play or who are not vaccinated 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 716-688-1226 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 716-603-6943.

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 716-480-1666 or email eharmon@roadrunner.com.

• • •

Tournament calendar

2022

Cleveland Rock and Roll Regional – Embassy Suites Hotel, 5800 Rockside Woods Blvd., Independence, Ohio. Wednesday, Jan. 5, to Sunday, Jan. 9. For more info, click this link.

Buffalo Winter Sectional – Main-Transit Fire Hall, 6777 Main St., Amherst. Friday, Jan. 21, to Sunday, Jan. 23. For more info, click this link.

• • •

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.

• • •

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.

• • •

Now a Gold Life Master, Dale Anderson is playing online these days and has a career total of nearly 2,900 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.

• • •

Duplicate scores from Bridge Base Online
Week of Nov. 29 to Dec. 4

Buffalo Bridge Center Monday evening – 0-750 game. Bonnie Clement and David Schott, 62.78%; Carol Roth and Patty Porter, 60.56%; Betsy and Jim Greno, 55%; Violet and Jasbeer Makhijz, 54.44%; Mary Holmes and Leslie Deich, 51.67%; Cynthia Tashjian and Candace Graser, 49.44%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday afternoon – 0-1,150 game. Sol Messinger and John Marvin, 67.46%; Ruth Nawotniak and Richard McGowan, 54.76%; (3-way tie) Maryann Szafran and Jim McClure, Joanne Nover and Laurie Foster, Pat Haynes and Audrey Ray, 50.79%.  

Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday morning – 0-2,100 game. Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 65%; Art Morth and Sol Messinger, 60%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Friday morning – Open Game. Mike Ryan and John Ziemer, 54.17%; (tie) Judy Graf and Fred Yellen, John Sinclair and Kamil Bishara, 53.57%; Donna Steffan and Bob Padgug, 51.19%.

Bridge Club of East Aurora Wednesday morning – (Tie) Joan and Bob Ciszak, Martha Townson and Jim Lanzo, 63%; Pat and Dick Rasmus, 54%.

Delaware Wednesday evening – North-south, Betsy and Jim Greno, 58.33%; Beena Deshmukh and Bill Rich, 55.56%; Violet and Jasbeer Makhija, 54.63%; east-west, Amita Arora and Martha Townson, 60.19%; Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 57.87%; Gillian Mouat and Bev Hall, 56.94%; Mary Ball and Joyce Frayer, 52.31%.

Unit 116 Annual Meeting and Game Dec. 4 – North-south, Christy Kellogg and Bert Hargeshimer, 61.61%; Stan Kozlowski and Jim Gullo, 57.44%; Howard Foster and Mike Ryan, 53.57%; John Ziemer and Vic Bergsten, 52.38%; (tie) Elaine Kurasiewicz and Sue Neubecker, Ed Harman and Bob Lederhouse, 51.19%; east-west, Kamil Bishara and John Sinclair, 62.80%; (tie) Betty Metz and Barbara Landree, Sue Bergman and Nancy Wolstoncroft, 54.76%; Gay Simpson and John Bava, 52.98%; Judy Graf and Donna Steffan, 51.19%; Maureen Cancilla and Kathy Donnely, 50.89%.

Other clubs

Amherst Senior Center Thursday – North-south, Marian Morber and George Mayers, 54%; Joe Huber and Ron Canestro, 53%; east-west, Shirley Cassety and Alicia Kolipinski, 54%; Myung Chi and Ed Drozen, 52%.

Amherst Senior Center Friday – North-south, Shirley Cassety and George Mayers, 66%; Edna and Ron Fill, 56%; east-west, Rich Kayton and Ted Kotlarz, 55%; Jill and Bruce Brown, 53%.

Unit 116 Master Point Leaders for Club Play

Jan. 1, 2021 – Nov. 30, 2021

0-5 Points – Donna Starnes, 20.48; Howard Epstein, 18.88; Michel Dupuis, 10.86; Pat Pasculle, 9.01; Devon Marlette, 5.24.

5-20 Points – Jennifer Epstein, 30.80; Gary Keenan, 30.37; Cynthia Tashjian, 30.14; John Houghtaling, 19.47; Maria Schory, 19.12; Anne Slater, 14.92; Kathleen Voigt, 13.20.

20-50 Points – (Tie) Betsy and Jim Greno, 43.85; Jim Hassett, 41.67; Candace Graser, 38.58; Fran Schmidt, 33.41; Amy Habib, 29.64; Carol Licata, 26.39.

50-100 Points – Linda Henschel, 68.57; David Schott, 66.71; Janet Desmon, 57.05; Martha Cain, 34.07; Maria Amlani, 31.20; Nancy Deneen, 24.63; Judy McDermid, 24.13.

100-200 Points – Martha Townson, 175.39; Larry Himelein, 149.85; Carol Roth, 59.35; Joanne Nover, 56.08; Pat Haynes, 38.53; Hannah Weinberg, 22.29.

200-300 Points – (Tie) Bram and Terry Hamovitch, 112.42; Audrey Ray, 69.14; Agi Maisel, 53.07; Judy Zeckhauser, 33.24; Margaret Zhou, 30.93; Bob Ciszak, 28.49; Patty Porter, 24.67; Maryann Szafran, 23.09; Ruth Nawotniak, 22.12.

300-500 Points – Jim Lanzo, 205.34; Vic Bergsten, 178.07; Violet Makhija, 105.09; Bonnie Clement, 94.96; Jasbeer Makhija, 93.19; Joyce Frayer, 76.71; Richard McGowan, 71.71; Jim McClure, 39.42; Paula Rosen, 27.77; Linda Milch, 25.45.

500-1,000 Points – Amita Arora, 147.93; Jim Easton, 121.35; Marilyn Wortzman, 119.10; Mary Ball, 64.35; Bill Rich, 62.99; Sushil Amlami, 51.37; Rajat Basu, 48.33; Paul Zittel, 36.71; Bob Sommerstein, 29.45; Ed Harman, 27.95.

1,000-1,500 Points – Sandi England, 116.59; John Bava, 97.62; John Marvin, 39.86; Tova Reinhorn, 31.68; Miriam Regnet, 25.34; Joyce Greenspan, 24.13.

1,500-2,500 Points – Gay Simpson, 139.18; Pinky Regan, 58.15; Walt Olszewski, 22.71; Linda Burroughsford, 20.78.

2,500-3,500 Points – (Tie) John and Martha Welte, 541.30; Ken Meier, 194.58; Allen Beroza, 106.95; Dale Anderson, 54.82; Davis Heussler, 40.09; Bill Rushmore, 27.24.

3,500-5,000 Points – Barbara Libby, 139.45; Sharon Benz, 87.33; Judy Padgug, 75.40; Dian Petrov, 46.78; Kathy Pollock, 29.46; John Ziemer, 20.26.

Over 5,000 Points – Judi Marshall, 83.87; Chris Urbanek, 66.95; Christy Kellogg, 36.19; Saleh Fetouh, 30.91; Bud Seidenberg, 30.65.

 

Duplicate Bridge: Dec. 4, 2021

 

At least 40 players have pre-registered for the Western New York Unit 116 annual meeting and game today, Saturday, Dec. 4, in the Main-Transit Fire Hall, 6777 Main St., Amherst, unit president John Bava reported in a recent email. Although walk-ins won’t get Firehouse submarine sandwiches for lunch, they still can play. Doors open at 9:45 a.m. The stratified open pairs game begins at 10:30. Meeting will follow. Cost is $12 for ACBL members, $14 non-members. Proof of Covid vaccination required. Masks optional.

Ballots still can be cast before the meeting for candidates for the four open seats on the Unit’s board of directors. They include Sandi England, Joyce Greenspan, incumbent Barbara Libby and former board member Kathy Pollock. All of them will win places on the board, but what the balloting will decide is the length of their terms. Members can cast votes for up to three candidates. The two who get the most votes will serve for three years. The others will take two-year seats.

• • •

In-person games are back at the Buffalo Bridge Center – a 999er game at noon Tuesday with lessons at 11 and 11:30 a.m.; an open game at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday; a 0-2,000 master point game at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, and an open game at 10:30 a.m. Friday. Attendance is ranging from three to five tables.

Continuing on Bridge Base Online are the club’s 0-750 master point game at 7 p.m. Mondays and the Delaware Wednesday game at 7 p.m. Wednesday for players with fewer than 2,000 points. For more info, visit the Buffalo Bridge Center website, call 716-691-6201 or email acting club manager Terry Fraas at tmfraas@gmail.com.

• • •

The East Aurora Bridge Club has been holding face-to-face games for more than a year. Play begins at 10 a.m. Wednesdays in the Aurora Senior Citizens Center, 101 King St., East Aurora. Players must wear masks. Attendance is generally three or four tables. For more info, email director Dave Larcom at dmocral@verizon.net.

• • •

In-person games also are held twice a week at the Bridge Centre of Niagara, in a plaza at 2 Tremont Drive, St. Catharines, Ont., off Glendale Avenue across from the Pen Centre Mall. There’s an open game at 1 p.m. Wednesday and a 499er game at 1 p.m. Thursday. The Wednesday game has been filling nine to 13 tables, while the Thursday game is seeing six to nine tables. Proof of vaccination and masks required. Americans crossing into Canada also will need an approved test to guarantee that they are virus-free. For those who can’t attend, the club also hosts several games on Bridge Base Online throughout the week. See the schedule at https://www.bridgewebs.com/niagara.

• • •

Players who aren’t comfortable with face-to-face play or who are not vaccinated 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 716-688-1226 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 716-603-6943.

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 716-480-1666 or email eharmon@roadrunner.com.

• • •

Tournament calendar

2022

Cleveland Rock and Roll Regional – Embassy Suites Hotel, 5800 Rockside Woods Blvd., Independence, Ohio. Wednesday, Jan. 5, to Sunday, Jan. 9. For more info, click this link.

Buffalo Winter Sectional – Main-Transit Fire Hall, 6777 Main St., Amherst. Friday, Jan. 21, to Sunday, Jan. 23. For more info, click this link.

• • •

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.

• • •

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.

• • •

Now a Gold Life Master, Dale Anderson is playing online these days and has a career total of nearly 2,900 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.

• • •

Duplicate scores from Bridge Base Online
Week of Nov. 22 to Nov. 28

Buffalo Bridge Center Monday evening – 0-750 game. Margaret Zhou and Joyce Frayer, 63.89%; Patty Porter and Carol Roth, 56.67%; Bonnie Clement and David Schott, 55%; Carol Licata and Stephane Ronget, 54.44%; Jim and Michael Hassett, 53.33%; Janet and David Desmon, 52.22%; Jennifer and Howard Epstein, 49.44%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday afternoon – 999er game. Ruth Nawotniak and Richard McGowan, 60%; Pat Haines and Agi Maisel, 57%.  

Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning – Swiss teams. Terry Camp, Jennifer Epstein, Jim Hassett and Fran Schmidt, 56 victory points; Paula Kotowski, Howard Epstein, Beverly Westheimer and Louise Blankenship, 49 vps.

Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning – Open game. (Tie) Donna Steffan and Jim Gullo, Howard Foster and Davis Heussler, 56.94%; Chris Urbanek and John Sinclair, 54.86%; Saleh Fetouh and Jay Costello, 54.17%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Friday afternoon – Open Game. Judy Padgug and Jim Gullo, 56.55%; Jay Costello and Bud Seidenberg, 54.17%; (tie) Chris Urbanek and Stan Kozlowski, Judy Graf and Mike Ryan, 52.38%; Rajinder Puri and Shrikant Joshi, 50%.

Delaware Wednesday evening – Jennifer and Howard Epstein, 62.04%; Ed Harman and Bob Ciszak, 55.56%; Mary Ball and Joyce Frayer, 52.78%.