May 2018 - 43

cold for a grand, but which one? If it's
understood that double is takeout, I
should have room to double and then
sort things out."
Robinson bids 5♦, "forcing to slam
in a minor since partner could easily have clubs and hearts rather than
diamonds and hearts."
Boehm call his 4♠ bid the easy part.
"Continuations may become murky.
4♠ instead of 4NT allows partner to
suggest playability for both minors via
4NT. Sky's the limit."
5. IMPs. East-West vulnerable.
♠K 9 3 ♥A 7 5 ♦K 7 5 2 ♣K 10 7
West

North

Pass

Dbl

Call
3NT
2NT
3♦
Pass
3♥

East
2♥
Pass

Votes
8
3
2
2
1

South
Pass
?
Award
100
70
60
60
50

Lebensohl logistics
This was an unfortunate choice
for an It's Your Call problem because
of the conventional complexity. But
if nothing else, it's a reminder that
putting a convention on the card
takes away a natural call and carries a
responsibility to know what it means,
what the follow-ups mean, etc.
Bridge Bulletin Standard employs
lebensohl over weak two-bids. 2NT
(Alertable) forces partner's 3♣, then
there are a variety of possibilities; the
panelists will explain 2NT followed by
3NT. A direct 3♣ or 3♦ (also Alertable) shows values and tends to be
forcing. 3NT says I want to play 3NT,
and pass asks, "My lead against 2♥
doubled?"
Meyers takes the plunge. "3NT. I
hate to hang partner out for balancing,
but I would bid 3NT. I have the advantage of a third heart to hold up winning
a heart trick, and there are too many
possibilities that game will make, even
if partner is light."
Donn says 3NT is no more likely

to be a stupid contract than 3♦, "so I
might as well try for game."
3NT is Meckstroth's call. "Not sure
what else to do. Can at least duck some
hearts if needed."
Grossack, 3NT. "Not great, but not
so bad either. I can duck a heart or two,
and I have some good values. Preempts
can help declarer get a good picture of
the hand."
Shi, 3NT. "Even if my partner is light,
we haven't gone down yet."
Robinson explains the use of 2NT.
"Followed by 3NT (partner has to bid
3♣), this shows doubt about 3NT. If I
really wanted to play in 3NT, I would
bid it directly. Partner should pull with
a singleton heart. This is opposite of
how to play when partner opens 1NT,
because the 1NT opener is likely to
have a stopper and the partner of the
takeout doubler is more likely to have
the stopper."
Weinstein bids 2NT, then 3NT. "I
think (hope) this shows doubt about
3NT being the right spot. I certainly
have that!"
Rigal takes the same path. "Lebensohl when followed by 3NT to get us
to game while expressing doubt. With
ace-third, we rate to be able to hold up
hearts enough, but if RHO has a side
entry ... facilis decensus averno." [The
road to evil is smooth.]
Korbel goes slow with 3♦. "I'm just
going to show some values and not
bury partner for protecting the auction
in the pass-out seat."
A couple of panelists opt to defend.
Lawrence: "Pass. Too many winners
to ignore the vulnerability. Players
open on trash these days, even when
red vs. white. They do it because it
works much of the time. I'm guessing
this isn't the time."
Ken Cohen passes. "With opponents
red and us white, it seems easy to pass.
I'm leading a low trump."
Sanborn cues 3♥, "hopefully to be
followed by 3NT. I wish there was a
transfer to partner's side."
Philosophy quiz: What was Rigal
drinking when he submitted his answers this month?

◾

TOP SCORES FOR MARCH
(1013 players)

Gene Benedict, Toledo OH
Brad Theurer, Gaithersburg MD
Thomas Vinson, Lexington VA
Erli Zhou, Redmond WA
Nell Cahn, Shreveport LA
Francis Caron, Anjou QC
David Gadd, Indianapolis IN
Alex Hudson, Raleigh NC
Stephen Jansen, Allendale NJ
Andrew Krywaniuk, Burnaby BC
Robert Miller, East Brunswick NJ
Ellis Sokoloff, Fleetwood PA
Edward Wacker Jr., Elyria OH
Carol Wishart, Vancouver BC
Wendel Archer, Nashville TN
Harvey Bush, Green Valley AZ
Ken Cohen, Philadelphia PA
Bert Connolly, Whitby ON
David Drennan, Alton IL
Cornelius Duffie, Palo Alto CA
Andrew Eastwood, Savannah GA
Walter Gaige, Mechanicsburg PA
Beverly Gardner, Farmington Hills MI
Dianne Isfeld, Coquitlam BC
Jack Johnson, Surrey BC
Brett Kunin, West Orange NJ
Walter Morgan, Warwick RI
Mark Raphaelson, Davenport FL
James Russell, Ottawa ON
Louis Sachar, Austin TX
Wojciech Szalecki, Madeira Beach FL
Roger Webb, Amherst MA
Ted Withers, Windsor NS
Drew Becker, Chicago IL
J. Brill, Voorhees NJ
Jon Brissman, Indianapolis IN
Mark Chen, Oak Hill VA
Valentin Enache, Bloomfield Hills MI
Don Fisher, Bowling Green KY
Philip Geibel, Milford NJ
Marshall Kerlin, Sun City Center FL
Rick Prouser, Portland OR
Michael Roush, Iowa City IA
James Scavone, Bellevue WA
Wilson Wallace, Mariposa CA
Alexander Woo, Moscow ID

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May 2018 Bridge Bulletin

43
http://www.acbl.org
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2018
