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3NT

A 3NT opening is "Namyats" — it shows a good preempt in one of the majors. It is forcing: responder is not allowed to pass it out. Almost always responder answers with either 4♣ or 4♦ to sort out which major opener holds. The other responses below are specific asking bids that opener created long ago; they are recorded here for completeness, but in practice they essentially never come up.

Responses

3NT
4♣Transfer opener to their major. Cuebids and RKC available after.
4♦Ask opener to bid their major. Cuebids and RKC available after.
4♥Asking bid. Asks for opener's suit and control in the OTHER major. Passable.
4♠Asking bid for ♣ control.
4NTAsking bid for ♦ control.
5♣Asking bid for ♣ high-card control only.
5♦Asking bid for ♦ high-card control only.
The 4♣ and 4♦ responses are the normal, everyday answers. Everything from 4♥ down is a rarely used asking-bid scheme, and opener has agreed to warn that this is dangerous ground.

Answering the asking bids

For the asking bids, opener replies by stepping up the line, alternating ♥ then ♠, so that each step names both the suit and the level of control.

Over 4♥, the steps are: Pass = no control, then singleton or void, then high-card control. Because Pass is the first step, opener can stop in 4 of a major when there is no control in the other major.

Over 4♠ and 4NT, the steps run: no control, singleton or void, high-card control (alternating ♥/♠ as above).

Over 5♣ and 5♦, the same scheme applies but with no singleton-or-void step, since only a high-card control counts.

Example auctions

3NT–4♥–Pass shows hearts with no spade control. This lets the pair stop in 4 of a major when responder is interested in slam but cannot yet tell which major opener has and there is no control in the off major.

3NT–4♠–5♣ shows spades with no club control.

3NT–5♣–5♠ shows hearts with a high-card club control.