Duplicate Bridge: March 9, 2024

The Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St., off Exit 1 on the I-190, celebrates St. Patrick’s Day with an Erin go Braugh party on Sunday, March 10. Bring refreshments to share at noon before the game at 12:30 p.m. For partners, call Pat Haynes at 716-202-1155 or email phaynes508@roadrunner.com.

The Bridge Center also offers a regular lineup of in-person and online games five days a week with special games on the weekends. As of Jan. 1, fee for face-to-face games is $8 for members and $11 for non-members. Membership is $75 per year. For more info, visit the Buffalo Bridge Center website or call 716- 424-0014.

The Bridge Center is staring a social game in its lessons room on Tuesday mornings during the regular 10:30 a.m. game. Players can go at their own speed and style. Fee is $5 to cover expenses.

In-person games:

Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m. For players with fewer than 1,600 points. Simultaneous game for players with fewer than 99 points if there are enough tables. Free lesson at 10.

Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m. Open to all players. Simultaneous game for players with fewer than 99 points if there are enough tables.

Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. Upgraded to now include players with up to 2,000 points. Simultaneous game for players with fewer than 99 points if there are enough tables. Free lesson at 10.

Fridays, 10:30 a.m. Open to all players by pre-registration only. Call 716- 424-0014.

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 1.001 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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More access to virtual games on Bridge Base Online is being offered by the Airport Bridge Club, which currently is not holding face-to-face games. It has affiliated with a new group of clubs, the SE Club of Clubs Online Bridge Collective, where most games are $3.50. For more info, click this link.

The Airport Club also continues to be part of the Alliance 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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The East Aurora Bridge Club begins play 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. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. There is also a face-to-face game for 499ers (players with fewer than 500 points) at 1 p.m. Monday, a beginner game with a mini-lesson at 6 p.m. Monday, a game for 199ers at 1 p.m. Tuesdays, a 299er game at 7 p.m. Wednesday; a 999er game at 1 p.m. Thursday, and a 299er game at 9 a.m. Friday.

The club also hosts several virtual games on Bridge Base Online. There’s one for 499ers at 10 a.m. Tuesdays, a Swiss teams contest at 7 p.m. Tuesdays (pre-registration required), alternating with open games every other week, 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. Games at the Tonawanda Senior Center will be on hiatus for the entire month of February.

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Tournament calendar

2024

Toronto Easter Regional – Sheraton Centre, 123 Queen St. West, Toronto, Ont. Tuesday, March 26, to Sunday, March 31. For more info, click this link.

Rochester Spring Sectional – Gates Recreation Center, 1605 Buffalo Road, Rochester. Saturday, April 13, and Sunday, April 14. For more info, click this link.

Buffalo Spring Sectional – Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St. off the I-190 at Exit 1. Friday, April 26, to Sunday, April 28. For more info, click this link.

Cleveland All-American Regional – Embassy Suites Hotel, 5800 Rockside Woods Blvd., Independence, Ohio. Tuesday, May 21, to Monday, May 27. For more info, click this link.

Niagara Sectional 0-750 Tournament – Niagara-on-the-Lake Community Centre, 14 Anderson Lane, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. Friday, May 31, to Sunday, June 2. For more info, click this link.

Toronto 0-500 Sectional Tournament – Leaside Memorial Gardens, 1073 Millwood Road, Toronto, Ont. Saturday, June 8, and Sunday, June 9. For more info, click this link.

District 5 STaC (Sectional Tournament at the Clubs) – Participating sanctioned clubs. Monday, June 10, to Sunday, June 16.

Unit 112 Intermediate/Novice Sectional – Temple B'Rith Kodesh and Perinton Community Center, 1350 Turk Hill Road, Fairport. Friday, June 14, and Saturday, June 15.

Rochester Summer Sectional – Gates Recreation Center, 1605 Buffalo Road, Rochester. Saturday, July 6, and Sunday, July 7. For more info, click this link.

Buffalo Summer Sectional – Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St. off the I-190 at Exit 1. Friday, July 12, to Sunday, July 14.

North American Bridge Championships (NABC) – Metro Toronto Convention Centre, North Building, 255 Front St. West, Toronto, Ont. Thursday, July 18, to Sunday, July 28. For more info, click this link.

Finger Lakes Regional – Louis Wolk JCC of Greater Rochester, 1200 Edgewood Ave., Rochester. Monday, Aug. 5, to Saturday, Aug. 10. 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 Feb. 26 to March 3

ACBL Affiliated Clubs

Buffalo Bridge Center Monday evening – 0-750 game online. Margaret Zhou and Joyce Frayer, 67.36%; Carol Licata and Larry Himelein, 61.11%; Jim and Michael Hassett, 59.03%; Leslie Deich and Fran Holmes, 54.17%; Jennifer and Howard Epstein, 52.78%; Candace Graser and Cynthia Tashjian, 50.69%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday morning – 0-1,600 game. North-south, Ruth Nawotniak and Paul Zittel, 61.11%; Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 60.71%; Linda Zittel and Susan Cardamone, 56.55%; Joan Nigrelli and Gini Sicignano, 53.87%; east-west, Judy Zeckhauser and Pat Haynes, 55.65%; Carol Licata and Ilene Rothman, 54.17%; Margaret Zhou and Ed Morgan, 53.57%; Elaine Rinfrette and Betty Metz, 53.27%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning – Open game. Davis Heussler and David Colligan, 60.71%; Jay Costello and Bud Seidenberg, 54.17%; Chris Urbanek and Jay Levy, 52.98%; (tie) John Ziemer and Mike Ryan, Donna Steffan and Jim Gullo, 50%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning – Kathy’s Snowbird Game. 0-1001 game online. Brian Fleming and Michael Rupp, 75%; Jim McClure and Richard McGowan, 56.48%; Rajat Basu and John Bava, 52.78%; Joanne Nover and Janet Desmon, 50.93%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday morning – 0-2,000 game. Pat Haynes and David Schott, 63.13%; Sandi England and Walt Olszewski, 56.77%; Betty Metz and Paul Zittel, 51.25%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Friday morning – Open game. Judy Graf and Fred Yellen, 67.71%; Jay Costello and Bud Seidenberg, 57.29%; Martha Welte and Larry Abate, 52.08%.

Bridge Club of East Aurora Wednesday morning – Open game. Linda and Paul Zittel, 60%; (tie) Pat Haynes and Joe Miranda, Peggy Mead and Pepe Justicia-Linde, 55%.

Delaware Wednesday evening – 0-2,000 game online. Sue Manning and Sam Khayatt, 63.33%; Mary Ball and Joyce Frayer, 58.89%; Walt Olszewski and Jim Lanzo, 57.22%; (tie) Jeannie Sedwick and Terry Camp, Wanda Moorman and Donna Rait, 55.56%; Ed Harman and Bob Ciszak, 55%; Maria Schory and Mike Metzger, 52.22%.

Other clubs

Amherst Senior Center Monday afternoon – North-south, Pat Radtke and Nancy Wolstoncroft, 61%; Fritz Schweiger and Carol Neuhaus, 57%; east-west, Bill Westley and Bill Rogers, 61%; David Young and Tim Hartnett, 55%.   

Amherst Senior Center Friday afternoon – North-south, Angie Price and Bill Westley, 61%; Anne O'Connor and Joan Stankiewicz, 58%; east-west, Elaine Wegrzyn and Gus Alfano, 58%; Fritz Schweiger and Carol Neuhaus, 56%.

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Unit 116 Master Point Leaders for Club Play

Jan. 1, 2024, to Jan. 31, 2024

0-5 Points – John Brennan, 1.25; Alice Cooley, 0.74; Cathy Hetzler, 0.72; Elaine Rinfrette, 0.56.

5-20 Points – Anthony Girasole, 4.38; Joan Nigrelli, 1.65; Barbara Kaye, 1.53; Dennis Daly, 1.19; Bill Duax, 0.71; Zakie Nohra, 0.42.

20-50 Points – Ilene Rothman, 5.56; Molly Morris, 3.90; Brian Fleming, 3.52; Gini Sicignano, 1.65; Helen Scott, 1.53; Peggy Stock, 0.64; (tie) Peggy Mead, Pepe Justicia-Linde, 0.60; Donna Starnes, 0.26.

50-100 Points – Jo Ann Smith, 2.04; Susan Cardamone, 1.36; Maureen Cancilla, 1.03; Mike Meachan, 0.69; Howard Epstein, 0.29.

100-200 Points – Carol Licata, 5.56; Tom England, 1.54.

200-300 Points – David Whitt, 4.66; Laurie Foster, 3.52; Maria Amlani, 1.41; Ethan Xie, 1.07; John Fiegl, 0.58.

300-500 Points – Joanne Nover, 14.11; Pat Haynes, 11.93; David Schott, 11.11; Ruth Nawotniak, 4.99; Margaret Zhou, 3.62; Agi Maisel, 3.35; Linda Milch, 2.36; Jim McClure, 1.99; Judy Zeckhauser, 1.40.

500-1,000 Points – Larry Himelein, 16.54; Joyce Frayer, 10.58; Paul Zittel, 8.02; Linda Zittel, 7.32; Ed Morgan, 6.06; Joe Miranda, 5.66; (tie) Larry Abate, Ed Drozen, 5.20; Sharon Wilcox, 4.84; Andrei Reinhorn, 4.36.

1,000-1,500 Points – Mary Ball, 12.19; Betty Metz, 8.41; Howard Foster, 8.15; Terry Fraas, 7.87; (tie) Marilyn Wortzman, Jim Easton, 7.73; Kamil Bishara, 7.50; Sue Neubecker, 5.46; Bob Kaprove, 5.30; Vic Bergsten, 3.54.

1,500-2,500 Points – Pinky Regan, 13.09; David Colligan, 7.89; Paula Kotowski, 6.78; Tova Reinhorn, 3.59; (tie) Walt Olszewski, Gay Simpson, 4.32; Joyce Greenspan, 3.94; Judy Kaprove, 3.71; Sandi England, 2.13; Nancy Kessler, 1.40.

2,500-3,500 Points – Fred Yellen, 20.77; Linda Burroughsford, 5.76; Dale Anderson, 1.80; Pat Rasmus, 0.84.

3,500-5,000 Points – John Ziemer, 17.71; Donna Steffan, 16.87; Mike Ryan, 16.41; Judy Graf, 13.53; Davis Heussler, 10.67; Martha Welte, 6.59; Jim Gullo, 3.77; Barbara Libby, 1.15.

Over 5,000 Points – Jay Costello, 18.81; Bud Seidenberg, 16.03; Chris Urbanek, 13.30; Jay Levy, 11.51; Sharon Benz, 10.88; Saleh Fetouh, 1.97.

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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 more than 2,960 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.