Buffalo Niagara duplicate bridge notes: November 14, 2026

 

New

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

The annual meeting and party game is today, Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St. off Exit 1 of the northbound I-190. Refreshments and meeting begin at 11:30 a.m. Bring snacks to share. Game starts at 12:30 p.m. Free for club members, $12 for non-members.

There’s a regular lineup of in-person games at the Buffalo Bridge Center from Tuesday through Friday with party games once a month on weekends, usually on Sundays, except during football season. 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.

Need a partner for the party games? The club has started using a Google form to help players match up. To find it, go to BBC website and click on Announcements. There you can see who’s looking for a partner, fill out a form and add your name to the list. For more info, contact Julie Mitchell by calling 845-978-9480 or emailing jkmitchell070121@gmail.com.

An online game for players with fewer than 900 master points is hosted by the Bridge Center at 7 p.m. Monday on RealBridge. For more info, including a player guide, visit realbridge.online.

A course on the two-over-one bidding system taught by Linda Burroughsford began Monday, Nov. 2, at the Buffalo Bridge Center. Topics she's covering  include the forcing 1 No Trump bid, rebids and Bergen raises. Classes are  held on Mondays from 12:30 to 3 p.m. For info and sign-up, call or text Linda at 289-241-4449 or email her at burroughsford@icloud.com.

In addition, the club hosts a supervised play session for newer 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.

The Bridge Centre of Niagara (BCON) in St. Catharines, Ont., offers face-to-face games five days a week plus Saturday nights at its club in Tremont Square opposite the Pen Centre shopping plaza off Glendale Avenue. Fee for games is $10 Canadian for members, $13 for non-members. Website is bridgewebs.com/Niagara.

Other ACBL sanctioned clubs: Bridge Club of East Aurora holds an open game 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 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.

Congratulations to Jay Levy, who earned the most master points among Buffalo area players in the Niagara Open Sectional Tournament Nov. 6 to Nov. 8 in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. He collected 8.83 points and was 29th overall. Also doing well was Davis Heussler with 4.96 points.

Upcoming tournaments

District 5 Sectional Tournament at the Clubs (STaC) – Participating bridge clubs. (No local clubs yet.) Monday, Dec. 7, to Sunday, Dec. 13.

Cleveland Rock and Roll Regional – Embassy Suites Hotel, 5800 Rockside Woods Road, Independence, Ohio. Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2027, to Sunday, Jan. 10, 2017. For more info, click this link.

Toronto Non-Life Master Regional – Sheraton Centre Toronto, 123 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ont. Friday, Jan. 8, 2027, to Sunday, Jan. 10, 2027. For more info, click this link.

Toronto New Year’s Sectional – Sheraton Centre Toronto, 123 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ont. Friday, Jan. 8, 2027, to Sunday, Jan. 10, 2027. For more info, click this link.

Niagara Winter Sectional – Holiday Inn and Suites, 327 Ontario St., St. Catharines, Ont. Friday, Feb. 19, 2027, to Sunday, Feb. 21, 2027.

Toronto Easter Regional – Sheraton Centre Toronto, 123 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ont. Tuesday, March 23, 2027, to Sunday, March 28, 2027. For more info, click this link.

Scores from ACBL Live for Clubs

Week of Nov. 2 to Nov. 8

Buffalo Bridge Center Monday evening – 0-900 game online. Laura and John Houghtaling, 62.04%; Leslie Deich and Fran Holmes, 59.26%; (tie) David Schott and Frank Riordan, 58.33%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday morning – 0-1,600 game. North-south, Larry Himelein and David Schott, 57.14%; Paula Rosen and Maryann Szafran, 54.76%; Julie Mitchell and Mike Meachan, 54.17%; Ilene Rothman and Carol Licata, 52.68%; Jim McClure and Richard McGowan, 51.79%; east-west, Agi Maisel and Pat Haynes, 62.20%; Tony Girasole and Joyce Frayer, 53.87%; Betty Metz and Ruth Nawotniak, 50.30%; Brian Universal and Bob Mampe, 49.11%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning – Open game. Jay Levy and Sushil Amlani, 65.04%; Davis Heussler and David Colligan, 58.69%; Chris Urbanek and Kamil Bishara, 53.71%; Mike Ryan and John Ziemer, 48.61%; Ed Morgan and Andrei Reinhorn, 48.15%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday morning – 0-2,000 game. Andrei Reinhorn and Joyce Greenspan, 61.94%; Brian Fleming and Julie Mitchell, 59.89%; Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 58.36%; Audrey Ray and Ed Morgan, 58%; Joanne Nover and Agi Maisel, 54.22%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Friday morning – Open game. Kamil Bishara and Donna Steffan, 55%; Tova and Andrei Reinhorn, 54%; John Ziemer and Vic Bergsten, 52%; Jay Costello and Bud Seidenberg, 51%.

Bridge Club of East Aurora Wednesday morning – Open game. Linda and Paul Zittel, 67%; Joyce Greenspan and Ruth Wurster, 62%.

Non-sanctioned clubs

Amherst Senior Center Monday afternoon – North-south, George Mayers and Shirley Cassety, 65%; Nels Larson and Joe Graner, 61%; east-west, Bruce Brown and Dan Blatz, 66%; Dave Young and Tim Hartnett, 55%.

Amherst Senior Center Friday afternoon – North-south, George Mayers and Shirley Cassety, 63%; Carol Neuhaus and Fritz Schweiger, 61%; east-west, Dan Blatz and Will Brick, 67%; Mary and Jim Atwood, 62%.

Tonawanda Senior Center Wednesday afternoon – Bob and Mike Rupp, 59.7%; Susan and Harvey Lichtblau, 56.5%; Judy White and Fritz Schweiger, 51.4%.

Unit 116 Master Point Leaders for Club Play

Jan. 1, 2026, to Oct. 31, 2026

0 – 5 master points – Susan Lichtblau, 2.58; Alex Ivanov, 1.87; Jane Arnold, 1.65; Kathy Pyjas, 1.04; Mike Segal, 0.32; Barbara Burns, 0.20.

5 – 20 – Susan Mann Dolce, 6.81; Maureen Piasecki, 4.50; Amy Licata, 4.20; Amber Dixon, 2.45; Pat Wolcott, 1.91; Joan Warren, 1.68; John Brennan, 0.93.

20 – 50 – Julie Mitchell, 38.26; Bill Kross, 7.90; Tony  Girasole, 6.85; Gini Sicignano, 5.99; Devon Marlette, 3.57.

50 – 100 – Molly Morris, 9.81; Susan Burns, 6.30; Susan Cardamone, 6.05; Elaine Idzik, 1.71; Frank Riordan, 1.05; Anne Slater, 0.91; Kathleen Voigt, 0.56; Nancy Deneen, 0.55; Pepe Justicia-Linde, 0.53; Jo Ann Smith, 0.35.

100 – 200 – Brian Fleming, 23.11; Mike Meacham, 13.60; Ilene Rothman, 11.79; Carol Licata, 10.02; Dennis Daly, 9.57; Maureen Cancilla, 7.01; Candace Graser, 6.90; Pam Righter, 5.97; Amy Habib, 3.65; Donna Starnes, 2.51; Joan Ciszak, 1.62; Cynthia Tashjian, 0.26.

200 – 300 – Betty DeFeo, 5.69.

300 – 500 – David Schott, 39.89; Joanne Nover, 35.16; Ruth Nawotniak, 18.58; Agi Maisel, 15.80; Audrey Ray, 14.36; Maryann Szafran, 11.43; Carl Hasselback, 11.17; Linda Milch, 8.99; David Whitt, 6.03; Maria Amlani, 5.07; Judy Zeckhauser, 2.96; Eugene Giorgini, 0.84.

500 – 1,000 – Larry Himelein, 53.04; Jo Nasoff-Finton, 50.14; Linda Zittel, 29.95; Joyce Frayer, 27.83; Pat Haynes, 24.52; Mary Terrana, 24.04; Gordon Crone, 23.02; Andrei Reinhorn, 22.68; Bonnie Clement, 16.53; Paula Rosen, 13.88; Jim McClure, 13.49; Sushil Amlani, 13.41; Ruth Wurster, 12.46; Jan Hasselback, 11.17; Donna Pottle, 10.31; Richard McGowan, 10.08; Sharon Wilcox, 9.80; Wilson McClaren, 9.03; Dave Larcom, 7.68; Brian Universal, 6.96; Barbara Landree, 5.16; Dan Clark, 4.76; Ed Harman, 2.61; Diana Smith, 2.24; Florence Boyd, 2.20; Ed Drozen, 1.70.

1,000 – 1,500 – Paul Zittel, 38.51; Bert Feasley, 32.05; Mary Ball, 24.10; (tie) Jim Easton, Marilyn Wortzman, 21.92; Joanne LaFay, 19.85; Betty Metz, 17.07; Ed Morgan, 16.46; Larry Abate, 14.80; Vic Bergsten, 11.01; Terry Fraas, 8.70; Judie Bailey, 7.84; Cathy Majewski, 1.66.

1,500 – 2,500 – Kamil Bishara, 44.85; Paula Kotowski, 44.22; Howard Foster, 33.28; Pinky Regan, 30.69; Tova Reinhorn, 25.34; Joyce Greenspan, 19.54; Walt Olszewski, 18.21; Nancy Kessler, 17.51; Sandi England, 15.19; David Colligan, 14.06; Jim Lanzo, 10.19; Bill Finkelstein, 7.47; Rajat Basu, 7.30; Judy Kaprove, 5.44; (tie) Barbara Pieterse, Martin Pieterse, 4.19; Sue Bergman, 1.69; John Bava, 0.43.

2,500 – 3,500 – Dale Anderson, 28.29; Fred Yellen, 9.05; Elaine Kurasiewicz, 1.38.

3,500 – 5,000 – John Ziemer, 45.18; Judy Graf, 39.41; Martha Welte, 37.29; Donna Steffan, 34.72; Linda Burroughsford, 31.72; Chongmin Zhang, 3.94; Allen Beroza, 2.70; Barbara Libby, 1.03; Mike Silverman, 0.44.

Over 5,000 – Mike Ryan, 62 even; Bud Seidenberg, 49.98; Chris Urbanek, 48 even; Jay Costello, 46.98; Davis Heussler, 43.25; Saleh Fetouh, 14.17; Jay Levy, 9.93; Kathy Pollock, 8.99; Dan Gerstman, 4.64; Glenn Milgrim, 1.80.

A Gold Life Master with more than 3,000 master points, Dale Anderson has compiled notes on duplicate bridge activities locally since he began playing in competition more than 20 years ago. He also comments on his bridge adventures on his pages here at blogger.com. You can call or (better yet) text him at 716-860-2305. Email is dahotwings@aol.com.