Lebensohl facing 1NT by David Bird

Your partner opens 1NT and the next player overcalls. What method can you use to advance the bidding as the partner of the opener? The most popular idea is the Lebensohl convention:

2NT asks partner bid 3♣.
A new suit at the three-level is forcing.

Question 1

Your Hand
♠ 7
♥ Q 9 2
♦ J 8 3
♣ K 10 9 7 6 2

Q: 1 - Your partner opens a 15-17 point 1NT and the next player overcalls with a natural 2♠. What now?

A: 2NT. With a 6-card suit, and the points evenly divided between the two sides, you are naturally reluctant to let East play in 2♠. You would like to contest with 3♣ without the chance that partner will then carry on bidding, taking you too high.

You bid a Lebensohl 2NT. This asks partner to bid 3♣, which you will pass.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

Your Hand
♠ J 6 5
♥ 8 2
♦ Q J 10 7 6 2
♣ K 4

Q: 2 - Your partner opens 1NT and this time East overcalls 2♥. What will you do?

South	West	North	East
-	-	1NT	2♥
?

A: 2NT. Once again, you have no wish to allow East to choose trumps and play at the two level. You want to contest the auction in 3♦. You start with a Lebensohl 2NT, asking partner to rebid 3♣. When he does this, you identify your long suit by bidding 3♦. This is no way invitational and partner will pass.

As you see, the Lebensohl 2NT allows you to compete in any of the unbid suits, with no risk that partner will carry on bidding.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

Your Hand
♠ K J 7 6
♥ 6
♦ 10 2
♣ A K 9 7 6 2

Q: 3 - Now you have a strong responding hand. How will you bid it?

South	West	North	East
-	-	1NT	2♥
?

A: 3♣. We have already seen that you start with a Lebensohl 2NT when you have a weak hand with long clubs. When instead you bid 3♣ directly, this is forcing to game.

Partner may rebid 3NT, which you will pass. If instead they rebid 3♦, you will have the space to show your second suit with 3♠.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

Your Hand
♠ 8 2
♥ A Q 7 2
♦ A 10 7 4
♣ 9 5 2

Q: 4 - Next we will look at some strong balanced hands. Suppose your partner opens 1NT and the next player overcalls 2♠. You may hold one of these types, all strong enough to play in game:
(1) No spade stopper and no 4-card heart suit
(2) No spade stopper, with a 4-card heart suit
(3) A spade stopper and no 4-card heart suit
(4) A spade stopper, with a 4-card heart suit.

Playing Lebensohl allows you to show every one of these types!

With a spade stopper, you start with a Lebensohl 2NT. Over partner's 3♣, you bid 3♠ when you hold 4 hearts, otherwise 3NT.

Without a spade stopper, you bid 3♠ directly when you hold 4 hearts, otherwise 3NT.

To remember this method say 'Slow shows a stopper'. Going via 2NT shows a stopper.

Try this one:

South	West	North	East
-	-	1NT	2♠
?

A: 3♠. You do not start with a Lebensohl 2NT because you have no stopper in the opponent's suit. You do have 4 cards in the other major, so you cue-bid 3♠.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

Your Hand
♠ A 8
♥ Q 6 5
♦ K 6 2
♣ J 7 6 3 2

Q: 5 - What will you bid on this hand?

South	West	North	East
-	-	1NT	2♠
?

A: 2NT. You do have a spade stopper, so you start with 2NT. 'Slow shows a stopper'. Partner is likely to bid 3NT. Even if he holds 4 hearts, he knows that you do not hold 4 hearts.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 6

Your Hand
♠ K 8
♥ 7 3
♦ K 7 6 4 2
♣ A 10 8 3

Q: 6 - How will you bid this hand?

South	West	North	East
-	-	1NT	2♥
?

A: 3NT. You have a fairly balanced hand and would like to play in 3NT if partner has a heart stopper. You show this type by bidding 3NT. This denies a heart stopper, since you did not go via 2NT. When the opener also has no heart stopper, you will have to look for a minor-suit contract.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Play this Hand

Now that you've bid five hands, let's see how your play goes.

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Overall Results

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What next? You may enjoy playing our prepared hands series.
More informations on our website: www.VuBridge.com

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