Tuesday, March 28, 2006 2:57 AM

Rubensohl - The Transfer Concept

PITBULLS:

I like Rubensohl because I do not like RHO jamming us out of the auction. This advantage has been mentioned in previous articles as the main reason we switched away from Lebensohl to that treatment. However , there is much more to transfers than meets the eyes. Transfers are in effect relays. Relays preserve bidding room as partner is put in a straight jacket and must “puppet” as ordered. Take this hand as an example. ♠x ♥AJ10x ♦AKxxxx ♣xx and partner opens 1NT with the opponents overcalling 2♠. Playing Lebensohl you bid 3♦ forcing and partner bids 3NT. You make one more try by bidding 4♥ and partner bids 5♦ and all pass. Partners hand ♠KQJx ♥KQx ♦QJx ♣Kxx and they lead the club queen and you are –100. Now the Rubensohl auction. You bid 3♣ over 2♠ which is a transfer to diamonds so you have right sided the contract. You now bid 3♥ and you describe your 6-4 by the 3 level !! Partner now bids 3NT and that ends the auction for +660.

Another advantage of the transfer is the super accept. Same hand and this time the NT opener has ♠xxx ♥KQx ♦QJx ♣AKJx and bids 3♥ as a super accept in diamonds. Partner bids 3♠ and Blackwood gets you to your cold 6♦ . Even without a super accept , you should get to the correct diamond contract . Do not forget that partner may be only competing and plans to drop you. A super accept is just that , a super hand.

Kantar has added a twist to his version of Rubensohl ( everybody seems to have their own ideas ) . Kantar has realized that 5-5 in the minors are horrible to describe in competition after 1NT. Kantar reserves spades to describe both minors. If they overcall in hearts, you always have hearts to transfer to spades , so the spade bid is idle. If they overcall in spades , you do not need a spade bid as Stayman is defined as transferring to their suit . Kantar says play a spade Q bid as the minors also. Therefore spades always show the minors playing his version of Rubensohl.

1NT-2♠-3♠-P ♠xxx ♥Axxx ♦KJxx ♣AK opposite ♠x ♥xx ♦AQxxx ♣QJ10xx and you arrive at 6♦ for +1370. Try getting their without a Rubensohl toy showing the minors. Partner will probably just bid 3NT showing no stopper and you bungle to your minor game.

Do not forget a very obvious advantage of Rubensohl that gets overlooked with all the other advantages. You right side contracts from the strong NT hand. Leading up to the strong NT is certainly better than leading thru it. 1NT-2♠-3♥-P 4♥ and with ♠Kx ♥QJx ♦Axxx ♣AQxx you have wrong sided the 4♥ game. Partner holds ♠xx ♥AKxxx ♦Kxxx ♣Jx and 4♥ goes down one but cold from your side.