Interfering bids. Overcalls, Response to 1NT after suit overcall (Lebensohl)
Your partner opened 1NT. But the opposition overcalled in a suit, showing an opening hand. You have three options now, in addition to passing
- bid naturally (Stayman and Transfers are cancelled)
- use Lebensohl cue bid (that's a way of re-instating Stayman)
- double in this case for penalties.
Your partner's 1NT opening was overcalled. Pass with 4-card Major? Aargh!
"Reinstate" Stayman with a cue bid of the enemy suit
Lebensohl is a way of keeping systems open, now Stayman is off. Just cue bid the enemy suit instead of bidding 2
.
- 2
= natural, 5-card - 3 = natural, 5-card, forcing to game
- 3 cue bid enemy = like Stayman, no enemy stopper
- 3 NT=to play, no enemy stopper
- 2NT=relay, auto reply 3, then. . .. . .
- 3 suit < enemy = to play
- 3 suit > enemy = inviting
- 3 cue bid enemy, as above with stopper
- 3 NT, as above with stopper
"Like Stayman" means asking for a 4-card Major, because you have one.
The response codes are the same as after Stayman, but possibly at the 4-level if they overcalled in Spades, so you might want to reconsider. It's going to be much eaasier to cope with a minor overcall. If the response code 4 meaning no Majors has been consumed by the cue bid of the enemy suit, then bid 3NT.
Other situations
When your partner has overcalled 1NT, and RHO bids. Essentially the same as above, but allow for the fact that partner is not weak (12-14), but strong, with 15-18.
2NT as a puppet to 3 is often used in other positions and is usually given the same name, Lebensohl.
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