| Opener |
Responder |
Comment |
| 2NT |
3C |
Stayman. |
| 3S |
4H |
What is this? |
Let's eliminate the following possibilities:
- Responder cannot have 5+ Hearts without 4 Spades. Holding
such a hand Responder would transfer into the 5+card Heart
suit and not bother with Stayman.
- Responder isn't showing 5+ Hearts with four
Spades either, though! Clutching such a hand, Responder should
be raising Spades--the balanced fit--not fishing around in Hearts.
- Similarly, Responder cannot have 4 Hearts (and 0-3 Spades)
since we'd see a No Trump or a forcing minor suit rebid here.
So what is Responder doing here?
The rebid of the other major here must be
a slam try and, since Responder isn't bidding a minor, the
agreed suit must be Spades. Responder is
hoping that Opener can show a maximum by rebidding something
higher than 4S here.
So far so good. Now let's consider this auction:
| Opener |
 KQxx |
 AQxx |
 KQx |
 Ax |
| Responder A |
J10 |
Kx |
Axx |
Kxxxxx |
| Opener |
Responder |
Comment |
| 2NT |
3C |
Stayman. |
| 3H |
4C |
Natural & forcing. |
| 4S |
--- |
4-4 in the majors. |
The problem here is that Responder needs to go through
Stayman in order to force with a natural 4C rebid. Meanwhile,
Opener has to take two bids to show hir majors before addressing
the lack of Club support. If 4C denied
four Spades Opener could give up on that suit and concentrate
on Clubs, perhaps rebidding 4NT
to warn of the Club doubleton.
Another problem may appear when there is a
4-4 Spade fit:
| Opener |
KQxx |
AQxx |
KQx |
Ax |
| Responder B |
AJ10x |
xx |
AJ10xx |
xx |
| Opener |
Responder |
Comment |
| 2NT |
3C |
Stayman. |
| 3H |
4D |
Natural & forcing. |
| 4S |
--- |
4-4 in the majors. |
If Responder were not interested in slam we might
see a simple 3NT over
2NT:3C:3H.
Opener can merely Pass or correct to 4S.
No problem. But what if Responder is interested in going
beyond game? 2NT isn't called
the "slam killer" opening for nothing!
Yes, the pair has found its Spade fit but Opener has not
had a chance to show a good fitting maximum. Without this news,
Responder may have a difficult time finding a rebid over 4S.
It follows that we need a 3S rebid over 2NT:3C:3H
as a slam try showing either 4+ Spades or 4+ Hearts.
But how does Opener know which? Opener doesn't...yet! To cater to both possibilities, after 2NT:3C:3H:3S Opener rebids:
| Action |
Explanation |
| 3NT |
Any and all hands that lack 4 Spades. |
| 4C |
A maximum with 4-4 in the majors and 3 Clubs. Hence, 4=4=2=3. |
| 4D |
A maximum with 4-4 in the majors and 3 Diamonds. Hence, 4=4=3=2. |
| 4H |
Any minimum with 4-4 in the majors. |
Over 2NT:3C:3H:3S:3NT
Responder can Pass, rebid a minor (forcing), clarify the slam in Hearts
via 4H or make a quantitative 4NT raise. Some will use
2NT:3C:3H:3S:3NT:4S
as Kickback Blackwood.
If, over 2NT:3C:3H:3S,
Opener shows 4 Spades and a maximum by patterning out with 4C (4=4=2=3) or 4D (4=4=3=2),
Responder names the trump suit via 4H or 4S. These are forcing since
Responder has made a slam try and Opener has accepted it.
Should Opener go with 4H after 2NT:3C:3H:3S
Responder can Pass, correct to 4S or bid on towards a slam.
This, then, is ST TOMAS: Stayman Then The Other Major Asks: "Slam?". Of course, it is used
with even greater ease over a 1NT opening.
Now let's complicate things slightly. Suppose you play that "2C doesn't promise a major", such that 1NT:2NT
is some sort of transfer or other artificial bid. Since
1NT:2C:2H:2S is necessary with any game-invitational or stronger hand you have
to treat 2S as a one round force and make one small adjustment:
- 2NT shows a minimum without 4 Spades. With a maximum bid 3NT.
Here are a few sequences such pairs will consider:
| Comment |
Opener |
Responder |
Comment |
| 15-17 flat. |
1NT |
2C |
No major suggested. |
| 4 Hearts, maybe 4 Spades. |
2H |
2S |
Forcing for 1 round. |
| 2-3 Spades, maximum. |
3NT |
--- |
2NT would be a minimum. |
| Comment |
Opener |
Responder |
Comment |
| 15-17 flat. |
1NT |
2C |
No major suggested. |
| 4 Hearts, maybe 4 Spades. |
2H |
2S |
Forcing for 1 round. |
| 4=4=2=3, maximum. |
3C |
3S |
Forcing, since 3C = maximum. |
| Comment |
Opener |
Responder |
Comment |
| 15-17 flat. |
1NT |
2C |
No major suggested. |
| 4 Hearts, maybe 4 Spades. |
2H |
2S |
Forcing for 1 round. |
| 4=4 majors, minimum. |
3H |
3S |
Not forcing (3H = minimum). |
Because this is how we invite game with a 4-4 Heart fit:
| Comment |
Opener |
Responder |
Comment |
| 15-17 flat. |
1NT |
2C |
No major suggested. |
| 4 Hearts, maybe 4 Spades. |
2H |
3H |
Non-forcing. Invites 4H. |
...and this is how we bid a game-only hand with a 4-4 Heart fit:
| Comment |
Opener |
Responder |
Comment |
| 15-17 flat. |
1NT |
2C |
No major suggested. |
| 4 Hearts, maybe 4 Spades. |
2H |
4H |
Signoff. |
...these auctions are forcing, looking for slam:
| Comment |
Opener |
Responder |
Comment |
| 15-17 flat. |
1NT |
2C |
No major suggested. |
| 4 Hearts, maybe 4 Spades. |
2H |
2S |
Forcing for 1 round. |
| 2-3 Spades, minimum. |
2NT |
3H |
Slam try despite the minimum. |
| Comment |
Opener |
Responder |
Comment |
| 15-17 flat. |
1NT |
2C |
No major suggested. |
| 4 Hearts, maybe 4 Spades. |
2H |
2S |
Forcing for 1 round. |
| 2-3 Spades, maximum. |
3NT |
4H |
3NT accepted the slam try. |
| | | | | 
