[JLOL]

QT9xxx Kxx QJ9x void.

Imps. Starting with RHO:

1D 1S X p
3N p p p

RHO is not a beginner so expect them to have long diamonds.

Your lead?

[655321]

I would just lead a low spade.

[jdonn]

Me too since I really can't think of a reason not to.

[cherdanno]

If we need the genius ♥K, we can maybe still do that later, given our double stopper in diamonds. Given the bad surprise we have for declarer (bad diamond split), I don't see the need to be a genius right away - of course if that means I give him a 3rd spade trick along with his one heart, two diamonds, and 3 club tricks, that would be bad, but so be it.

[kenrexford]

The safe lead is the diamond Queen.

[andy_h]

low spade

[y66]

SQ for me.

[Phil]

A spade. The ♠Q caters to a stiff Jack in dummy or in pard's hand (and they are 6313 around the table). A low spade probably needs ♠Ax with pard, although there are some layouts where pard has Kx and a fast entry. With two entries however, I think we are always beating this when pard comes up with the ♠A/K.

I'll lead the black mariah.

[whereagles]

I'm not going to do any stunts here. Just a plain 4th best spade.

Hum.. funny.. now that I think of it, I'm as conservative with leads as I am liberal with bids. LOL

[mikeh]

ATT, I would have led a small spade and thought little of it: seems routine. However, Phil makes a good case for the Queen: stiff jack in either dummy or partner. Of course, that does mean that we probably need spades to be 3-3, if it is partner with the stiff..or partner to hold the 8 if it is dummy with the stiff.

For Rexford: the safety of the diamond queen is illusory: it probably doesn't blow a trick immediately, but it almost certainly blows a tempo, and this hand is probably about tempo (another reason the spade Q makes some sense... if partner has the stiff J, declarer can duck and partner probably has no useful switch).

So I opt for the spade Q, while admitting I didn't think of it myself (so if it's wrong, I get to blame Phil).

[mtvesuvius]

Small spade, but I kinda like the idea of the Q♠... I guess I like that better, but I didn't think of it, so like Mike, I will blame Phil if it is wrong.

[y66]

Quote

Hum.. funny.. now that I think of it, I'm as conservative with leads as I am liberal with bids. LOL

[kenrexford]

mikeh, on Jun 1 2009, 11:03 AM, said:

For Rexford: the safety of the diamond queen is illusory: it probably doesn't blow a trick immediately, but it almost certainly blows a tempo, and this hand is probably about tempo (another reason the spade Q makes some sense... if partner has the stiff J, declarer can duck and partner probably has no useful switch).

The tempo loss may actually be illusory, as well.

If the opponents can take two tricks in a suit unless I lead it, yielding three tricks, then the lead of that suit "causes" a tempo loss of one round, plus a trick. If I can lead one of two specific cards in a suit, one that yields no extra tricks for the opponents and one that yields one extra trick for the opponents, I lose on average 1/2 trick and 1/2 round of tempo.

More importantly, though, I'm not sure that this is a matter of tempo. I think Declarer has at least one, if not two, tricks fewer than he expected coming to him in diamonds.

[the hog]

I would have led a small S, but, "yes", I also like the lead of the Q on reflection. I too did not think of it.

[hanp]

When Justin asked me about this hand, I said I would make the jdonn lead: spade queen. I was doubly wrong: Josh leads a low spade and the jdonn lead is of course the heart king.

[jdonn]

Just another reputation of mine about which I have no idea of the origin...

[hanp]

Perhaps it started when you led unsupported honors so frequently.