Buffalo Niagara duplicate bridge notes: August 22, 2026

 

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

You’ll need to sign up in advance for the annual Western New York Unit 116 picnic and bridge game next Saturday, Aug. 29, in the Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St. off Exit 1 of the northbound I-190. Text or call John Bava at 908-256-6466 or email jbava@roadrunner.com. Free picnic lunch at 11:30 a.m. Game at 12:30 p.m. It’s $10 for unit members, $15 for non-members.

The Buffalo Bridge Center has a regular lineup 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.

Come fall, the Buffalo Bridge Center is planning to offer a variety of lessons. A class on the most common bidding conventions will be held on Wednesday afternoons, beginning in September. October will bring a 10-week class for new and beginning players on Thursday afternoons. And for those wondering about the game and how to start playing, a one-time introductory session will be offered from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 19. For more info, call or text Ruth Nawotniak at 716-949-7574.

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, Delaware Wednesday, 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 and Saturday nights 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

Great Lakes Sectional – Erie Bridge Club, 1221 Grant Ave., Erie, Pa. Next Saturday, Aug. 29, and Sunday, Aug. 30. For more info, click this link.

Toronto Labor Day Sectional – St. Volodymyr Cultural Centre, 1280 Dundas St. West, Oakville, Ont. Saturday, Sept. 5, to Monday, Sept. 7. For more info, click this link.

Pittsburgh Labor Day Regional – Doubletree Meadowlands Racetrack and Casino, 340 Racetrack Road, Washington, Pa. Monday, Sept. 14, to Sunday, Sept. 20. For more info, click this link.

Buffalo Fall Sectional – Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St. Friday, Sept. 25, to Sunday, Sept. 27. For more info, click this link.

Rochester Fall Sectional – Gates Community Center, 1605 Buffalo Road (Route 33), Rochester. Saturday, Oct. 10, and Sunday, Oct. 11.

Niagara Open Sectional – Niagara-on-the-Lake Community Center, 14 Anderson Lane, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. Friday, Nov. 6, to Sunday, Nov. 8. For more info, click this link.

Scores from ACBL Live for Clubs

Week of Aug. 10 to Aug. 16

Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning – Open game. Davis Heussler and David Colligan, 58.80%; John Ziemer and Mike Ryan, 57.87%; (tie) Ben Reischer and Kamil Bishara, Martha Welte and Sushil Amlani, 53.70%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday morning – 0-2,000 game. Audrey Ray and Adrian Figliotti, 57.50%; Paula Rosen and Maryann Szafran, 54.38%; Betty Metz and Paul Zittel, 51.25%; east-west, Mary Ball and Joyce Frayer, 61.25%; Larry Himelein and David Schott, 57.50%; Bonnie Clement and Judy Zeckhauser, 48.75%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Friday morning – Open game. Jay Costello and Bud Seidenberg, 57.14%; Martha Welte and Larry Abate, 56.55%; Donna Steffan and Davis Heussler, 55.36%; Tova and Andrei Reinhorn, 54.17%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Sunday afternoon –Open game. North-south, Howard Foster and Mike Ryan, 60.85%; Jay Levy and Saleh Fetouh, 55.56%; Donna Steffan and Jay Costello, 55.03%; Linda Burroughsford and Brian Fleming, 53.97%; east-west, Julie Mitchell and Davis Heussler, 61.31%; Pat Haynes and Joanne Nover, 58.63%; Chris Urbanek and Kamil Bishara, 56.55%; Mary Ball and Joyce Frayer, 53.87%.

Non-sanctioned clubs

Amherst Senior Center Monday afternoon – North-south, Edna and Ron Fill, 54.5%; Violet and Jasbeer Makhija, 54.0%; east-west, Ron Helfman and Bob Kaprove, 60%; InSook Shin and Laurie Jones, 54%.

Tonawanda Senior Center Wednesday afternoon – Rose Bochiechio and Edna Fill, 62.5%; (3-way tie) Christel Bernard and Pierre Williett, Mike and Bob Rupp, Jeanine Biondo and Ron Fill, 52.8%.

Unit 116 Master Point Leaders for Virtual Club Play

Jan. 1, 2026, to July 31, 2026

0-5 Points – None.

5-20 Points – Susan Mann Dolce, 5.46; Mike Rupp, 4.08; Bob Rupp, 3.27; Joan Warren, 1.86; Amy Licata, 1.62; Fran Holmes, 0.96; David Taylor, 0.54.

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

50-100 Points – Mike Metzger, 6.99; Anne Slater, 6.51; Kathleen Voigt, 5.24; Susan Burns, 4.33; Fran Riordan, 3.70; Jo Ann Smith, 2.44; Elaine Idzik, 2.28; (tie) Cherry Searle, Nancy Deneen, 0.17.

100-200 Points – Fran Schmidt, 10.81; Brian Fleming, 10.37; Cynthia Tashjian, 10.31; Jim Hassett, 9.75; Candace Graser, 8.58; Maria Schory, 8.37; Amy Habib, 4.09; John Houghtaling, 3.02; Betsy Heuer, 2.13; Jim Greno, 1.51; Betsy Greno, 1.29.

200-300 Points – Judy McDermid, 17.93; Laura Houghtaling, 3.02.

300-500 Points – Maria Amlani, 29.97; David Schott, 4.24; Kusum Phadke, 1.36.

500-1,000 Points – (Tie) Bram Hamovitch, Terry Hamovitch, 27.49; Martha Townson, 17.64; Sushil Amlani, 16.50; Richard McGowan, 11.38; Jeff Bender, 3.50; Pat Haynes, 2.69; Henry Chudy, 2.62; Sharon Wilcox, 2.18; Ed Harman, 2.08.

1,000-1,500 Points – Vic Bergsten, 30.27; Mary Ball, 6.04; Bill Rich, 2.05; Bert Feasley, 0.80.

1,500-2,500 Points – Jim Lanzo, 71.83; Walt Olszewski, 1.73; Rajat Basu, 1.40; Pink Regan, 0.72; John Bava, 0.64; Martin Pieterse, 0.27.

2,500-3,500 Points – Art Morth, 8.08.

3,500-5,000 Points – Martha Welte, 3.16.

More than 5,000 Points – Saleh Fetouh, 104.08; Dian Petrov, 10.70; Jay Levy, 6.88.

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