Thursday, February 23, 2006 2:11 PM

Lebensohl

PITBULLS:

I was asked to explain Lebensohl. Lebensohl is a name given to a concept in Bridge called a relay or switch. The advantage of this concept is that you switch the meanings of bids by way of a trigger. This trigger is 2NT or 4NT depending on the level. This trigger demands partner to relay to 3♣ where whole new meanings are assigned to the bids after that occurs. These relays of which Lebensohl is one example always follow the same structure. If you bid directly and naturally you are stronger than after the Lebensohl relay. This switch differentiates between weaker hands and forcing hands in difficult auctions.

These difficult auctions where Lebensohl is commonly used are after the opponents overcall at the two level after your strong NT . Lebebsohl is also used at the two level where partner doubles a weak two. Lebensohl is also used after partner reverses and you want to show weaker hands vrs forcing hands. There is also another principle common to all Lebensohl auctions. This is the concept of “breaking the relay” . Partner demands that you relay to 3♣ when she bids 2NT . What if you disobey ? This shows a hand too strong to just follow orders. You are giving information back to partner with this bid.

Expert systems have relays embedded throughout their system not just Lebensohl. These relays are used to fix holes in standard bidding where ambiguity might arise otherwise. No matter what the relay of course , natural bidding is the stronger of the two routes to follow. Clever use of relays greatly enhance an established partnership’s system . Once you have the concept mastered , relays are an easy and invaluable tool.

Here is another example of Lebensohl that occurs at the 4 level. Lebensohl is a tool to combat ambiguity. When you double 4♥/4♠ either directly or in the balancing position and partner pulls the double. Is the pull of the double based on weakness or strength ? You do not know because the bid is ambiguous . A situation hand built for Lebensohl. If you have a weak distributional hand you bid 4NT and partner is forced to relay to 5♣. Your bid now whether it is a new suit or preference shows a distributional nothing. If you bid directly that means you pulling the double from a position of strength and you expect to make the contract. Partner can now go on to a small or grand slam armed with that information.

Experts as mentioned previously use relays to clarify ambiguous auctions. The 2NT invitational bid or rebid is a difficult auction. You quite often want to escape from 2NT to a safe spot or show a good hand with further interest. Enter the relay to differentiate those two possible routes to take. The good-bad 2NT is a Lebensohl relay. In competitive situations where the opponents have bid at the two level in the sandwich position, they have robbed you of the room to jump to show invitational hands. This concept occurs after T/O doubles or re-opening doubles also. The only criteria being the auction is at the two level and you are robbed of room to jump because of their bidding. The fix is the Lebensohl 2NT to show the hands where you just want to compete. As usual the direct bid is strong.

A Lebensohl relay or any relay can be thought of as an electrical switch. If the switch is on , the bids have a different means then when the switch is off. This is where the bid got the meaning relay similar to an electrical relay or switch. Of course there is always a price to pay for such understandings. The price in this case is that you can not use 2NT for its Goren natural meaning. Most experts feel that 2NT is useless in competitive auctions anyway so we may as well re-define the bid to suit our purposes.

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