Lebensohl

Lebensohl 2NT over 1NT opening shows an invitational hand which both double and pass ill describe.

Lebensohl is an ambiguous competitive convention. Lebensohl is active when the only bid from opponents is 2 of a suit. In this case, playing 2NT is infeasible because opponent contracts usually go down if 2NT makes. Therefore, it is reasonable to give up the possibility to stop at 2NT. The 2NT becomes forcing to effectively duplicate 3-level bidding space.

Unlike others, Wbridge5’s Lebensohl over 1NT opening always shows invitational values and can be made with a 4-card suit. Continuations are somewhat different from the outside as a result. Wbridge5 found it okay to bid a 4-card suit at 3-level via Lebensohl with invitational values because opener has the chance to correct the final strain.

This novel approach makes good use of nonforcing bids and finally creates a Lebensohl variant comparable to Rubensohl. Rubensohl is based on transfers, which makes it perfect for 5-card suits. Wbridge5’s method allows competition with 4-card suits like a Lebensohl over weak 2.

Opener’s rebids

Second responses to 3♣

Consider calls other than a new suit only if clubs is the highest longest biddable nonadverse suit. These suitless calls (pass, cuebid, 3NT) make premature decisions before opener reacts.

Probing Wbridge5 5.12 shows the cuebid invitational, never game-forcing, and unrelated to a stopper in x. The 2NT bid holds 6–10 HCP, even against natural overcalls with up to 14 HCP dealt, so nothing after it is game-forcing. A game-forcing hand without a stopper doubles, or bids a suit or 3NT directly instead. The cuebid shows a 6-card minor with 8 HCP, rarely 9: 18 of 30 such hands cuebid over (2♥) and 19 of 33 over (2♠), most of the rest passing 3♣. With 7 HCP a 6-card minor passes. With a 5-card minor and 8–10 HCP, responder bids 3NT whatever it holds in x: 176 of 203 3NT bids over (2♥) held no ♥ stopper (A, Kx, Qxx, or Jxxx).

• ♠J8 ♥72 ♦KQ3 ♣Q109743: 3♥ over (2♥), 3♠ over (2♠), and 3♦ over a natural (2♦).
• ♠J5 ♥K76 ♦QJ10972 ♣J3: 3♥ over (2♥), holding a ♥ stopper.
• ♠843 ♥J3 ♦J107 ♣AQ1062: 3NT over (2♥) without a ♥ stopper.

Wbridge5’s own (2♦) over 1NT is Multi, showing one major, so there is no adverse suit. Then 3♦ after 2NT - 3♣ is natural with 4+♦, and so is a direct 3♦ with 5+♦ and 5–15 HCP. Against a natural (2♦), the direct 3♦ is a takeout cuebid with 9–13 HCP and short ♦, and 3♦ after 2NT - 3♣ is the cuebid above.

Probing Wbridge5 5.12 shows that with 6 cards in the adverse major, responder bids the other major with only 3 cards, e.g. ♠532 ♥AQJ1098 ♦Q63 ♣3 bids 3♠ after (2♥).

Not probed

• Opener’s rebid over (2♣), (2♠) and natural overcalls: it was probed over the default (2♦) and (2♥).
• Responder’s second call over (2♣), Landy or natural.
• Responder’s call after opener’s 3♥ or 3♠, and opener’s call after the second response.