Chapter 1: ADVANTAGEOUS Stratagems (胜战计)
1. Deceive the heavens to cross the ocean
瞒天过海 man tian guo hai
Prepare too much and you lose sight of the big picture; what you see often you do not doubt. Yin (the art of deception) is in Yang (acting in open). Too much Yang (transparency) hides Yin (true ruses).
2. Besiege Wèi to rescue Zhào
围魏救赵 wei wei jiu zhao
When the enemy is too strong to be attacked directly, then attack something he holds dear. Know that he cannot be superior in all things. Somewhere there is a gap in the armour, a weakness that can be attacked instead.
3. Kill with a borrowed knife
借刀杀人 jie dao sha ren
Attack using the strength of another (in a situation where using one's own strength is not favourable). Trick an ally into attacking him, bribe an official to turn traitor, or use the enemy's own strength against him.
The idea here is to cause damage to the enemy by getting a 3rd party to do the deed.
4. Leisurely await for the laboured
以逸待劳 yi yi dai lao
It is an advantage to choose the time and place for battle. In this way you know when and where the battle will take place, while your enemy does not. Encourage your enemy to expend his energy in futile quests while you conserve your strength. When he is exhausted and confused, you attack with energy and purpose.
The idea is to have your troops well-prepared for battle, in the same time that the enemy is rushing to fight against you. This will give your troops a huge advantage in the upcoming battle, of which you will get to select the time and place.
5. Loot a burning house
趁火打劫 chen huo da jie
When a country is beset by internal conflicts, when disease and famine ravage the population, when corruption and crime are rampant, then it will be unable to deal with an outside threat. This is the time to attack.
Keep gathering internal information about an enemy. If the enemy is currently in its weakest state ever, attack it without mercy and totally destroy it to prevent future troubles.
6. Make a sound in the east, then strike in the west
声东击西 sheng dong ji xi
In any battle the element of surprise can provide an overwhelming advantage. Even when face to face with an enemy, surprise can still be employed by attacking where he least expects it. To do this you must create an expectation in the enemy's mind through the use of a feint.
The idea here is to get the enemy to focus his forces in a location, and then attack elsewhere which would be weakly defended.
Chapter 2: OPPORTUNISTIC Stratagems (敌战计)
7. Create something from nothing
無中生有／无中生有 wú zhōng shēng yǒu
A plain lie. Make somebody believe there was something when there is in fact nothing.
One method of using this stratagem is to create an illusion of something's existence, while it does not exist. Another method is to create an illusion that something does not exist, while it does.
8. Openly repair the gallery roads, but sneak through the passage of Chencang
明修棧道,暗渡陳倉／明修栈道,暗渡陈仓 míng xiū zhàn dào, àn dù chén cāng
Deceive the enemy with an obvious approach that will take a very long time, while surprising him by taking a shortcut and sneak up to him. As the enemy concentrates on the decoy, he will miss you sneaking up to him.
9. Watch the fires burning across the river
隔岸觀火／隔岸观火 gé àn guān huǒ
Delay entering the field of battle until all the other players have become exhausted fighting amongst themselves. Then go in at full strength and pick up the pieces.
10. Hide a knife behind a smile
笑裏藏刀／笑里藏刀 xiào lǐ cáng dāo
Charm and ingratiate yourself to your enemy. When you have gained his trust, move against him in secret.
11. Sacrifice the plum tree to preserve the peach tree
李代桃僵 lǐ dài táo jiāng
There are circumstances in which you must sacrifice short-term objectives in order to gain the long-term goal. This is the scapegoat stratagem whereby someone else suffers the consequences so that the rest do not.
12. Take the opportunity to pilfer a goat
順手牽羊／顺手牵羊 shùn shǒu qiān yáng
While carrying out your plans be flexible enough to take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself, however small, and avail yourself of any profit, however slight.
Chapter 3: OFFENSIVE Stratagems (攻战计)
13. Stomp the grass to scare the snake
打草驚蛇／打草惊蛇 dá cǎo jīng shé
Do something unaimed, but spectacular ("hitting the grass") to provoke a response of the enemy ("startle the snake"), thereby giving away his plans or position, or just taunt him. Do something unusual, strange, and unexpected as this will arouse the enemy's suspicion and disrupt his thinking. More widely used as "[Do not] startle the snake by hitting the grass". An imprudent act will give your position or intentions away to the enemy.
14. Borrow a corpse to resurrect the soul
"借屍還魂／借尸还魂 jiè shī huán hún
Take an institution, a technology, a method, or even an ideology that has been forgotten or discarded and appropriate it for your own purpose. Revive something from the past by giving it a new purpose or bring to life old ideas, customs, or traditions and reinterpret them to fit your purposes.
15. Entice the tiger to leave its mountain lair
調虎離山／调虎离山 diào hǔ lí shān
Never directly attack an opponent whose advantage is derived from its position. Instead lure him away from his position thus separating him from his source of strength.
16. In order to capture, one must let loose
欲擒故縱／欲擒故纵 yù qín gū zòng
Cornered prey will often mount a final desperate attack. To prevent this you let the enemy believe he still has a chance for freedom. His will to fight is thus dampened by his desire to escape. When in the end the freedom is proven a falsehood the enemy's morale will be defeated and he will surrender without a fight.
17. Tossing out a brick to get a jade gem
拋磚引玉／抛砖引玉 pāo zhuān yǐn yù
Bait someone by making him believe he gains something or just make him react to it ("toss out a brick") and obtain something valuable from him in return ("get a jade gem").
18. Defeat the enemy by capturing their chief
擒賊擒王／擒贼擒王 qín zéi qín wáng
If the enemy's army is strong but is allied to the commander only by money, superstition or threats, then take aim at the leader. If the commander falls the rest of the army will disperse or come over to your side. If, however, they are allied to the leader through loyalty then beware, the army can continue to fight on after his death out of vengeance.
Chapter 4: CONFUSION Stratagems (混战计)
19. Remove the firewood from under the pot
釜底抽薪 fǔ dǐ chōu xīn
If something must be destroyed, destroy the source.
20. Disturb the water and catch a fish
混水摸魚／混水摸鱼 hún shuǐ mō yú
Create confusion and use this confusion to further your own goals.
21. Slough off the cicada's golden shell
金蟬脱殼／金蝉脱壳 jīn chán tuō qiào
It's a stratagem mainly used to escape from an enemy of superior force. Mask yourself. Either leave flamboyant traits behind, thus going incognito, or just masquerade yourself and create an illusion to fit your goals and distract others.
22. Shut the door to catch the thief
關門捉賊／关门捉贼 guān mén zhuō zéi
To deliver capture the enemy, you must plan prudently if you want to succeed. Do not rush into action. Before you "move in for the kill", first cut off your enemy's escape routes, and cut off any routes through which outside help can reach them.
23. Befriend a distant state while attacking a neighbour
遠交近攻／远交近攻 yuǎn jiāo jìn gōng"
It is known that nations that border each other become enemies while nations separated by distance and obstacles make better allies. When you are the strongest in one field, your greatest threat is from the second strongest in your field, not the strongest from another field. This policy is associated with Fan Sui of Qin, circa 269 BC.
24. Obtain safe passage to conquer the State of Guo
假道伐虢 jiǎ dào fá guó
Borrow the resources of an ally to attack a common enemy. Once the enemy is defeated, use those resources to turn on the ally that lent you them in the first place. See Duke Xian of Jin.
Chapter 5: DECEPTION Stratagems (并战计)
25. Replace the beams with rotten timbers
偷梁換柱／偷梁换柱 tōu liáng huàn zhù
Disrupt the enemy's formations, interfere with their methods of operations, change the rules in which they are used to following, go contrary to their standard training. In this way you remove the supporting pillar, the common link that makes a group of men an effective fighting force.
26. Point at the mulberry tree while cursing the locust tree
指桑罵槐／指桑骂槐 zhǐ sāng mà huái
To discipline, control, or warn others whose status or position excludes them from direct confrontation; use analogy and innuendo. When names are not used directly, those accused cannot retaliate without revealing their complicity.
27. Feign madness but keep your balance
假痴不癲／假痴不癫 jiǎ chī bù diān
Hide behind the mask of a fool, a drunk, or a madman to create confusion about your intentions and motivations. Lure your opponent into underestimating your ability until, overconfident, he drops his guard. Then you may attack.
28. Remove the ladder when the enemy has ascended to the roof
上屋抽梯 shàng wū chōu tī
With baits and deceptions, lure your enemy into treacherous terrain. Then cut off his lines of communication and avenue of escape. To save himself, he must fight both your own forces and the elements of nature.
29. Deck the tree with false blossoms
樹上開花／树上开花 shù shàng kāi huā
Tying silk blossoms on a dead tree gives the illusion that the tree is healthy. Through the use of artifice and disguise, make something of no value appear valuable; of no threat appear dangerous; of no use appear useful. This stratagem is identical to that of the Potemkin village.
30. Make the host and the guest exchange roles
反客為主／反客为主 fǎn kè wéi zhǔ
Usurp leadership in a situation where you are normally subordinate. Infiltrate your target. Initially, pretend to be a guest to be accepted, but develop from inside and become the owner later.
Chapter 6: DESPRATE Stratagems (败战计)
31. The beauty trap (honey trap)
美人計／美人计 měi rén jì
Send your enemy beautiful women to cause discord within his camp. This stratagem can work on three levels. First, the ruler becomes so enamoured with the beauty that he neglects his duties and allows his vigilance to wane. Second, other males at court will begin to display aggressive behaviour that inflames minor differences hindering co-operation and destroying morale. Third, other females at court, motivated by jealousy and envy, begin to plot intrigues further exacerbating the situation.
32. The empty fort strategy
空城計／空城计 kōng chéng jì
When the enemy is superior in numbers and your situation is such that you expect to be overrun at any moment, then drop all pretense of military preparedness and act calmly so that the enemy will think are setting an ambush. This stratagem has to be used sparingly and only after one has first developed a reputation for military prowess. This also depends on having a clever opponent who, in perceiving a trap, may over-think his reaction.[11]
33. Let the enemy's own spy sow discord in the enemy camp
反間計／反间计 fǎn jiàn jì
Undermine your enemy's ability to fight by secretly causing discord between him and his friends, allies, advisors, family, commanders, soldiers, and population. While he is preoccupied settling internal disputes, his ability to attack or defend, is compromised.
34. Inflict injury on oneself to win the enemy's trust
苦肉計／苦肉计 kǔ ròu jì
Pretending to be injured has two possible applications. In the first, the enemy is lulled into relaxing his guard since he no longer considers you to be an immediate threat. The second is a way of ingratiating yourself to your enemy by pretending the injury was caused by a mutual enemy.
35. Chain stratagems
連環計／连环计 lián huán jì
In important matters, one should use several stratagems applied simultaneously after another as in a chain of stratagems. Keep different plans operating in an overall scheme; however, in this manner if any one stratagem fails, then the chain breaks and the whole scheme fails.
36. If all else fails, retreat
走為上／走为上 zǒu wéi shàng
If it becomes obvious that your current course of action will lead to defeat, then retreat and regroup. When your side is losing, there are only three choices remaining: surrender, compromise, or escape. Surrender is complete defeat, compromise is half defeat, but escape is not defeat. As long as you are not defeated, you still have a chance.
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