Duplicate Bridge: Sept. 23, 2023

“Tailgate bridge” is the theme of the special game today, Saturday, Sept. 23, at the Buffalo Bridge Center in the Boulevard Mall in Amherst. Players are encouraged to wear their Buffalo Bills gear. Refreshments begin at 11:30 a.m. Game follows at noon. Pop, coffee and tea are available. Donated snacks are appreciated. Need a partner? Call Pat Haynes at 716-202-1155 or email phaynes508@roadrunner.com.

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Congratulations to Chris Urbanek, who tied for second place overall in the master point totals at the Great Lakes Sectional Tournament last weekend in Erie, Pa. She won 9.81 points.

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The Buffalo Bridge Center in the Boulevard Mall in Amherst offers a regular lineup of face-to-face games and online games. For more info, visit the Buffalo Bridge Center website or call 716-280-6114.

In-person games:

Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m. For players with fewer than 1,200 points. Simultaneous game for players with fewer than 99 points. Free lesson at 10.

Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m. Open to all players. Simultaneous game for players with fewer than 100 points.

Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. For players with fewer than 1,600 points. Simultaneous game for players with fewer than 99 points. Free lesson at 10.

Fridays, 10:30 a.m. Open to all players by pre-registration only. Call 716-280-6114.

Virtual games on Bridge Base Online:

Mondays, 7 p.m. For players with fewer than 750 points.

Wednesdays, 11 a.m. Kathy's Snowbird Game for players with fewer than 750 points. For more info on this game, call director Kathy Pollock or email BridgeKat@gmail.com.

Wednesdays, 7 p.m. Delaware Wednesday game for players with fewer than 2,000 points. For info on this game, call Ed Harman at 716-480-1666 or email eharmon@roadrunner.com.

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The East Aurora Bridge Club was the first local club to return to face-to-face games three years ago. Play begins at 10 a.m. Wednesdays in the Aurora Senior Citizens Center, 101 King St., East Aurora. Attendance is generally three or four tables. For more info, email director Dave Larcom at dmocral@verizon.net.

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The Bridge Centre of Niagara in St. Catharines, Ont., offers a mix of online games and in-person games at its club in Tremont Square opposite the Pen Centre shopping plaza off Glendale Avenue.

Face-to-face games for all players are offered at 1 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. There’s also a face-to-face game for players with less than 500 points at 1 p.m. Monday, a face-to-face game for players with fewer than 750 points at 1:30 p.m. Tuesdays, and another one for those with less than 100 points concurrently at 1:30 p.m. Tuesdays. On Friday, there’s a 299er game at 9 a.m. and an open game at 1 p.m.

The club also hosts several virtual games on Bridge Base Online. There’s one for 499ers at 10 a.m. Tuesdays, an open game for all players at 1:30 p.m. Tuesdays, a Swiss teams contest at 7 p.m. Tuesdays (pre-registration required), and an open game at 7 p.m. Thursdays. For more info, click here.

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Face-to-face play in non-sanctioned clubs is offered at the Tonawanda Senior Center on Wednesday afternoons and at the Amherst Senior Center on Monday and Friday afternoons.

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The Airport Bridge Club, which currently is not holding face-to-face games, 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.

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Tournament calendar

2023

District 5 North American Pairs Final – Erie Bridge Club, 1221 Grant Ave., Erie, Pa. Saturday, Sept. 30, and Sunday, Oct. 1. For info, click this link.

Rochester Fall Sectional – Gates Recreation Center, 1605 Buffalo Road, Rochester. Saturday, Oct. 7, and Sunday, Oct. 8. For more info, click this link.

Pittsburgh Fall Sectional – Greater Pittsburgh Masonic Center, 3579 Masonic Way, Pittsburgh, Pa. Fri., Oct. 20, to Sunday, Oct. 22.

Buffalo Spooktacular Regional – M Hotel, 2040 Walden Ave., Cheektowaga. Tuesday, Oct. 24, to Sunday, Oct. 29. For more info, click this link.

Niagara Falls Regional – Holiday Inn, 327 Ontario St., St. Catharines, Ont. Tuesday, Nov. 7, to Sunday, Nov. 12. For more info, click this link.

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Bridge club websites:

Click names for links.

Bridge Center of Buffalo.

Western New York Unit 116.

The Airport Bridge Club, which continues to be on hiatus, does not have a website. For info, call 716-603-6943.

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Duplicate scores from Bridge Base Online

Week of Sept. 11 to Sept. 17

ACBL Affiliated Clubs

Buffalo Bridge Center Monday evening – 0-750 game. Violet and Jasbeer Makhija, 63.89%; Fran Schmidt and Richard McGowan, 59.72%; Karen Dearing and Mike Metzger, 47.22%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday morning – 0-1,600 game. North-south, Bonnie Clement and Larry Himelein, 59.13%; Ruth Nawotniak and John Marvin, 58.73%; Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 57.14%; Jim McClure and Richard McGowan, 54.76%; Joanne Nover and David Whitt, 52.78%; east-west, Sue Neubecker and david Schott, 60.32%; Betty Metz and Henry Chudy, 54.76%; (tie) Joyce Greenspan and Andrei Reinhorn, Mary Ball and Joyce Frayer, 51.59%; Laura and John Houghtaling, 48.81%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday morning – 0-99 game. Alice Cooley and Paul Ziebarth, 56.67%; Jackie Simon and Bill Duax, 55%; Anthony Girasole and Jim Mansour, 53.33%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning – Open game. (Tie) Donna Steffan and Jay Levy, Kamil Bishara and Dian Petrov, 60.19%; Tova and Andrei Reinhorn, 56.02%; Chris Urbanek and Judy Padgug, 51.85%; (tie) Betty Metz and John Marvin, Linda Burroughsford and Davis Heussler, 48.61%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday morning – 0-1,600 game. North-south, Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 70.94%; Sue Neubecker and John Marvin, 57.73%; Linda Milch and Jim McClure, 50.04%; east-west, Pat Haynes and David Whitt, 55.45%; Larry Himelein and David Schott, 52.56%; Bill Duax and Paul Ziebarth, 52.28%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Friday morning – Open game. Davis Heussler and David Colligan, 68%; Chris Urbanek and Kamil Bishara, 62%; Judy Graf and Mike Ryan, 53%.

Bridge Club of East Aurora Wednesday morning – Open game. Sandi England and Ed Morgan, 67.26%; Barbara Booi and Paul Zittel, 54.76%; Pat Haynes and Ilene Rothman, 51.79%; Maureen Cancilla and Peggy Mead, 50.60%; Linda Zittel and Joanne LaFay, 50%.

Other clubs

Amherst Senior Center Monday afternoon – North-south, Judie Bailey and Joan Stankiewicz, 62%; Ellen Lochead and Bill Westley, 56%; east-west, Angela Curtis and Joan Nigrelli, 63%; David Young and Tim Hartnett, 57%.

Amherst Senior Center Friday afternoon – North-south, Jill and Bruce Brown, 58.35%; Anne O’Connor and Joan Stankiewicz, 58.31%; east-west, Pat Radtke and Bob Lauthe, 61%; Pat Burns and Nancy Wolstoncroft, 60%.

Tonawanda Senior Center Wednesday afternoon – Ed and Mike Rupp, 73.6%; Fritz Schweiger and Ron Fill, 65.2%; Sue Strasser and Judy White, 51.3%.

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Unit 116 Master Point Leaders for Play in All Venues

Jan. 1, 2023, to Aug. 31, 2023

0-5 Points – Brian Fleming, 20.98; Ilene Rothman, 10.99; Dennis Daly, 7.74; Anthony Girasole, 5.87; Bill Rogers, 5.47; Shrikant Joshi, 4.71; Bill Duax, 3.02; Maxine Seller, 2.98; Fran Holmes, 2.24; (tie) Melanie Skalski and Carol Li, 2.11.

5-20 Points – Zakie Nohra, 10.32; Gini Sicignano, 4.14; Mary Luce, 4 even; Jeannine Dupuis, 2.91; Barbara Kaye, 2.90; Devon Marlette, 2.81; Karen Dearing, 2.02.

20-50 Points –Maria Schory, 13.47; Molly Morris, 13.28; Mike Metzger, 11.69; Jo Ann Smith, 11.21; Pepe Justicia-Linde, 8.91; Anne Slater, 8.61; Phyllis Stasiowski, 8.43; Kathleen Voigt, 8.34; Donna Starnes, 6.83; Maxine Johnson, 6.67.

50-100 Points – Carol Licata, 25.89; Howard Epstein, 19.31; Darwin Skalski, 16.91; Jim Greno, 15.52; Susan Cardamone, 14.55; Betsy Greno, 14.52; John Houghtaling, 13.07; Cynthia Tashjian, 11.65; Candace Graser, 9.22; Mary Ellen Cotter, 7.77.  

100-200 Points – Maria Amlani, 29.03; Tiger Li, 17.32; Judith McDermid, 14.49; Fran Schmidt, 13.46; Jim Hassett, 12.94; Joan Ciszak, 10.43; Betty DeFeo, 9.70; Raj Puri, 8.12; Barbara Scott, 4.89; Janet Desmon, 2.44.

200-300 Points – David Schott, 64.55; Pat Haynes, 64.35; Kusum Phadke, 54.73; Joanne Nover, 52.93; David Whitt, 51.32; Laurie Foster, 23.49; Bob Ciszak, 15.58; Laura Houghtaling, 13.07; John Fiegl, 9.31; Gerry Hooley, 8.51.

300-500 Points – Larry Himelein, 78.17; Bram Hamovitch, 65.58; Terry Hamovitch, 63.45; Jim O’Hara, 26.99; Ruth Nawotniak, 24.28; Jim McClure, 21.35; Audrey Ray, 21.13; Linda Milch, 19.65; Margaret Zhou, 17.41; Agi Maisel, 11.71.  

500-1,000 Points – Jim Lanzo, 113.99; Martha Townson, 85.24; Bonnie Clement, 64.83; Vic Bergsten, 55.74; Joyce Frayer, 44.95; Marilyn Wortzman, 43.58; Betty Metz, 40.11; Violet Makhija, 38.90; Richard McGowan, 36.19; Paul Zittel, 33.43.  

1,000-1,500 Points – Amita Arora, 106.63; Kamil Bishara, 67.15; Jim Easton, 45.29; Howard Foster, 35.72; John Marvin, 32.29; Sue Neubecker, 25.54; Mary Ball, 24.82; Joanne Lafay, 21.88; Joyce Greenspan, 19.25; Rajat Basu, 18.52.

1,500-2,500 Points – Gay Simpson, 90.57; Sandi England, 68.12; John Bava, 55.50; Paula Kotowski, 29.74; Pinky Regan, 29.47; David Colligan, 26.06; Tova Reinhorn, 23.56; Nancy Wolstoncroft, 20.30; Walt Olszewski, 11.26; Martin Pieterse, 8.43; Judy Kaprove, 8.10.

2,500-3,500 Points – Linda Burroughsford, 143.45; Ken Meier, 100.27; Fred Yellen, 81.46; Allen Beroza, 21.74; Pat Rasmus, 17.90; Mike Silverman, 17.39; Bill Rushmore, 6.60; Art Morth, 6.06; Dale Anderson, 5.85.

3,500-5,000 Points – Davis Heussler, 316.19; Chongmin Zhang, 138.73; John Ziemer, 104.83; Mike Ryan, 101.25; Donna Steffan, 84.76; Judy Graf, 64.72; Judy Padgug, 56.25; Martha Welte, 47.41; Barbara Libby, 53.58; Jim Gullo, 26.90.

Over 5,000 Points – Saleh Fetouh, 381.24; Jay Levy, 194.79; Dian Petrov, 182.16; Chris Urbanek, 124.26; Jay Costello, 105.97; Bud Seidenberg, 95.75; Sharon Benz, 31.19.

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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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A Gold Life Master, Dale Anderson has a career total of 2,950 master points. He occasionally writes about his quest for the next measure of achievement, Sapphire Life Master (3,500 points), and other bridge adventures here.