| Summer Camp |
Lebensohl 2NT Response to 1NT in Competition
Lebensohl is a convention used by responder after an opponent's overcall of a one notrump opening bid, used to compete and describe a wide variety of hands. . For example, consider this deal:
| ♠KJ95 ♥AK63 ♦AKT ♣T6 |
The auction begins: N E S W As South, you desperately want to bid 3♣ non-forcing. Lebensohl, allows you to do this by sacrificing the 2NT invitational response. Instead, 2NT directs partner to rebid 3 ♣, so that you can pass or make a non-forcing bid at the 3-level. If the opponnents do not raise diamonds or bid hearts, the auction can proceed: 1NT 2♦ 2NT P |
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♠8732 |
♠AQT4 ♥84 ♦QJT64 ♣AJ |
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| ♠6 ♥T7 ♦9873 ♣T98752 |
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By not bidding 2NT, you make life easy for the opponents, since West can easily bid 2H. Verus complex 1NT overcall conventions like Woolsey or DONT, the opponents may have a harder time, as they struggle to find the spade fit and are uncetain about game.
After an overcall of a 1NT opening
Lebensohl is initiated by the responder after partner has opened 1NT and the right hand opponent (RHO) has overcalled with two of a suit (not clubs).
| Open | Overcall | Responder |
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| Response | Meaning & Subsequent Bidding | ||
| 1NT | 2♦, 2♥ or 2♠ | 2 in a higher ranking suit | Natural and to play |
| 2NT | A relay bid, forcing the opener to rebid 3 ♣. After that:
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| 3 in any suit except that overcalled | Natural and game forcing | ||
| 3NT |
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| Double | Penalty, showing a decent non-game going hand with four-cards or a very good three-card holding in the opponents suit. | ||
If you are getting a headache digesting this stuff, take a look at some examples. These are taken from 20 random deals, where:
Then try the quizes: