Conventions: Lebensohl (after partner opens 1NT) By Karen Walker

Source: kwbridge.com          

This popular convention is used after partner opens 1NT and your RHO overcalls a suit. If you bid 2NT in this position, it’s Lebensohl, which asks opener to bid 3. You can then describe one of several different types of responding hands:

• A weak signoff with a long suit that’s lower in rank than the overcalled suit
• Invitational values with a long suit that’s higher in rank than the overcalled suit
• Game values with a 4-card major and a stopper in their suit
• Game values with a 4-card major and no stopper in their suit
• Game values with no major and a stopper in their suit
• Game values with no major and no stopper in their suit

When you play Lebensohl, you give up the use of 2NT as a natural notrump invitation. This is not much of a sacrifice, as when you hold this type of hand — 8-9 pts. and a stopper in their suit — you can, and usually should, show it with a penalty double.

If you’ve agreed to use the Lebensohl 2NT, here are the meanings of your bids as responder after:

Partner	RHO	You
1NT	2	?

Double = Penalty

2 = Signoff, showing a 5+-card suit and no interest in game (fewer than 7-8 pts., assuming a 15-17 notrump  range)

2NT = Lebensohl convention (relays partner to 3)

3, 3, 3 = Forcing, showing a 5+-card suit and game values (8-9+ pts.). This is “standard” Lebensohl. A more useful treatment is to play non-jump bids in minors as constructive and invitational, but not forcing.

3 (cuebid of their suit) = Stayman (promising 4 cards in the other major) with game values and no stopper in their suit.

3NT = Game values, no 4-card spade suit, no stopper in their suit.

4/4 = Texas transfer, 6+-card suit with game values.

Memory aids:

The slow auction (bidding 2NT first, then rebidding 3NT or cuebidding their suit) shows a stopper.
Pnemonics:  “Slow shows” or SAGS (“Slow Auction Guarantees Stopper”)

The direct (fast) auction (an immediate cuebid or jump to 3NT) denies a stopper.
Pnemonics: “Direct denies” or DADS (“Direct Auction Denies Stopper”).

Responder’s rebids

If your first bid was 2NT, partner (the 1NT opener) will bid 3. You can then bid:

Pass = 5+ clubs, no interest in game.

3 = 5+ diamonds, no interest in game.

3 (cuebid of their suit) = Stayman (promising 4 spades) and game values with a stopper in their suit

3 = 5+ spades and invitational values.

3NT = Game values, no 4-card major, with a stopper in their suit

If your first bid denied a stopper (direct cuebid or jump to 3NT):

Over your cuebid (Stayman), opener will bid a 4-card major if he has one. If he has no 4-card major but does have a stopper in their suit, he’ll bid 3NT. With no 4-card major and no stopper, he’ll run to his cheapest 4+-card suit. You can then pass, raise to game or bid your cheapest 4+-card suit if you don’t have a fit for the suit partner bid.

Over your jump to 3NT, opener will pass if he has a stopper. If he does not have a stopper, he’ll bid 4 of his cheapest 4+-card suit (as above).

Summary: Showing long suits

 

If you have a 5+-card major that’s higher in rank than the overcall (RHO bids 2 and you have spades), you can show three different hand strengths:

 

Signoff (weak but competitive) — Bid your suit at the 2-level (1NT – [2] – 2 or 2)

Invitational — Go through Lebensohl (1NT- [2] – 2NT – 3 – 3)

Forcing — Jump directly to 3 of your suit (1NT – [2] – 3 or 3)

 

If you have a 5+-card minor that’s lower in rank than the overcall, you can show three different strengths:

 

Signoff — Go through Lebensohl (1NT – [2] – 2NT – 3 – Pass or 3)

Invitational — Bid 3 of your suit (1NT – [2] – 3 or 3). This is constructive but not forcing. It neither shows nor denies a stopper.

Forcing — Treat it as a notrump hand. Go through Lebensohl to show a stopper (1NT – [2] – 2NT – 3 – 3NT) or jump directly to 3NT to deny a stopper (1NT – [2] – 3NT).

 

If you have a 5+-card major that’s lower in rank than the overcall (RHO bids 2 and you have hearts), there is no invitational sequence available. With borderline hands, you’ll have to decide whether you want to force to game (bid a  direct 3) or sign off at the 3-level (go through Lebensohl — 1NT-2–2NT-3–3). The signoff sequence tends to show values, though, so partner is allowed to raise to 4 if he has a maximum and a good heart fit.

Lebensohl after a 2 overcall

Lebensohl is most valuable over the opponent’s overcall of 2, 2 or 2. If your RHO bids a natural 2, Lebensohl offers you no way to ask for a 4-card major and show or deny a stopper. After 1NT – [2] – 2NT, partner’s 3 bid takes away your 3-level cuebid, so there’s not much point in using Lebensohl when you hold a 4-card major.

One solution is to give up the penalty double of 2 and play double as Stayman, with all other bids “system on”. If you have a game-forcing hand, you can use two forms of Stayman to show or deny stoppers:

Game values, 4-card major, with a club stopper — Double, then 3NT  (1NT – [2] – DBL – 2/2/2 – 3NT) (“Slow shows”).

Game values, 4-card major, no stopper  — Direct cuebid (1NT – [2] – 3) (“Direct denies”).

If you have invitational values with a 4-card major, it’s more difficult to show or deny stoppers because you cannot afford to go past 2NT. Here’s a set of agreements that can be useful in some auctions:

Invitational, one or both 4-card majors, with a stopper = Double, then 2NT if partner does not bid your suit.

Invitational, 4 spades, no stopper = Double, then bid 2 if partner rebids 2 or 2. If opener has a club stopper, he’ll rebid 2NT with a minimum (which you should pass) or 3NT with a maximum. If he has no stopper and 3 spades, he can pass 2 with a minimum, or bid 3 with a maximum and a hand that wants to try for game in the 4-3 fit. In the worst case — opener has a doubleton spade and no stopper in their suit — he’ll have to scramble to 3 of another suit or a stopper-less 2NT.

Invitational, 4 hearts or both majors, no stopper = Double, then bid 2 if partner rebids 2. If opener has a club stopper, he’ll rebid 2NT or 3NT to show his strength. If he has no stopper, he can pass 2 (with 3-card heart support) or scramble to 2 (if he holds 2 hearts and 3 spades).

Note: If partner responds 2 to your Stayman double and your only 4-card major is hearts, you cannot give him information about stoppers. You’ll have to follow with 2NT, which neither confirms nor denies a stopper.

After a 2 overcall, responder can still use Lebensohl sequences to describe hands without 4-card majors:

Game values, no major, with a stopper — Lebensohl, then 3NT  (1NT – [2] – 2NT – 3 – 3NT).

Game values, no major, no stopper — Bid a direct 3NT.

Game values, 5+-card suit — Jump to 3 of your suit.

Invitational hand with a 5+-card suit — Lebensohl, then bid your suit (1NT – [2] – 2NT – 3 – 3, 3, 3).

You can also use Lebensohl treatments after RHO makes an artificial or two-suited overcall. If RHO makes a bid that shows:

Two known suits:  Your Lebensohl stopper auction revolves around his known suit. For example, if the overcall is a Cappelletti 2 (hearts and a minor), treat it as a “regular” 2H overcall. Your stopper-showing and stopper-denying auctions will focus on hearts.

Two specific suits:  You can still use the Lebensohl 2NT to sign off at the 3-level, but the 3-level stopper-showing sequences do not apply. If you have game values, use bids of RHO’s suits to identify stoppers. For example, if the overcall showed both majors (Landy 2 or DONT 2), you can bid 2 to show a heart stopper. 2 would show a spade stopper but no heart stopper. 3NT promises stoppers in both suits. If you have a penalty-oriented hand, you can double.

An unspecified one-suiter (artificial double):  Redouble is penalty, showing invitational-or-better values and an interest in doubling their runout suit. All other bids are “system on” — 2 is Stayman, 2 and 2 are transfers, etc.

An unspecified one-suiter (2):  Double is Stayman. All other bids are “system on”.