How to use the Stayman convention

Last time we talked about responding when partner opens with a one notrump bid. A beginner’s response is more or less limited to sign-off bids at the two level (two diamonds, hearts or spades), or sign-off bids at game (three notrump and four hearts or spades) and invitational bids (two notrump and three hearts or spades).
With just a little knowledge, you can use a long-standing artificial bid that becomes a powerful tool in this situation – called the Stayman convention and invented by Sam Stayman. When you hold four cards in hearts and spades, you, the responder, bid two clubs, which is a completely artificial bid – this bid asks opener to bid their four card major suit if they have one, otherwise bid two diamonds – this is powerful information. Holding 10 points, you can now place the contract in game.
Example No. 1 – Opener bids one notrump and you hold four hearts and four spades and a total of 10 HCP’s. You invoke the Stayman convention by bidding two clubs. When partner bids two hearts, you now know that the partnership holds the “golden eight” trump. With opener holding at least 15 HCP and you holding 10 HCP, you already know that the partnership belongs in game, and now you know that hearts are trump, so you bid game at four hearts.
Example No. 2 – Opener bids one notrump and you hold four hearts and four spades and a total of eight or nine HCP’s. You invoke the Stayman convention by bidding two clubs. When partner bids two spades, you now know that the partnership holds the “golden eight” trump. With opener holding at least 15 HCP and you holding eight or nine HCP, you know that the partnership might belong in game, and you know that spades are trump, so you bid three spades, “inviting” partner to bid game with a 16 or 17 HCP hand.
Example No. 3 – Opener bids one notrump and you hold four hearts and four spades and a total of 10 HCP’s. You invoke the Stayman convention by bidding two clubs. When partner bids two diamonds, you now know that the partnership cannot hold the “golden eight” trump, but notrump looks good. With opener holding at least 15 HCP and you holding 10 HCP, you know that the partnership belongs in game, so you bid game at three notrump.
In a slightly different situation, opener bids one notrump. As responder, holding ten HCP’s and a six card heart suit, you already know that you belong in game AND you know which suit. The problem is, however, that you really want the strong notrump hand to remain hidden. So how do you get the opener to bid your long suit? The answer is by using the jacoby transfer convention, which will be subject of our next article.
Good luck and good bridge. See you all next time.