Another Lebensohl Hand #11-05

IMPROVE YOUR PLAY
with Larry Matheny

The lebensohl convention is very valuable with several applications. In this hand it was used to show values without jumping past 3NT.

Scoring: Matchpoints (Pairs)

#11-05
Dlr	E
Vul	E/W

	763
	AQJ
	KQ75
	AK3

	Q
	876532
	A32
	762

	AJ10942
	10
	J1096
	Q9

	K85
	K94
	84
	J10854

West	North	East	South
		2	Pass
Pass	DBL	Pass	3*

Pass 3 Pass 3NT

Pass Pass Pass

*lebensohl

BIDDING: In response to North’s takeout double, South’s 3 bid showed values, around 7-10 high card points. With fewer, he would have bid 2NT relaying North to clubs and then passing. With extras, North invited game by asking his partner to bid 3NT if he had a spade stopper and South complied.

PLAY: West led the queen of spades and East won with the ace. East continued with the jack of spades and declarer won the king. South saw he needed some luck; it was important to keep East out of the lead so the diamond ace must be in the West hand. He also needed club tricks so rather than take a finesse and lose to East, declarer played the ace and king of clubs. He was rewarded with the queen fell. It was now clear the ace of diamonds was held by West since East would have opened 1 if he also held that card. So he led a third club to his hand followed by a diamond to the king. He returned to his hand with the king of hearts, took the rest of his clubs, and led his last diamond. This gave him eleven tricks: 1 spade, 3 hearts, 2 diamonds, and 5 clubs.

If East had held the protected queen of clubs, declarer would have been defeated.