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Stayman
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So You Thought You Knew Stayman?
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Every bridgeplayer is familiar with a Staymanic 2C
response to Partner's 1NT opening bid as a request for
a 4-card major. Indeed, few have any trouble using
Stayman to bid prosaic games and as a runout with a
3-suiter or semi-three suiter, short in Clubs (that is,
"Garbage Stayman" or "Psychic Stayman"). It is in the
areas of interference over the 2C request and in the
area of slam bidding that many players get lost.
While Stayman was popularized by Samual Stayman
in the the earliest years of bridge it was, in fact,
introduced to him by his partner, George Rapee. Since
then, we have seen a number of variants pop up, including
forcing Stayman 2D and Puppet Stayman. Some pairs
that use 1NT:2NT as a transfer will use 1NT:2C as not
promising a 4-card major; it is their way of preparing
an invitational 2NT rebid by Responder on a flattish
hand. In actual fact, 2C *never did* promise a 4-card
major! Responder might well wish to create a force
with a minor suit rebid holding, say, a slammish 2=2=5=4
hand.
We start with the basics with which all are quite
familiar. We will assume a 15-17 point 1NT for our
purposes here, but any range will do if we make the
appropriate adjustments to Responder's requirements.
After 1NT:2C Opener rebids:
2D = No major. Now we may see from Responder:
Pass as "Garbage Stayman", weak, short in Clubs
2H or 2S as invitational (not forcing)
2NT to invite game in 3NT
3C, 3D, 3H or 3S as forcing natural calls
3NT to play
4NT and 5NT as quantitative
4C as Gerber
4H or 4S to play
2H = 4 Hearts and, perhaps, 4S. Now we may see:
Pass as "Garbage Stayman", weak, short in Clubs
3H to invite 4H with 4+ Hearts
2NT to invite game with 4 Spades
3C or 3D as forcing natural calls
3S, 4C or 4D as cuebids (often splinters)
3NT to play with 4 Spades
4H to play
5H to ask for two top honours in Hearts
2S = 4 Spades but not 4H. Now we may see:
2NT invites 3NT with 4 Hearts, 0-3 Spades
3C or 3D as forcing natural calls
3S to invite 4S with 4+ Spades
3NT to play with 4 Hearts
4C, 4D and 4H as cuebids, promising 4+ Spades
5S to ask for two top honours in Spades
So far so good, but there are a number of bids
missing from the list above. This article focuses
on those, and on interference over 2C itself. We
commence with the latter.
If 2C is doubled Opener can redouble with five
good Clubs. Depending on partnership agreement, a
Pass by Opener will show EITHER 4 (or 5 weakish)
Clubs--the traditional meaning--or a guard in Clubs
(the more modern interpretation). In the case of
this latter approach, Responder will redouble to
repeat the Staymanic request. If, instead, Responder
bids 2D, this is a Garbage Stayman runout.
1NT Pass 2C Dble
Pass Pass 2D = Weak, short Clubs.
The same is true if Opener redoubles 2C. A 2D
bid by Responder shows the Garbage Stayman hand.
Should Responder "cuebid" 3C rather than redouble
we expect hir to be forcing game with very short
Clubs, worried that Opener might pass the redouble of
2C with, say, C-AKJ10.
1NT Pass 2C Dble
Pass Pass 3C = 0-1 Club, game forcing.
The same is true if Responder "cuebids" 3C
opposite Opener's redouble of 2C. This is usually
a slam try without a 5+ card suit in which to jump;
usually 4=4=4=1.
1NT Pass 2C Dble
Rdble Pass 3C = 4=4=4=1-ish, slam try.
If, instead of doubling, Opener's RHO bids 2D
Opener can double for penalty with 4-5 Diamonds.
If Opener has a major Opener SHOULD bid it. Otherwise
Opener will Pass, denying a major.
Things are different if Opener's RHO bids 2H or
2S. Now Opener's ONLY options are Pass and Double.
With 4 cards in the other major Opener should Pass
and see if Partner can double. If Responder FAILS
to double we presume that Responder has the unbid
major.
1NT Pass 2C 2H
Pass Pass 2NT Pass
3S = Minimum, 4 Spades.
Slam Tries
**********
If strong enough to consider slam Responder
will endeavour to find a fit. It is important
that the pair be able to establish this fit
*below* the game level so that Opener can render
an opinion on any slam effort. Yes, we could
cuebid as Responder, but these will tend to force
similar cuebids from Opener regardless of strength.
1NT 2C
2H 4C = Cuebid with 4 Hearts. NOT Gerber!
4S = Forced to cuebid. Could be minimum.
To settle any 4-4 major suit as trump the pair
employs an aspect of Stayman known as "ST TOMAS":
Stayman Then The Other Major Asks: "Slam?"
After 1NT:2C:2D Responder can force with
3-of-a-suit. After 1NT:2C:2D:3C Opener must be
careful not to rebid 3D unless Opener has 4 or 5
Diamonds. A 4-4 major suit fit is no longer
possible but a 4-4 Diamond fit is. Similarly:
1NT Pass 2C Pass
2D Pass 3D Pass
3H Pass 4C Pass
4H = Club support, else 4D.
Any rebid by Opener OTHER than 4D shows Club
support here.
After 1NT:2C:2H Opener may yet have 4 Spades.
A rebid of 2S by Responder here is a slam try
with a 4-card major. Which major? This remains
to be determined. For now, Opener must be careful
not to "get in Responder's path" by rebidding
anything higher than 2NT *unless there is a certain
major suit fit*. Without such a fit Responder may
need to introduce a 5+ card minor, searching for
a fit there. Hence, without 4 Spades Opener must
ALWAYS rebid 2NT here.
1NT Pass 2C Pass
2H Pass 2S Pass
2NT = Denies 4 Spades.
Only with 4-4 in the majors will Opener rebid
HIGHER than 2NT after 1NT:2C:2H:2S. 3C and 3D
show 3-card suits, patterning out. Opener will
rebid 3H only to warn of a minimum.
1NT Pass 2C Pass
2H Pass 2S Pass
??? - 2NT = 2-3 Spades.
- 3C = 4=4=2=3, maximum.
- 3D = 4=4=3=2, maximum.
- 3H = 4-4 majors, minimum.
If Opener rebids 3C or 3D over 1NT:2C:2H:2S
Responder can set the trump suit via 3H or 3S and
proceed from there. If Opener rebids 3H instead
(e.g. 1NT:2C:2H:2S:3H), warning of a minimum,
Responder can settle Spades as trump in a forcing
manner via 3S. Any non-Spade rebid settles Hearts
as trump.
1NT 2C
2H 2S
3H ?? - 4NT = RKC/Blackwood, Hearts trump.
4H or 4S = To play.
3S = Spades trump, forces cuebidding.
4C or 4D = Cuebids with Hearts trump.
After 1NT:2C:2H, failure to rebid 2S *denies*
4 Spades. 1NT:2C:2H:3D, then, is natural; Opener
can now rebid 3S to show 3-4 Diamonds and a minimum
(unwilling to go past 3NT despite the Diamond fit).
Opener should avoid rebidding 3H here since this
will reveal a 5-card major.
1NT 2C
2H 3C
3H = 5 Hearts.
1NT:2C:2H:3C or 1NT:2C:2H:3D does NOT deny four
Hearts; Responder MAY have 4 Hearts and 5 cards in
the bid minor, inviting 6H with a subsequent 4H call.
1NT 2C
2H 3D = 5+ Diamonds, 0-3 Spades.
any 4H = 4-5 in the reds, inviting 6H.
Things are clearer after 1NT:2C:2S, when 3H
by Responder is ALWAYS a slam try IN SPADES.
Opener rebids 3S if minimal--4S only if DEAD
minimal. Otherwise, Opener can cuebid 4C, 4D or
4H to move towards a Spade slam.
Should Responder rebid 3C or 3D instead of 3H
there is no major suit fit. Opener will avoid
rebidding 3S here unless Opener holds 5 Spades.
1NT 2C
2S 3D
?? - 3H = 3-4 Diamonds, minimum.
- 3S = 5 Spades.
- 3NT = 2 Diamonds.
This leads us to two probing questions about
a 4NT rebid after 1NT:2C:2H or 1NT:2C:2S. Is it
Blackwood or quantitative? This depends on the
level of sophistication of your partnership. If
your partner understands that a simple rebid of the
other major is enough to invite slam in Opener's
major, the answer is "quantitative". If not,
your guess will be as good as anyone's. 
This same treatment applies after Opener has
started the proceedings with 2NT. The one slight
quirk is that after 2NT:3C:3H:3S, if Opener rebids
4C or 4D to show 4-4 in the majors and a maximum
Responder's 4H or 4S rebids will be forcing (since
we are known to have a major fit and since a slam
try has been issued and accepted), while 4NT will
be regular Blackwood with an unknown major suit
as trumps. Similarly, after:
2NT 3C = Stayman.
3H 3S = Slam try with either major.
4H 4NT = Blackwood, either major is trump.
What if 1NT:2NT Isn't Natural?
******************************
Many pairs play that 1NT:2NT is some kind of
transfer. These pairs will use a Staymanic 2C
followed by a 2NT rebid to invite game *without*
a major. Hence, the pair needs this sequence to
show 4 Spades in Responder's hand:
1NT 2C = Stayman, not promising a major.
2H 2S = 4 Spades (for some).
If the 2S rebid is agreed to be non-forcing
with 4 Spades, Responder would have to find other,
very awkward ways to force. For this reason, the
majority of pairs treat 2S as a one round force.
For these partnerships the treatment remains the
same, with a few slight adjustments. Because
Responder could have an invitational-only hand
with 4 Spades, Opener will have to leap to 3NT
without 4 Spades if maximal, and will rebid 3S,
not 3H, with any 4-4 minimum (thus allowing
Responder to pass). Hence we have:
1NT 2C = Stayman, not promising a major.
2H 2S = 4 Spades OR a major suit slam try.
?? - 2NT = 2-3 Spades, minimum.
3NT = 2-3 Spades, maximum.
3C = 4=4=2=3, maximum.
3D = 4=4=3=2, maximum.
3H = Natural, 5 Hearts, maximum.
3S = 4-4 majors, minimum.
Note that this sequence will still be
forcing (i.e. a slam try):
1NT 2C = Stayman, not promising a major.
2H 2S = 4 Spades OR a major suit slam try.
3D 3S = Forcing, since 3D showed a maximum.
Conclusion
**********
Thus concludes our discussion of one of the
"simplest" and oldest conventions in bridge: ye
olde Stayman. With careful study, thought and
discussion, these methods will greatly improve
your results in slammish hands after 1NT:2C.
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