CP11 - Drawing trumps
and when not to draw trumps
In general draw trumps first, but only the losing trumps (unless Defender's outstanding trump can cut you off from Dummy's long suit.)
      With A + K + Q : draw 3 rounds of trumps.
      With A + K only : draw 2 rounds of trumps
      With the A only   : draw 2 rounds, duck 1st, play A 2nd
Declarer
a. ♥ A K 7 3 		  Dummy
4 8 9 Q ♥
With the trumps split 4-4 a ruff in either hand will produce an extra trick
Declarer
b. ♥ A K 9 6 3 		  Dummy
4 10 Q ♥
With the trumps split 5-3 only ruffs in Dummy will
produce extra tricks   (but see "Dummy reversal")
The CROSS RUFF - when both hands are unbalanced :
      do not draw trumps, instead cash your sure winners first
      then ruff the one suit in Dummy, the other in Declarer's hand
Declarer
♠ A K J 8 3
♥ A 9 4 2
♥ -
♣ A 9 7 		  Dummy
7 9 10 Q ♠
6 ♥
4 5 8 J ♦
2 5 10 K ♣
DUMMY REVERSAL - when only Declarer's hand is unbalanced and Dummy's trumps are high enough to draw trumps.
      ruff high in Declarer's hand 3+ times
      then lead a small trump to Dummy to draw trumps
Declarer
♠ A K 9 8 3
♥ A 9 4 2
♥ 7
♣ A 9 7 		  Dummy
10 J Q ♠
3 5 K ♥
4 5 8 A ♦
2 6 K ♣
 
CP12 - Signals by the Defence
but beware : Declarer can read them too !
The card to lead from a 4+card suit :
      Top of a solid sequence (K Q J)
      top of touching Honours in interrupted sequence (K Q 10, A Q J)
      4th card from the top (K 9 6 5 3)
      in trump contracts always lead the top of touching Honours

The card to lead from a 3-card suit :
      Top of touching Honours (K Q 5, Q J 7)
      lowest with single Honour card only (K 8 3)
      MUD (Middle-Up-Down) with 3 small cards only (8 5 4)

The card to lead from a doubleton : always the top (Q 2, 7 4)

When Partner leads his long suit : play an unnecessary high card (6-9) to show that you hold an Honour card in the suit.
When you lead Partner's long suit : play your highest card in the suit.

The McKennie DISCARD
The McKennie discard signals to Partner to play one of the suits not shown in the present trick. It is most opportune to do when Declarer draws trumps and you have run out.
  You
a. ♣7
b. ♣3 		Declarer leads a ♥ and you discard a ♣.
The two suits not on the table are ♠ and ♦
Your discard points to one of those two.
The relatively high ♣7 signals for the ♠ suit, the low ♣3 signals Partner for the lower ranked ♦ suit.
Declarer
>   ♥Q 		 
Same lead different discard :
  You
c. ♦8
d. ♦4 		Declarer leads a ♥ and you discard a ♦.
The two suits not on the table are ♠ and ♣
Your discard points to one of those two.
The high ♦8 signals for the ♠ suit, the low ♦4 signals Partner for the lower ranked ♣ suit.
Declarer
>   ♥Q