Lebensohl
Encyclopedia
Lebensohl is a contract bridge
convention used by responder after an opponent's overcall of a one notrump (1NT) opening bid in order to compete further in the auction without necessarily committing the partnership to game. Lebensohl can also be used after opponents' weak two-bids and in responding to a reverse by partner.
The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge
(OEB) first listed LEBENSOHL in its third edition published in 1976 and attributed its design to George Boehm; the fourth OEB edition, under the entry LEBENSOLD, states that George Boehm first described the convention and that Boehm had wrongly attributed it to Ken Lebensold; the fifth and sixth editions state likewise but under LEBENSOHL.
In another account, Lebensohl is said to have been observed in use in the late 1960's and...
The 1970 Bridge World article by Boehm was the first published on Lebensohl but he does not attribute the convention to Ken Lebensold in it. However, Boehm does recount that in preparation for a competition in New York in late 1969, his convention card had the entry "Lebensohl when you overcall our notrump opening". Ken Lenensold was also a competitor at the event and upon reviewing Boehm's convention card, "disowned the convention". Boehm goes on to state that therefore he and his playing partner (son, Augie) "have decided to designate it "lebensohl" and to continue to use it without fee or license". Nothwithstanding Boehm naming and spelling it uncapitalized, most bridge literature refers to the convention as Lebensohl with occassional post-1970 use of Lebensold going uncorrected.
The foregoing sequences are based on partnership agreement that 'slow shows,' meaning that the slower auction (that is, starting with 2NT) shows a stopper in RHO's suit, whereas bidding directly denies a stopper. Alternatively, some play 'slow denies,' in which 2NT denies a stopper and bidding directly shows one. In either case, the structure for showing a suit with sign-off, invitational, or game-forcing values is usually the same regardless of which variant is played.
In summary, the responder usually must decide whether he has a sign-off or a game-forcing hand (i.e. invitations are not possible except in the case where the responder's suit is above the overcaller's suit). He may freely bid a sign-off on level 2 if there's room, or via 2NT otherwise. With a game-forcing hand, he should bid directly on level 3 either to promise or deny a stopper, by agreement.
Generally, a Double is for penalty. When the overcall is in a suit held by the overcaller, the double shows a decent non-game forcing hand with a four-card or very good three-card holding in the suit specified. It is for penalty (not game forcing) but opener may choose to bid 3NT based on information now or later available. When the overcall is in a suit, which by partnership agreement specifies another suit or suits, the Double is for takeout indicating that responder holds a minimum of something like AKxxx, AQJxx or KQJxx in the doubled suit.
For example after (2) – Dbl – (P):
If there is space to bid a suit at the 2 level; e.g. after (2) – Dbl – (P) and the suit held is spades:
With a very strong hand the doubler can by-pass 3.
(1M) – P – (2M) – Dbl; (P) – ? or (1M) – Dbl – (2M) – ?
This has the effect of saving space when responder wants to force game and show support.
Contract bridge
Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...
convention used by responder after an opponent's overcall of a one notrump (1NT) opening bid in order to compete further in the auction without necessarily committing the partnership to game. Lebensohl can also be used after opponents' weak two-bids and in responding to a reverse by partner.
Origins and spelling
The origins of the convention are uncertain.The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge
The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge
The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge presents comprehensive information on the card game contract bridge with limited information on related games and on playing cards...
(OEB) first listed LEBENSOHL in its third edition published in 1976 and attributed its design to George Boehm; the fourth OEB edition, under the entry LEBENSOLD, states that George Boehm first described the convention and that Boehm had wrongly attributed it to Ken Lebensold; the fifth and sixth editions state likewise but under LEBENSOHL.
In another account, Lebensohl is said to have been observed in use in the late 1960's and...
The 1970 Bridge World article by Boehm was the first published on Lebensohl but he does not attribute the convention to Ken Lebensold in it. However, Boehm does recount that in preparation for a competition in New York in late 1969, his convention card had the entry "Lebensohl when you overcall our notrump opening". Ken Lenensold was also a competitor at the event and upon reviewing Boehm's convention card, "disowned the convention". Boehm goes on to state that therefore he and his playing partner (son, Augie) "have decided to designate it "lebensohl" and to continue to use it without fee or license". Nothwithstanding Boehm naming and spelling it uncapitalized, most bridge literature refers to the convention as Lebensohl with occassional post-1970 use of Lebensold going uncorrected.
After an overcall of a 1NT opening
Lebensohl is initiated by responder after partner has opened 1NT and right hand opponent (RHO) has overcalled with two in a suit.| Opener | Overcaller | Responder | |
| Response | Meaning and Subsequent Bidding | ||
| 1NT | 2 in a suit | 2 in a higher ranking suit | natural and non-forcing Forcing bid In the card game contract bridge, a forcing bid is any bid that obliges the partner to bid over an intermediate opposing pass. Owing to the partnership's bidding system or a bridge convention, partner must "keep the bidding open", i.e... |
| 2NT | a puppet bid (often incorrectly called a "relay bid Relay bid In contract bridge, relay is a term for a conventional bid that usually has little or no descriptive meaning but asks partner to describe some feature of his hand. A relay is often the cheapest bid available but need not be. Stayman and Blackwood are common examples of relay bids.The rationale... ") forcing the opener to bid 3; after that: – 3 in suit of lower rank than overcalled – natural, to play – 3 in suit of higher rank than overcalled – natural, invitational – 3 in the overcalled suit – a cuebid, artificial, akin to Stayman Stayman convention In the card game contract bridge, Stayman is a convention used to find a 4-4 trump fit in a major suit after the 1NT opening bid, and it has been adapted for use after an opening 2NT, a 1NT overcall, and many other natural notrump bids... , asking partner to bid a 4-card major suit Major suit In the card game contract bridge, the major suits are spades and hearts . The major suits are of prime importance for tactics and scoring as they outrank the minor suits while bidding and also outscore them... and showing a stopper in the overcalled suit – 3NT – to play, showing a stopper |
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| 3 in any suit except that overcalled | natural, forcing Forcing bid In the card game contract bridge, a forcing bid is any bid that obliges the partner to bid over an intermediate opposing pass. Owing to the partnership's bidding system or a bridge convention, partner must "keep the bidding open", i.e... to game |
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| 3 in the overcalled suit | a direct cuebid, artificial, akin to Stayman, asking the partner to bid a 4-card major suit and denying a stopper in the overcalled suit | ||
| 3NT | to play, denying a stopper |
The foregoing sequences are based on partnership agreement that 'slow shows,' meaning that the slower auction (that is, starting with 2NT) shows a stopper in RHO's suit, whereas bidding directly denies a stopper. Alternatively, some play 'slow denies,' in which 2NT denies a stopper and bidding directly shows one. In either case, the structure for showing a suit with sign-off, invitational, or game-forcing values is usually the same regardless of which variant is played.
In summary, the responder usually must decide whether he has a sign-off or a game-forcing hand (i.e. invitations are not possible except in the case where the responder's suit is above the overcaller's suit). He may freely bid a sign-off on level 2 if there's room, or via 2NT otherwise. With a game-forcing hand, he should bid directly on level 3 either to promise or deny a stopper, by agreement.
Double of the overcall
A Double by responder is not part of Lebensohl. However it forms part of the entire set of bids available to responder and its meaning is the subject of a partnership agreement. Usually its meaning is, in turn, dependent upon the meaning of the overcall and the meaning of the overcall can vary widely because there are a number of conventional systems available to an overcaller after a 1NT opening.Generally, a Double is for penalty. When the overcall is in a suit held by the overcaller, the double shows a decent non-game forcing hand with a four-card or very good three-card holding in the suit specified. It is for penalty (not game forcing) but opener may choose to bid 3NT based on information now or later available. When the overcall is in a suit, which by partnership agreement specifies another suit or suits, the Double is for takeout indicating that responder holds a minimum of something like AKxxx, AQJxx or KQJxx in the doubled suit.
After a Weak-2
After a Weak-2 opening and a takeout double, Lebensohl is used to enable a better indication of the strength of the responder to the doubler.For example after (2) – Dbl – (P):
- With 0-7 points 2NT is bid forcing a relay of 3. This is either passed or corrected to another suit.
- With 8-11 points suits are bid at the 3 level.
- With values for game it is bid.
If there is space to bid a suit at the 2 level; e.g. after (2) – Dbl – (P) and the suit held is spades:
- With 0-7 points bid 2
- With 8-11 points 2NT is bid forcing a relay of 3. Then 3 is bid showing the invite.
- 3 is now game forcing.
With a very strong hand the doubler can by-pass 3.
After a major is raised to the two level
The same scheme can be played after the sequence:(1M) – P – (2M) – Dbl; (P) – ? or (1M) – Dbl – (2M) – ?
After a non-game-forcing reverse
After the sequence 1 – (P) – 1 – (P); 2 – (P) – ?:- 2 shows a weak hand with spades
- 2NT shows a minimum hand and forces 3. Preference is usually then given for openers suits.
- Any other bid is now game forcing.
This has the effect of saving space when responder wants to force game and show support.