Lebensohl

[pilowsky]

I was always attracted to Lebensohl principally because the name sounded like some romantic German Opera. I imagined the Queen of the night singing

Unfortunately, it's taken until tonight for the robots to teach it to me. Did I get it right, or did they get it wrong?

Here's the hand (from a practice table in the prime area IMP's scoring):

[hv=pc=n&s=s874h64dkqt92ca92&n=st6haq5daj54ckqj3&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=p1n2d(cappelletti%20majors)2n(Lebensohl%20-%20forces%203C)p3c3s4d(diamonds)4h(3%2B%20hearts)ppp]266|200[/hv]

and before you peek - what do think EW have for their bids?

[hv=pc=n&s=s874h64dkqt92ca92&w=s5hkjtd863ct87654&n=st6haq5daj54ckqj3&e=sakqj932h98732d7c&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=p1n2d2np3c3s4d4hppp]399|300[/hv]

Here's what happened.

 

 

[apollo1201]

You use Lebensohl with a weak or more extreme shape. So it was not the good day to use it.

 

With a non descript balanced GF, which you have, and where 5m seems a long way, you just blast 3NT hoping partner stops M, or one and they miss the lead. Or you can cue 2M at your own risk (will ease the lead).

 

Although here:

- E shouldn’t miss the lead against 3NT

- 5m seems to be making

- you don’t have M stoppers to cue

[Cyberyeti]

You use Lebensohl with a weak or more extreme shape. So it was not the good day to use it.

 

With a non descript balanced GF, which you have, and where 5m seems a long way, you just blast 3NT hoping partner stops M, or one and they miss the lead. Or you can cue 2M at your own risk (will ease the lead).

 

Although here:

- E shouldn’t miss the lead against 3NT

- 5m seems to be making

- you don’t have M stoppers to cue

 

Over a natural intervention, one of 2N followed by 3N and a direct 3N says I want to bid 3N and have a stop in their suit, the other is used without a stop.

 

It's less clear how this relates to two suited bids where the suits are known, one scheme would to be to treat 2N/3N the same with regard to both suits, so here you stop neither so you would do whichever one of those is agreed to show no stop, and use 3M (or 2N->3M) to say "I stop that suit but not the other".

 

I don't know how GIB does this.

[Tramticket]

I don't understand East showing the hand as two-suited. Either pass/double and get ready to lead a spade or bid 4S.

[Vampyr]

You use Lebensohl with a weak or more extreme shape. So it was not the good day to use it.

 

With a non descript balanced GF, which you have, and where 5m seems a long way, you just blast 3NT hoping partner stops M, or one and they miss the lead. Or you can cue 2M at your own risk (will ease the lead).

 

Although here:

- E shouldn’t miss the lead against 3NT

- 5m seems to be making

- you don’t have M stoppers to cue

 

You could just bid a natural GF 3♦ and see what happens.

[nige1]

[hv=pc=n&s=s874h64dkqt92ca92&n=st6haq5daj54ckqj3&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=p1n2d(cappelletti%20majors)2n(Lebensohl%20-%20forces%203C)p3c3s4d(diamonds)4h(3%2B%20hearts)ppp]266|200| pilowsky 'I was always attracted to Lebensohl principally because the name sounded like some romantic German Opera. I imagined the Queen of the night singing O zittre nicht mein Lebensohl. Unfortunately, it's taken until tonight for the robots to teach it to me. Did I get it right, or did they get it wrong? Here's the hand (from a practice table in the prime area IMP's scoring): and before you peek - what do think EW have for their bids?'

++++++++++++++++++++

Like Vampyr, over 2♦ I might bid 3♦.

[/hv]

[pilowsky]

Well, turns out GIB on Prime doesn't defend quite as well as you might expect - or I was having a purple patch.

4HW-3 was a pretty good result, but luemmel managed to hit West for 4HxW-3 - there's always someone..., and agfallon found and made 5D, but they had help from gd50.

Others weren't so lucky. The modal result for 3NT was 3NT-3.

 

The only reason I didn't bid diamonds was that I thought I was too light - I know - sounds unadventurous for me.

Here's the solution

According to double-dummy, GIB bid to the right place, but the score was terrible - "the operation was a success, but the patient died"

[helene_t]

This is a GF hand with diamonds so 3♦ stands out.

 

Lebensohl is a weird defense to interventions over 1NT. While right-siding is overrated in uncontested auctions, it becomes important once they interfere. So playing natural after interference but transfers without interference is backwards.

 

Over their two-suited interference such as this 2♦ bid it is not so bad, though, as sometimes 2♦-bidder's partner won't know which of the two suits to lead, and the 2♦ bidder will often have a singleton so partner has to consider the unbid minor also.

 

I used to think that Lebensohl after we double their weak two was essential, but to my surprise Maarten Schollaardt posted some articles in IMP where he argues that playing 2NT as natural is perfectly fine, especially over a 2♥ opening.