In 1998 a slim volume by International Master John Donaldson explored the crafting of a sophisticated but easily assimilated group of interrelated opening strategies intending to establish small but lasting advantages. The result, A Strategic Opening Repertoire, was an instant success.

Now this second edition, revised by Danish FM Carsten Hansen with the assistance of John Donaldson, is greatly expanded - twice the size - with many more games and detailed explanations.

The lines presented here - based on 1.Nf3, 2.c4 and 3.g3 - will serve a player well throughout his career as they are based on solid positional ideas with an emphasis on understanding rather than memorizing. They will not fail because of one sharp novelty.

The aim of playing 1.Nf3 is to head for queenside openings that restrict Black's counterplay. And using this repertoire, you will invariably find yourself on more familiar ground than your opponent.

Table of Contents
Introduction to the Second Edition
Introduction to the First Edition
Chapter One: Closed Sicilian Reversed with 9...h6
Chapter Two: Closed Sicilian Reversed with 9...Nd4
Chapter Three: Closed Sicilian Reversed - Others
Chapter Four: Closed Sicilian Reversed without ...a5
Chapter Five: Closed Sicilian Reversed without ...Nc6
Chapter Six: Closed Sicilian Reversed with ...e5 & ...f5
Chapter Seven: Symmetrical English
Chapter Eight: Symmetrical English with ...c5 and ...d5 or ...d6
Chapter Nine: Double Fianchetto & Hedgehog
Chapter Ten: The Tarrasch and Semi-Tarrasch
Chapter Eleven: The Catalan
Chapter Twelve: The Queen's Indian
Chapter Thirteen: Odds & Ends
Bibliography
Index of Players

The main advantages of this repertoire are:
-- you will have less to learn
-- you will acquire a set of strategically connected and understandable ideas
-- you will have the home-court advantage

From the Introduction to the second edition, by IM John Donaldson:
"Clearly there was a need for an opening repertoire book geared to those who wanted to steer play along positional lines. This new edition is both revised and expanded. While I have gone through every page of this book, the lion’s share of the work was done by my Danish FM Carsten Hansen. I am particularly indebted to him for fleshing out the annotations to many of the games. We both strongly believe in the value of well-annotated model games as a teaching tool and hope that this edition of A Strategic Opening Repertoire will increase your understanding of the game and deepen your positional skills."

Stephen Ham, ChessCafe:
"Their strategic system flows nicely into middlegame positions that, like related opening motifs, the reader is made familiar with through examples, explanations, and repetitions of related themes (...) And although the intended market is in the expert-to-master range, this is still a book that even offers terrific value to lower-rated players, both as an opening reference and as instructional material on proper positional play."

James Vigus, British Chess Magazine:
"The authors write simply and instructive: Donaldson's popular touch and Hansen's theoretical specialisation make an enviable combination. This repertoire will surely gain a legion of adherents at club level."

Chess Horizons:
"The authors provide a set of interrelated openings that aim for an accumulation of advantages rather than a quick knockout."