Blum on Bridge Namyats - A Most Useful Convention
	Last week I counted 469 conventions in Amalya Kearse's book, "Bridge Conventions Complete." Believe it or not, some of them are actually useful. Today, I am going to acquaint you with a couple that perhaps you have heard about, but have never put on your convention card. Any partnership - regardless of whether it's party bridge or duplicate - that has an intermediate understanding of the game plus a thirst for knowledge may consider applying these concepts as a method to obtain better results. How many of you duplicate guys and gals when planning your convention card have come to those two little point range spaces next to "opening 3NT" and asked partner, "How do you like to play that bid?" Partner usually mumbles, "Uh, I don't care...wanna make it gambling?" The response is, "Yeah, OK with me but, um, what's your point range? How many cards and how strong should my suit be to open it? Do you play that with outside strength and if you open 3NT how weak can my hand be to leave it in?" After more sweet nothings the final answer usually is, "It never comes up anyway so let's not worry about it!" Personally, when I use the bid as gambling I'd want to hold something like 2-Q54-AKQJ654-32 and with scattered values I would hope my partner would pass. If he's weak or if the opponents double and he lacks stoppers, partner should escape to four clubs and I'd either pass or bid four diamonds in the above example. However, I have a far better use for this bid than gambling, but let's talk more about that later. Now I want each of you to perform a short exercise. In large print write on a piece of paper the word "stayman." Hold the paper in front of a mirror. What do you see? I believe you will see "stayman" spelled backwards as "namyats," and that's the convention we're going to talk about. The purpose of "Namyats" is to open four clubs and four diamonds as strong transfers. If four clubs is the bid, opener announces he has a long and strong heart suit. If four diamonds is the bid, opener announces he has a long and strong spade suit. Thus, if the opener bids four hearts or four spades directly he shows no slam interest. For example, he would open four spades directly holding AQJ87654-3-32-76. To open a minor suit where the purpose is to play in the major, the required minimum holding is 81/2 playing tricks. Open four diamonds holding seven spades and AKQ7643-A5-K6-32 or open four clubs holding eight hearts and K3- AKQ76543-74-2. If responder bids opener's major suit directly he shows no interest in slam and opener must pass. However, if responder relays (bids the next suit up from the opening bid) he does show slam interest. Opener may bid "Blackwood" or even go directly to slam. An example of a hand responder might hold to show slam interest over an opening bid of four diamonds (indicating a strong spade suit) would be 654-AQJ7-A32-432. He should bid four hearts, a relay. Oh yes, about that 3NT opening bid mentioned earlier. It too can be used as a transfer. Because four clubs and four diamonds show strength, we need to cover the bases where we have a weak preemptive minor suit holding. Opening 3NT solves the problem. Responder after hearing 3NT must relay and bid four clubs. If this is opener's long minor he will pass, and if not he will bid four diamonds. Responder must now pass. Employing "Namyats" in your arsenal allows you a great amount of latitude to use flair and imagination when holding a weak minor suit. After your 3NT opener and partner's four-club response you can be assured he will not "hang you" by making another call should you bid four diamonds your weak minor suit.