When beginners learn bridge, they are usually taught two bidding conventions: Blackwood and Stayman. They might also learn transfers into the majors, a complement of Stayman.

This week, let's look at Stayman in its simplest form and in its extensions.

Interestingly, Stayman was not invented by Sam Stayman, but by his then bridge partner, George Rapee. But Stayman wrote the first article published on the convention, and his name stuck. (It was independently devised by Jack Marx from England.)

The basic use of Stayman is to find a 4-4 fit in a major suit. Remember, in no-trump, a 4-4 fit will produce at most four tricks. But if that suit is trumps, you will often generate an extra winner by ruffing a loser. (And on a cloudless day, you will gain eight tricks from the suit.)

Opener bids one no-trump, and responder replies two clubs. If the opener has one four-card major, he bids two of that suit. If he has two four-card majors, he rebids two hearts. And if he has no four-card major, he answers two diamonds. Then the responder judges what to do next.

In today's example, North uses Stayman despite his poor suit to try to find a 4-4 spade fit. When successful, he raises to game.

West leads the heart king.

This deal is easy if the trumps are 3-2. Win the first trick, cash the two top trumps, and drive out the club ace. Here, South loses only three tricks: one spade, one heart and one club.

Finally, observe that three no-trump should be defeated after the heart-king lead.

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