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Pierre  GHESTEM

 

 Nato a Lilla in Francia il 14 febbraio del 1922, commerciante di formaggi, è stato uno dei più grandi campioni francesi del secolo scorso che ha conquistato il titolo di World Grand Master della W.B.F.

 Assieme a René Bacherich, ha formato una delle coppie più forti del suo tempo ed ha rappresentato la compagine transalpina in numerose competizioni internazionali riportando vittorie davvero prestigiose quali quella della Bermuda Bowl nel 1956, di una Olimpiade nel 1960 e di 3 Campionati Europei nel 1953, nel 1955 e nel 1962.

 Ha anche vinto due volte i Campionati Nazionali Francesi ed è l'inventore del primo sistema dichiarativo fortemente convenzionale: il Monaco (anche noto come Relay System).

 Alcune delle sue invenzioni dichiarative, come ad esempio la maniera di dichiarare in intervento le bicolori di tipo 5-5 appoggiandole sulla  surlicita e sui due livelli convenzionali di 2SA e di 3♣, sono usate ancor oggi dai giocatori di mezzo mondo. 

 Scomparso l'11 aprile del 2000, è stato anche un campione di scacchi di livello nazionale.

  Pierre Ghestem was born in 1929 (although some published documents suggest that he was born in 1922) in Lille, France and he became an avid bridge player.

He was a World Bridge Federation Grand Master. 

He was also a former World Checker Champion and a former French Chess Champion. 

He won the World Team Olympiad in 1960. He was the European Champion in 1953, in 1955, in 1962, and placed second in 1956 and 1961. 

He was in the European Championship in 1965 and won the French Open Teams in 1962 and 1964. He came in third at the Pamp Pairs in 1990. His national wins include Open Teams many times. Pierre Ghestem was the creator of the complex Monaco System and the Ghestem System, and devised the Relay System, (see Relay Bids), still used today.

Pierre Ghestem invented the Monaco system, which was the original relay system, and used with  Rene Bacherich in several world championship tournaments. The main purpose of the relays (and some transfers) is to make the stronger hand be declarer. 

The system used by  Rene Bacherich and Pierre Ghestem was a very artificial relay system, called Monaco, and has had few adherents.

1956 in Paris, France, the French team, represented by  Rene Bacherich,  Pierre Ghestem,  Pierre Jais,  Roger Lattes,  Bertrand Romanet,  Roger Trezel and  Robert de Nexon, as the non-playing captain, won the Bermuda Bowl. He represented France again in the Bermuda Bowl in 1954, 1956, 1961, and 1963.

Pierre Ghestem played as a senior in the 1995 European championships at Vilamoura in southern Portugal.

He was also a World Bridge Federation Grand Master, also winning the European Championship in 1965, and he won French Open Teams in 1962 and 1964. National wins include Open Teams many times.