edSimply a question of ethics:

Played a club game recently against opponents, one of whom is a leading player in the bridge world and the other presumably a sponsor.

IMPs EW vulnerable

North: ♠ J7 ♥ K2 ♦ AKQ1065 ♣ K107

South: ♠ QJ42 ♥ AJ1095 ♦ 83 ♣ A9

West: ♠ A85 ♥ Q74 ♦ J72 ♣ QJ53

East: ♠ K963 ♥ 863 ♦ 94 ♣ A9

Bidding: N 1NT - E Pass - S 2♦ W Pass

             N2♥ - E Pass - S 2♠ W Pass

             N 3NT

East, my partner led 9♦. North (declarer) asked  the meaning of a lead from 9 and I explained that it can either be top of nothing

or an honor + 10 and 9.  Needless to say, when I got in with the Q♥ I returned a diamond. In fact we only lost 1 IMP on this

board so you might consider this not a big deal, but my question is about the ethics of the question regarding a diamond lead to his AKQ10xx.