Buffalo Niagara duplicate bridge notes: May 30, 2026

 

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

Earn silver points for playing in regular games at the Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St. off Exit 1 of the I-190, during District 5’s Sectional Tournament at the Clubs (StaC) from Tuesday, June 9, to Friday, June 12. The Bridge Center's Longest Day games at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 14, also are StaC games. All proceeds from Longest Day games benefit the Western New York Alzheimer’s Association.

Need gold points? Win them at the Finger Lakes Regional, which goes from Monday, June 8, to Friday, June 12, at Seasons on Keuka Lake, a lakeside Hampton Inn conference center at 110 Mace St. in Penn Yan. For more info, click this link. 

The Buffalo Bridge Center has a regular schedule of in-person games Tuesday 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. The Wednesday game has been inactive since mid-March.

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 18 to May 24

Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday morning – 0-1,600 game. North-South, Bonnie Clement and Larry Himelein, 62.50%; Betty DeFeo and Adrian Figliotti, 53%; Joanne Nover and David Schott, 50.42%; Gini Sicignano and Pat Wolcott, 47.50%; east-west, Jini and John Rubinstein, 61.67%; Pat Haynes and Maryann Szafran, 58.33%; Carol Licata and Ilene Rothman, 56.25%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning – Open game. Donna Steffan and Bud Seidenberg, 70%; Tova and Andrei Reinhorn, 65%; Linda Burroughsford and John Ziemer, 57.50%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday morning – 0-2,000 game. Larry Himelein and David Schott, 62.72%; Sharon Wilcox and Paul Zittel, 54.40%; Paula Rosen and Maryann Szafran, 48.14%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Friday morning – Open game. Judy Graf and Mike Ryan, 69%; Paula Kotowski and Ed Morgan, 59%.

Bridge Club of East Aurora Wednesday morning – Open game. Joanne LaFay and Barbara Booi, 60.12%; Sandi England and Ruth Wurster, 54.76%; Nancy Kessler and Paula Kotowski, 51.79%; Linda and Paul Zittel, 50%.

Non-sanctioned clubs

Amherst Senior Center Monday afternoon – North-south, Violet and Jasbeer Makhija, 54%; (3-way tie) Shirley Cassety and George Mayers, Cindy Darone and Rich Kayton, Judie Bailey and Paul Orosz, 51%; east-west, Ellen Lochead and Joan Stankiewicz, 59%; Mary and Jim Atwood, 53%.

Amherst Senior Center Friday afternoon – North-south, Shirley Cassety and George Mayers, 69%; Violet and Jasbeer Makhija, 58%; east-west, Julie Mitchell and Walt Olszewski, 66%; Ruth Nawotniak and Bill Rogers, 54%.

Tonawanda Senior Center Wednesday afternoon – JoAnne Biondo and Ron Fill, 59.7%; Susan and Harvey Lichtblau, 58.3%; Judy White and Fritz Schweiger, 56.9%.

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.