M J Bridge

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Conventions

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Conventions

M J Bridge

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Bidding

Hands

Theory

Lebensohl

The basic method is good as far as it goes, but the wide-ranging nature of the responses can lead to difficulties.  If your bid of a new suit at the lowest level might promise anything from zero to nine points then what is partner supposed to do next with his nineteen?

Most tournament partnerships will graft on a bit of system which is similar to the Lebensohl convention as used when the opponents are so impolite as to interfere over your opening bid of 1NT, and this bit of system is usually also referred to as Lebensohl.

The key feature of the method is that a bid of 2NT by advancer asks the doubler to bid 3♣.

Partner will usually (but not always) bid 3♣ as requested after which advancer’s correction to a new suit can be differentiated in some way from the direct bid of the same suit.

Whatever the detail of the various routes the underlying idea will be to distinguish between weak, invitational, and game-going hands.

Note that, whatever strength you are trying to show, your suit does not have to be any more than four-card - partner has already indicated a willingness to play in any suit other than the opponents’ with his double.

The following two hands exemplify the basic idea of the convention.

I should mention that writings on this topic, although broadly similar, can vary considerably in detail.

The following is fairly mainstream, and close to that given by Neil Rosen in ‘English Bridge - June 2017’.

With five or more cards in an unbid major you will almost certainly make a bid in that suit.

With four cards in an unbid major you will frequently make a bid in that suit, but there are other possibilities and styles vary - remember, partner may only hold three cards in the suit.

The question is ‘how many?’- bids in a minor suit follow the same rules.

Two or three routes

The exact meanings will depend on whether you as advancer have two or three routes available to show the suit at or below the three-level.

If your suit is lower ranking than that opened by the opponents then you will have just two routes available -

e.g.:-

(2♠) x (-) 3♥, and

(2♠) x (-) 2NT (-) 3♣ (-) 3♥.

If your suit is higher-ranking than that opened by the opponents then you will have three routes available -

e.g.:-

(2♥) x (-) 2♠,

(2♥) x - 2NT (-) 3♣ (-) 3♠, and

(2♥) x - 3♠.

Two routes

With just two routes:-

the route via 2NT will be weak - say 0 to 8 points;

the direct bid of the suit will be invitational on, say, 8 to 11 points;

with twelve or more points you will either bid game directly, or force with a bid in a new suit or a bid of the opponents’ suit.

You will have noted the overlap of ranges above.

The point-ranges are not written in stone, but as a guideline you might well take the weaker route (via 2NT) with eight points and a four-card suit, but the stronger route with eight points and a five-card suit.

(Note that some authorities prefer to play the direct response in a new suit at the three-level as forcing).

Your suit is clubs

This is no more than a special instance of ‘your suit is lower-ranking’.

With the weak holding you will bid 2NT then pass partner’s response of 3♣, and with invitational values you will bid 3♣ directly.

Breaking the 2NT sequence

If overcaller is significantly stronger than a basic take-out double he cannot risk bidding 3♣ in response to his partner’s 2NT, and this being passed.  Note the difference from when he has opened 1NT and his hand is precisely limited thereby giving his partner the licence to decide on the final auction.

Typically he will hold something in the region of nineteen points, or a single-suited hand too good for an immediate suit overcall.

3NT

All authorities give an immediate response of 3NT as ‘to play’, but beyond that their requirements vary considerably.

Earlier sources ten to require two stops in the opponents’ suit.

More recent offerings lower this requirement considerably - Kx in the opponents’ suit might well be sufficient with the lead coming towards you, provided you have realistic hopes of making nine tricks ‘off the top’ either by way of a running suit or through sheer combined power.

Again, the Lebensohl sequence gives the opportunity to distinguish between a stop which is at least fairly convincing and a stop which has definite tendencies towards ‘dodgy’ - perhaps a partial stop such as Qxx.

You can choose which of the two routes shows the sounder stop.

The more intuitive choice is that the immediate bid of 3NT shows the sounder holding and the Lebensohl route suggests something a little less convincing.

In the following examples I have taken the immediate bid of 3NT to promise 12+ points and a sound(ish) stop, and the slow route via Lebensohl to promise 12+ points and a partial stop.

The cue-bid

With five cards in the other major it is all but certain that you will search for a contract in that suit with at least an eight-card fit.

However, with just four cards in the other major you may well be torn between a contract in that suit and a contract in no trumps depending on whether partner holds three or four cards in the suit.

The solution is to make a bid in the opponents’ suit.

This cue-bid will always be played as game-forcing with four cards in the other major.

The two routes will identify the quality of the stop in the opponents’ suit.

It is logical to show the quality of your stop in the same way as when bidding 3NT.

Thus, the direct cue-bid promises a stop and the delayed cue-bid by way of Lebensohl promises less than a stop.

Note that the direct cue-bid will also occasionally be brought into play on some kind of powerhouse holding as you try to learn more about partner’s hand before selecting your slam.

Overcaller’s first bid

Overcaller’s rebid

Three routes

With three routes:-

the direct bid at the two-level will be weak - say 0 to 8 points;

the route via 2NT will be invitational on, say 8 to 11 points;

the direct bid of the suit at the three-level (jump in a new suit) will be natural and forcing.

As above, the point-ranges are not written in stone.

The nineteen/twenty point no trump hand poses a particular problem in this respect.

It is tempting to bid 3NT over partner’s 2NT, but bear in mind that partner will usually hold a maximum of six points.

The wise move is to accept the puppet with 3♣.

This page last updated 4th Oct 2017

Context  -  advancer - opponents opened a single-suited weak two.