Stayman

 

The world's most popular convention!  See the examples below, see also the examples for "Both Majors Opposite 1NT", and our link to the article in the Convention Library.

 

 

20th December, 2006       Board 19      Dealer South       E-W Vul

 

 

This one is simply a methods question, judgment is not required!  What do 2♠ and 2NT mean here?  There’s no easy answer, it depends on the rest of your No Trump system, this is the simplest we can come up with:

-         If 1NT 2NT is artificial (say a transfer to Diamonds), then Responder must use Stayman as her inviting mechanism, even when she is not in possession of a 4-card major … therefore we would say that 1NT 2♣, 2♥ 2♠ is an invitational hand with 4 Spades, and 1NT 2♣, 2♥ 2NT is invitational without 4 Spades;

-         If 1NT 2NT is natural (invitational with no interest in finding a 4-4 major suit fit), then we have a spare sequence … after 1NT 2♣, 2♥ one of those rebids of 2NT and 2♠ is surplus to requirements and can be used for some other exotic purpose.

 

Confused?  No need to be, we’d suggest that 1NT 2♣, 2♥ 2♠ is always 4 Spades and invitational regardless of the rest of your system.  Let’s just leave it at that!

 

 

14th June, 2006                Board 20      Dealer West      Both Vul

 

 

Some players would decline to use Stayman with the West hand, they would simply bid 3NT directly, saying that their hand has a square shape and no ruffs, and a pathetic Heart suit to boot.  That’s all well and good, but that does not mean that Opener’s hand is without a ruffing value.

 

And so it is on the actual deal … if South leads a Club against 3NT, Declarer is held to 9 tricks … but 4♥ makes 10 tricks on any defense.  Strangely enough, on the actual deal, it’s because the Heart suit is so feeble that 4♥ is a better spot.  In No Trump, the opponents will attack Clubs, getting their 4^th trick before Declarer can get his 10^th.  But, in 4♥, those feeble trumps provide protection against the Club attack, as we laboriously knock out the high trumps.

 

But, we don’t want to over-simplify here.  On other layouts, it’s not impossible to see how the defense might arrange a Spade ruff, for example, making 3NT the preferred contract.  A complex subject, no easy answers.

 

System Note:  After Partner opens 1NT, what does your bid of 3♦ mean?  Heaven knows, there enough alternatives out there ... weak, invitational, strong, one-suited, two-suited, three-suited, take your pick.  But, if your own preferred method hardly ever comes up, you may want to consider playing "Stayman in Doubt".  In  this method, you bid 3♦ whenever you have a square hand with a 4-card major (and game-going values), and, if Opener also has a square hand with a 4-card major, he declines to show it and simply bids 3NT.  It's a nifty way of staying out of those major suit games where there are matching square distributions.

 

 

20th September, 2006       Board 3      Dealer South       E-W Vul

 

 

How do you like the North hand for slam purposes?  We like it a lot, we like the high card structure, and those nice Tens.  But, it’s not worth charging into some kind of Blackwood auction, that won’t tell us anything, no doubt we have enough controls to make slam.  No, the way to go on this hand is to invite Partner’s opinion.  We’re all familiar with the 1NT 4NT auction which does precisely that, namely “Do you like your hand?  If so, bid six”  But, do you and your Partner have a method for inviting that opinion after a Stayman auction?

 

Consider these 3 suggestions:

1NT     2♣                              

2♥        4NT                             Quantitative (no Heart fit, presumably 4 Spades)

 

1NT     2♣

2♥        4♣                               Roman Key Card in Hearts

 

1NT     2♣

2♥        4♦                                Agrees Hearts, general slam invitation.

 

Using the above methods, we’d bid 4♦, saying to Partner “We have a Heart fit, bid six if you like your hand”.

 

 

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