The answers to the Lebensohl quiz are below. If you haven’t yet taken the quiz then click here to go back to the version without the answers! If you aren’t sure what Lebensohl is all about then feel free to watch my video on it here.

In all of the below bidding auctions and with the corresponding hands, what do you think is the correct response to your partner, given the opponents’ intervention? In each hand think about whether you think you need to go through 2NT* or whether you can just bid straight away, without the need of going through Lebensohl.

(Assume all bids by opponents are natural and that they will make no further bids beyond what is detailed in the auction matrices below the hands. Where 1NT is opened, assume that it is 12-14 balanced and where a double is used, assume that it is takeout.)

    1. ♠ Qxx
      ♥ xx
      ♦ KJxxxxx
      ♣ x
      –
      N E S W
      1NT 2♠ ?
      –

      2NT* then 3♦ – with a weak hand and a long suit we want to compete in a non-forcing manner, so we first need to go through 2NT* and then bid our suit to show the weak nature of our hand

    2. ♠ AJxx
      ♥ KQx
      ♦ xx
      ♣ K10xx
      –
      N E S W
      1NT 2♥ ?
      –

      3♥* – we have a game going hand, with a stopper in hearts and 4 cards in the other major. In this case we can go straight to the cue bid to show a stopper and enquire about spades

    3. ♠ xx
      ♥ AKJ
      ♦ KQ10x
      ♣ xxxx
      –
      N E S W
      2♠ X
      P ?
      –

      2NT* then 3NT – we have a hand that wants to be in game, but we have no major suit of interest so the only game we really want to be in is 3NT. We have not got a stopper for spades so we should first go through 2NT and then bid 3NT to show this lack of stopper

    4. ♠ x
      ♥ J9xxxx
      ♦ xxx
      ♣ Axx
      –
      N E S W
      1NT
      2♦ ?
      –

      2♥ – we have a weak hand with long hearts, and we would like to compete. Due to the fact that our opponents overcall was in diamonds, we can afford to just bid our suit naturally at the 2 level here – no need for Lebensohl! Transfers are off after intervention, so a new suit at the 2 level becomes a ‘weakness takeout’ bid, which is perfect here

    5. ♠ xxx
      ♥ KJx
      ♦ x
      ♣ AKJxxx
      –
      N E S W
      1NT 2♠ ?
      –

      3♣ – with 12 HCP and an excellent 6 card suit, we want to compete here but in a forcing nature. As such, we can just bid our suit directly at the 3 level, and this shows a competitive hand with values (because we didn’t use 2NT* to show weakness)

    6. ♠ KQxx
      ♥ xxx
      ♦ AKxx
      ♣ Kx
      –
      N E S W
      2♥ X P
      ?
      –

      2NT* then 3♥* – we definitely have enough for game here but we are without a stopper for hearts and we need to find out if there is a spade fit. Using 2NT* and then cue bidding shows the lack of stopper and enquires about the other major (in this case spades) so partner can now bid spades if they have them or NTs with a stopper (or a minor if neither!)

    7. ♠ J10xx
      ♥ KJxx
      ♦ Ax
      ♣ KJx
      –
      N E S W
      1NT 2♣
      ?
      –

      3♣* – we have it all here! A stopper in clubs and both majors means we can just cue bid directly over the overcall and partner will bid a major if there is a fit present or 3NT if not

    8. ♠ xxx
      ♥ xx
      ♦ xx
      ♣ AQxxxx
      –
      N E S W
      1NT
      2♠ ?
      –

      2NT* then pass – competing in clubs here looks reasonable, but we want our partner to know that it is non-forcing. As such, we should first use 2NT* and then when partner bids 3♣ (as requested) we can then simply pass, leaving them in clubs. If our suit had been diamonds or hearts instead then we would have had to bid them at the 3 level, like in question 1 above

    9. ♠ AKxxx
      ♥ x
      ♦ Q10x
      ♣ Axxx
      –
      N E S W
      1NT 2♥ ?
      –

      3♠ – the heart overcall has not really interrupted us too much, as our suit is spades. Ideally we would have liked to transfer first here, but given the overcall we need to just bid spades naturally instead. Given our strength, we should jump to 3♠ (rather than bidding at the 2 level like in question 2 above) to show 5 cards in spades and a game going hand. With 6+ spades we could afford to leap straight to game in spades, so this 3♠ bid must be exactly 5 cards

    10. ♠ AJ10
      ♥ Kx
      ♦ QJxxxx
      ♣ Qx
      –
      N E S W
      2♠ X P
      ?
      –

      3NT – whilst we do have a long suit and a good hand here, and 3♦ directly over 2♠ would not be an unreasonable bid, it is very likely that the end contract we want to be in will be 3NT. We have a double stopper in spades and enough for game, so I think a leap to that game is the best bid