In the game of Contract bridge, Ghestem is a conventional overcall structure, using 2NT, 3, and the (non-jump) cuebid over an opposing opening at the one level to denote two-suited hands in two of the remaining three suits.
This convention was devised by the French bridge and checkers player Pierre Ghestem.
When playing Ghestem, after an opposing one-level opening, the three overcalls mentioned denote the three possible two-suited hands in the suits excluding the opened suit:
Following responder's cuebid, the Ghestem bidder makes a relay bid in the next strain, and the bidding continues with the responder indicating the trump suit:
The primary disadvantage is the loss of the natural 3 jump overcall; furthermore, the artificial 3 bid may be prone to partnership misunderstandings. Also, by using 3 over an opposing minor opening to denote the two majors, the major suits cannot be introduced at the two level whereas alternative methods such as the Michaels cuebid can. This second disadvantage can be overcome by changing the order of the two suits shown by each bid; MJ Bridge website. Downloaded 30-Oct-2018. methods include RCO, inverted Ghestem (Questem) and Specific Michaels (SpoDo), although the similar and quite popular CRO fails to achieve this.
To overcome the problem of having to introduce the majors at the three level over an opposing 1, and in order to retain the natural (1)-2 overcall (indicating a good 5+ card suit), some partnerships also apply a modified structure over 1:
A modified structure that allows the partnership to introduce the majors at the two-level after both minor suit openings is attributed to Benito Garozzo:M. Schollaardt in Bridge Magazine IMP, No.7 (2007), p. 8 - 11 (in Dutch).
Notice that in this variation of Ghestem following a 1 opening, one retains the option to make a natural 2 overcall. This is valuable over an artificial Strong Club 1 opening. Alternatively, over natural minor-suit opening bids, the cuebid can be used to show both majors. As (1) - 3 is non-forcing, partnerships playing Ghestem à la Garozzo can use (1) - 3 to introduce very strong black two-suiters, or begin with a simple 1 overcall.
Other combinations of bids to show the three pairs of suits are possible, such as CRO (Colour-Rank-Other), and have various advantages and disadvantages.
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