Buffalo Niagara duplicate bridge notes: May 16, 2026

 

News and notes for the Buffalo area duplicate bridge community appear weekly here at http://newsdupli.blogspot.com/, usually by midweek.

There’s a Spring Has Sprung theme for the next party game on Sunday, May 17, at the Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St. off Exit 1 of the I-190. Refreshments at noon, game at 12:30 p.m. $8 members, $12 non-members. Bring a snack to share. For partnerships, Julie Mitchell is the contact. Call 845-978-9480 or email jkmitchell070121@gmail.com.

The Buffalo Bridge Center has a regular schedule of in-person and online games Monday through Friday with party games once a month on weekends, usually on Sundays. 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. Membership is $80 annually.

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.

In addition, the club hosts a supervised play session for players who want experience and advice to improve their game from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mondays, which has 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 just for fun at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays. 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.

Other ACBL sanctioned clubs: Bridge Club of East Aurora games are 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 Bridge Centre of Niagara (BCON) in St. Catharines, Ont., offers face-to-face games five days a week at its club in Tremont Square opposite the Pen Centre shopping plaza off Glendale Avenue. Website is bridgewebs.com/Niagara.

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.

Upcoming tournaments

Finger Lakes Regional – Seasons on Keuka Lake, 110 Mace St., Penn Yan. Monday, June 8, to Friday, June 12. For more info, click this link. 

District 5 Sectional Tournament at the Clubs (StaC) – Participating local clubs. Monday, June 8, to Sunday, June 14. For more info, click this link.

Cleveland All American Regional – Embassy Suites Hotel, 5800 Rockside Woods Road, Independence, Ohio. Tuesday, June 23, to Sunday, June 28. For more info, click this link.

Buffalo Summer Sectional – Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St. Friday, July 10, to Sunday, July 12.

Oakville Summer Regional – St. Volodymyr Cultural Centre, 1280 Dundas St. West, Oakville, Ont. Tuesday, July 21, to Sunday, July 26. For more info, click this link.

Rochester Summer Sectional – Gates Recreation Center, 1605 Buffalo Road (Route 33), Rochester. Saturday, July 25, and Sunday, July 26.

Scores from ACBL Live for Clubs

Week of May 4 to May 10

Buffalo Bridge Center Monday evening – 0-900 game online. Cynthia Tashjian and Candace Graser, 66.67%; Betsy and Jim Greno, 50%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday morning – 0-1,600 game. North-South, Paula Rosen and Maryann Szafran, 60.50%; Jim McClure and David Schott, 55%; Gini Sicignano and Pat Wolcott, 52.50%; east-west, Agi Maisel and Pat Haynes, 57.08%; Ruth Nawotniak and Julie Mitchell, 51.67%; Linda Milch and Susan Cardamone, 51.25%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning – Open game. Jay Costello and Bud Seidenberg, 62%; Chris Urbanek and Kamil Bishara, 52%; Mike Ryan and John Ziemer, 51%; Tova Reinhorn and Terry Fraas, 50%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday morning – 0-2,000 game. Paula Kotowski and Walt Olszewski, 61.89%; Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 57.42%; Larry Himelein and David Schott, 56.89%; Dennis Daly and Paul Zittel, 52.11%; Julie Mitchell and Brian Fleming, 51.85%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Friday morning – Open game. Jay Costello and Bud Seidenberg, 69%; Judy Graf and Linda Burroughsford, 55%; Mike Ryan and John Ziemer, 53%; Terry Fraas and Ed Morgan, 52%.

Bridge Club of East Aurora Wednesday morning – Open game. Linda and Paul Zittel, 62.89%; Mary Smith and Bert Feasley, 53.47%; Paula Kotowski and Nancy Kesslere, 52.08%; (3-way tie) Joyce Greenspan and Maureen Piasecki, Mary Terrana and Gordon Crone, Maureen Cancilla and Kathy Donnelly, 50.69%.

Non-sanctioned clubs

Amherst Senior Center Monday afternoon – North-south, Edna and Ron Fill, 56%; Jill and Bruce Brown, 52%; east-west, David Young and Tim Hartnett, 58%; Angela Curtis and Dan Blatz, 57%.

Amherst Senior Center Friday afternoon – North-south, Shirley Cassety and George Mayers, 64%; Paul Orosz and Nels Larson, 56%; east-west, Mary and Jim Atwood, 63%; David Young and Tim Hartnett, 56%.

Tonawanda Senior Center Wednesday afternoon – Joanne Biondo and Ron Fill, 73.6%; Rose Bochiechio and Edna Fill, 51.3%; Lynda Pettit and Susan Amico, 50%.

Unit 116 Master Point Leaders for Virtual Club Play

Jan. 1, 2026, to April 30, 2026

5-20 Points – Mike Rupp, 4.08; Susan Mann Dolce, 3.43; Bob Rupp, 3.27; Joan Warren, 1.86; Amy Licata, 0.95; David Taylor, 0.54; Fran Holmes, 0.48.

20-50 Points – Bill Kross, 7.60; Devon Marlette, 2.39; Maxine Johnson, 1.14.

50-100 Points – Anne Slater, 5.84; Mike Metzger, 5.45; Kathleen Voigt, 4.57; Susan Burns, 3.32; Jo Ann Smith, 2.44; Elaine Idzik, 1.66; Fran Riordan, 1.22; (tie) Cherry Searle, Nancy Deneen, 0.17.

100-200 Points – Cynthia Tashjian, 8.21; Fran Schmidt, 8.18; Jim Hassett, 8.11; Maria Schory, 6.61; Candace Graser, 6.48; Brian Fleming, 4.95; Amy Habib, 4.09; John Houghtaling, 2.87; Betsy Heuer, 1.12; Jim Greno, 0.95; Betsy Greno, 0.73.

200-300 Points – Laura Houghtaling, 2.87.

300-500 Points – Maria Amlani, 14.52; Eugene Giorgini, 1.26; David Schott, 1.22.

500-1,000 Points – Sushil Amlani, 12.38; Martha Townson, 11.01; Richard McGowan, 9.07; (tie) Bram Hamovitch, Terry Hamovitch, 7.10; Pat Haynes, 1.89; (tie) Jeff Bender, Henry Chudy, 1.77; Joyce Frayer, 1.17; Ed Harman, 0.88.

1,000-1,500 Points – Vic Bergsten, 19.24; Mary Ball, 4.64; Bill Rich, 2.05; Bert Feasley, 0.80.

1,500-2,500 Points – Jim Lanzo, 48.85; Walt Olszewski, 1.73; Rajat Basu, 0.76; Martin Pieterse, 0.27.

2,500-3,500 Points – Art Morth, 6.68.

3,500-5,000 Points – Martha Welte, 0.40.

More than 5,000 Points – Saleh Fetouh, 67.21; Dian Petrov, 5.28; Jay Levy, 4.29.

Dale Anderson has compiled notes on duplicate bridge activities locally since he began playing in competition more than 20 years ago. A Gold Life Master, 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 or send an email to  dahotwings@aol.com.