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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
4Transfer opener to their major. Cuebids and RKC available after.
4Ask opener to bid their major. Cuebids and RKC available after.
4Asking bid. Asks for opener's suit and control in the OTHER major. Passable.
4Asking bid for control.
4NTAsking bid for control.
5Asking bid for high-card control only.
5Asking 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.