The Stayman Convention.
When partner opens 1 nt and you hold a 4- card major suit, you can use the Stayman convention to discover if partner (the no trump opener) also has four card in that major. The conventional bid is 2 ♣. This is a totally artificial bid and it is not suggesting clubs as a potential trump suit. The bid simply asks the que4ston: “Do you have a 4-card major suit?”
The bidding looks like this:
Partner RHO You
1 nt pass 2♣
The requirements for initiating the Stayman convention are:
· At least one 4-card major suit
· At least 8 hcps.
The 1 nt opener’s reply to the Stayman convention.
· 2 ♠ I have 4 ♠, but I do not have 4 ♥
· 2 ♥ I have 4 ♥, and I might have 4 ♠
· 2 ♦ I do not have a 4-card major suit.
Like the conventional 2 ♣ bid, opener’s 2 ♦ bid is artificial. It has nothing to do with diamonds. It simply announces the fact that her/his hand contains no 4-card major suit.
Once the major suit situation is known, it is the responder’s responsibility to set the proper contract.