Paul Lukacs
Encyclopedia
Paul Lukacs was a top bridge
problems composer considered by many "the best bridge player ever away from the table", as defined by Victor Mollo
. He specialized in single dummy problems.
Contrary to double dummy problems, in which that all four hands are shown and the task of the solver is therefore limited to finding the solution that works given that specific distribution, the single dummy problem reflects, instead, much more closely the challenges encountered by a declarer when dummy is tabled: he needs to find a line which caters to all the possible layouts.
The subtle difference between some single dummy problems and the real life approach of a good declarer is that the latter will usually choose the best percentage line while the expert declerer as well as the problem solver will look for a line of play which works for all possible distributions.
Lukacs was born in Hungary
in 1915 and lived in Israel
since 1939. He contributed regularly to the leading journal The Bridge World
and wrote several problem books well known in bridge literature. His most lasting contribution to bridge literature was as co-author of Spotlight on Card Play (with Robert Darvas), the first post-war problem collection to highlight expert thought processes.
Contract bridge
Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...
problems composer considered by many "the best bridge player ever away from the table", as defined by Victor Mollo
Victor Mollo
Victor Mollo was a British bridge journalist and writer. He is most famous for his "Bridge in the Menagerie" series of books, depicting vivid characters of bridge players with animal names through a series of exciting and entertaining deals, bridge fables of a sort.-Biography:Mollo was born in St....
. He specialized in single dummy problems.
Contrary to double dummy problems, in which that all four hands are shown and the task of the solver is therefore limited to finding the solution that works given that specific distribution, the single dummy problem reflects, instead, much more closely the challenges encountered by a declarer when dummy is tabled: he needs to find a line which caters to all the possible layouts.
The subtle difference between some single dummy problems and the real life approach of a good declarer is that the latter will usually choose the best percentage line while the expert declerer as well as the problem solver will look for a line of play which works for all possible distributions.
Lukacs was born in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
in 1915 and lived in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
since 1939. He contributed regularly to the leading journal The Bridge World
The Bridge World
The Bridge World , the oldest continuously published magazine about contract bridge, was founded in 1929 by Ely Culbertson. It has since been regarded as the game's principal journal, publicizing technical advances in bidding and the play of the cards, discussions of ethical issues, bridge politics...
and wrote several problem books well known in bridge literature. His most lasting contribution to bridge literature was as co-author of Spotlight on Card Play (with Robert Darvas), the first post-war problem collection to highlight expert thought processes.