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2NSTAYMN.NTA
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1995-08-30
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STAYMAN CONVENTION
Opener Responder
2NT 3C
The 3C response to a 2NT opening asks opener to bid any four-card
major he may possess. With both majors, opener bids 3NT; with
neither, he bids 3D. As with Stayman after a 1NT opening, re-
sponder may not have a major suit, since he must bid 3C first in
order to raise to 3NT. Also, with a 4-3-3-3 hand, opener may
suppress a major if it is very weak and he has double stoppers in
the other suits.
Opener Responder
2NT 3C
3D - no four-card major (probably)
3H/3S - four or five-card major
3NT - both majors
Opener may suppress a weak four-card major with a 4-3-3-3 hand. If
responder continues by showing a new major at the three level, the
suit is at least five cards long:
Opener Responder
2NT 3C
3D/3H 3S - five or more spades, forcing
Without support, opener bids 3NT; with support, he raises or makes
a notrumper cue bid. Jump raises are not allowed. A 4H bid at this
point is a notrumper cue bid in support of spades, not a suit-
showing bid (i.e., not a heart rebid to show five hearts or a
previously suppressed heart suit).
When a 4C or 4D bid follows immediately after the 3C Stayman bid,
that is a natural bid:
Opener Responder
2NT 3C
Any 4C/4D natural, forcing
This must be at least a mild slam try, since responder has gone
past 3NT.
There is no way to ask for aces after a Stayman response:
Opener Responder
2NT 3C
3H/3S 4NT - natural notrump raise
When the response is 3D, a jump to game is a sign-off, indicating
6-4 in the majors and no slam interest:
Opener Responder
2NT 3C
3D 4H/4S - sign-off, fast arrival
The artificial 4S notrump raise is not used in Stayman sequences
following a 2NT opening.
When opener shows one major and responder insists on game in the
other major, he is making a slam try. In spades, this slam try
implies a weakish suit or an unbalanced hand. With strong spades
in a balanced hand, use Jacoby. When the suit is hearts, the
Stayman approach implies a broken suit in a balanced hand. Use UHC
with an unbalanced hand, strong hearts or not, and use Jacoby with
strong hearts in a balanced hand.
Opener Responder
2NT 3C
3H 3S
3NT 4S - unbalanced, long spades
The spade suit may be broken or fairly solid, there is no way to
tell. This sequence gives opener a chance to make a notrumper cue
bid in support of spades.
Opener Responder
2NT 3C
3H 4S - balanced, long spades
This jump to 4S bid with a strong hand cannot be made over 3D
(see above), but is useful over 3H to distinguish between a
balanced and an unbalanced hand. The spades are definitely not
strong, since responder would use Jacoby to invite slam with a
balanced hand and strong spades. Since responder is balanced,
there is no need to bid 3S in order to give opener room to make a
notrumper cue bid (which are only useful opposite an unbalanced
hand). Note that splinter bids are not used in Stayman sequences
following a 2NT opening.
Opener Responder
2NT 3C
3S 4H - balanced, weakish suit
Opener Responder
2NT 3C
3D 3H
3NT 4H - balanced, weakish suit
In the second sequence responder bids 3H instead of 4H, not to
provide room for a notrumper cue bid, but to distinguish between
a strong hand and a weak hand (a jump to 4H in this situation
implies a weak 4-6 in the majors). With an unbalanced hand,
responder would have used UHC. With a strong suit, he would have
used Jacoby.
Opener Responder
2NT 3C
3D 3S
3NT 4S - slam interest
Here responder may be balanced or unbalanced, since responder could
have a good hand with 6-4 in the majors (a jump to 4S over 3D is
a sign-off).
Opener Responder
2NT 3C
3D 3H
3NT 4H - slam interest
In this case responder may be balanced or unbalanced. If balanced,
responder has a weakish long suit (Jacoby slam try implies a strong
suit). Responder could also have a strong 4-6 in the majors. With
any other unbalanced hand and long hearts, he would have used UHC.
With a weak 6-4 hand in the majors, he would have jumped to 4H over
3D.
After a Stayman bidder shows a five-card major, a second suit bid
tends to be a real suit, not a cue bid:
Opener Responder
2NT 3C
3D 3S
4H 5C - showing a second suit
6C
Opener has S-K87 H-KQ3 D-AQ8 C-AK84, responder S-AQ1065 H-864 D-5
C-QJ72. If opener's hearts and diamonds were reversed, he would
have made his notrumper cue bid in diamonds instead of hearts, and
responder would have settled for game in spades.
When responder shows both majors via Stayman, she indicates slam
interest:
Opener Responder
2NT 3C
3D 3S
3NT 4H - slam interest
With no interest in slam, responder shows both majors by using a
Jacoby sequence. Using Stayman gives opener a chance to cue bid in
support of spades, perhaps leading to a good slam based on fit.
When the Opponents Intervene
If an opponent overcalls in clubs, 3D is Stayman and 3H or 3H is
forcing:
South West North
2NT 3C 3D - Stayman
3H/3S - forcing
4C - strong cue bid
4D/4H - Texas transfer
4S - mild notrump slam try
4NT - stronger slam try
Texas transfers are not applicable over any overcall other than
3C, so the conventional 4S notrump raise is not available either:
South West North
2NT 3D 3H/3S - forcing
4C - Gerber
4D - Stayman, asking for a major
4H/4S - sign-off (fast arrival)