Buffalo Niagara duplicate bridge notes: August 29, 2026

 

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

If you’re reading this on Saturday, Aug. 29, you’ve missed your chance to go to the annual Western New York Unit 116 picnic and bridge game. It’s happening today, Saturday, Aug. 29, in the Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St. off Exit 1 of the northbound I-190, and you needed to RSVP. However, if you’re seeing this earlier in the week, you might be able to squeeze in. Organizers reported last week that five of the 20 tables had not yet been filled. Find out by texting or calling John Bava at 908-256-6466 or emailing him at jbava@roadrunner.com. Picnic lunch, which is free, is at 11:30 a.m. Game at 12:30 p.m. costs $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. Now that the National Football League season has arrived, the next party game has been shifted to a Saturday, Sept. 19. 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.

With fall about to arrive, the Buffalo Bridge Center has announced two series of lessons. The first one – a 10-week series on popular bidding and playing conventions – begins Wednesday, Sept. 9, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. A second 10-week series, an introduction to Basic Bridge, begins Thursday, Oct. 1, from 1 to 3 p.m. And for anyone curious about the game and wondering how to get into it, there’s a one-time introductory session 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. Sadly, the Wednesday game, Delaware Wednesday, has been inactive since mid-March.

In addition, the club hosts a supervised play session for players who want to gain some experience and get some advice to improve their game. It’s from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mondays and it’s 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 at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, which is just for fun. 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. Today, 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. Next 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. 17 to Aug. 23

Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday morning – 0-1,600 game. North-South, Ruth Nawotniak and Betty Metz, 61.67%; Fred Hirsh and Richard McGowan, 58.33%; Joanne Nover and David Schott, 52.92%; east-west, Agi Maisel and Dennis Daly, 58.33%; Adrian Figliotti and Betty DeFeo, 52.50%; Mary Ball and Joyce Frayer, 50%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning – Open game. Martha Welte and Howard Foster, 60%; Linda Burroughsford and John Ziemer, 53.13%; (tie) Mary Ball and Joyce Frayer, Judy Graf and Mike Ryan, 50%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday morning – 0-2,000 game. North-south, Maryann Szafran and Richard McGowan, 56.10%; Joyce Greenspan and Linda Zittel, 54.23%; Joanne Nover and Bonnie Clement, 50.48%; east-west, Larry Himelein and David Schott, 75.16%; Julie Mitchell and Brian Fleming, 55.79%; Carol Licata and Ilene Rothman, 50.79%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Friday morning – Open game. Howard Foster and Davis Heussler, 73%; Jay Costello and Bud Seidenberg, 58%; Martha Welte and Larry Abate, 52%.

Bridge Club of East Aurora Wednesday morning – Open game. Linda and Paul Zittel, 59.52%; Ann and Joe Williams, 54.17%; (tie) Joyce Greenspan and Ruth Wurster, Mary Terrana and Gordon Crone, 53.57%.

Non-sanctioned clubs

Amherst Senior Center Monday afternoon – North-south, Joe Huber and Fritz Schweiger, 57%; Violet and Jasbeer Makhija, 54%; east-west, Connie Wilson and Miriam Regnet, 64%; Jack Cukierman and Mel Mesnekoff, 53%.

Amherst Senior Center Friday afternoon – North-south, Paul Orosz and Nels Larson, 62.5%; Violet and Jasbeer Makhija, 55%; east-west, (tie) Dan Blatz and Will Brick, Shrikant Joshi and Ron Helfman, 56.7%; Mary and Jim Atwood, 55.8%.

Tonawanda Senior Center Wednesday afternoon – Judy White and Fritz Schweiger, 65%; Susan and Harvey Lichtblau, 57.5%.

Unit 116 Master Point Leaders for Virtual Club Play

Jan. 1, 2026, to July 31, 2026

0-5 Points – Art Ziller, 2.99; Aleksandar Ivanov, 2.24; Jane Arnold, 1.25; Barbara Burns, 0.20; Michael Segal, 0.10.

5-20 Points –Susan Mann Dolce, 12.05; Linda Marsh, 5.85; Amy Licata, 5.04; Maureen Piasecki, 4.50; Mike Rupp, 4.08; Joan Warren, 3.54; Bob Rupp, 3.27; Ann Bonte, 2.44; John Brennan, 1.43; Fran Holmes, 0.96.

20-50 Points – Julie Mitchell, 44.50; Bill Kross, 7.42; Gini Sicignano, 6.89; Devon Marlette, 5.79; Anthony Girasole, 2.82.

50-100 Points – Molly Morris, 9.81; Susan Burns, 9.74; Anne Slater, 7.45; Mike Metzger, 6.99; Kathleen Voigt, 5.80; Fran Riordan, 5.33; Mary Berlow, 4.60; Susan Cardamone, 4.56; Elaine Idzik, 3.99; Jo Ann Smith, 2.79.

100-200 Points – Brian Fleming, 40.80; Mike Meacham, 31.53; Jack Fuller, 24.48; Candace Graser, 13.03; Fran Schmidt, 10.81; Cynthia Tashjian, 10.57; Jim Hassett, 9.82; Ilene Rothman, 9.72; Carol Licata, 9.31; Dennis Daly, 8.86.

200-300 Points – Ethan Xie, 23.26; Judy McDermid, 17.93; Betty DeFeo, 4.15; Laura Houghtaling, 3.02.

300-500 Points – David Schott, 41.07; Maria Amlani, 34.51; Joanne Nover, 28.55; Ruth Nawotniak, 20.53; Carl Hasselback, 11.74; Maryann Szafran, 8.82; Agi Maisel, 7.54; Linda Milch, 7.03; David Whitt, 6.63; Audrey Ray, 6.46. 

500-1,000 Points – Larry Himelein, 60.10; Jo Nasoff-Finton, 40.29; Sushil Amlani, 39.46; Terry Hamovitch, 36.49; Bram Hamovitch, 36.45; Linda Zittel, 32.14; Joyce Frayer, 27.65; Pat Haynes, 24.88; Martha Townson, 24.20; Andrei Reinhorn, 22.25.

1,000-1,500 Points – Vic Bergsten, 34.85; Paul Zittel, 33.13; Bert Feasley, 32.24; Mary Ball, 28.11; Ed Morgan, 22.81; Joanne LaFay, 22.47; (tie) Jim Easton, Marilyn Wortzman, 20.52; Terry Fraas, 19.24; Larry Abate, 16.05.

1,500-2,500 Points –Jim Lanzo, 89.24; David Colligan, 74.15; Kamil Bishara, 45.37; Paula Kotowski, 40.75; Howard Foster, 33.08; Pinky Regan, 29.67; Tova Reinhorn, 26.17; Rajat Basu, 20.10; Walt Olszewski, 19.41; Joyce Greenspan, 18.01.

2,500-3,500 Points – Fred Yellen, 22.24; Dale Anderson, 18.36; Art Morth, 18.08; Elaine Kurasiewicz, 1.54.

3,500-5,000 Points – Linda Burroughsford, 173.69; John Ziemer, 96.28; Judy Graf, 54.15; Donna Steffan, 42.60; Martha Welte, 25.15; Bill Rushmore, 14.15; Chongmin Zhang, 6.69; Mike Silverman, 3.15; Allen Beroza, 2.70.

More than 5,000 Points – Saleh Fetouh, 525.77; Davis Heussler, 235.13; Dian Petrov, 168.79; Dan Gerstman, 121.51; Mike Ryan, 113.95; Jay Levy, 79.57; Bud Seidenberg, 51.59; Chris Urbanek, 51.52; Jay Costello, 49.78; Glenn Milgrim, 27.04; Kathy Pollock, 20 even.

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.