← The Art of War

孙子兵法 · 三十六计

The Strategy Map

How the thirteen chapters and the thirty-six stratagems connect — the philosophy on one axis, the moves on the other.

35 / 36 stratagems · 45 ↔ 13

By chapter

01始计 Laying Plans

瞒天过海Deceive the heavens to cross the sea 攻其無備，出其不意 strike where he is unprepared; nothing is less watched than the routine 声东击西Clamour in the east, attack in the west 近而示之遠，遠而示之近 when near, show him far; when far, show him near 假痴不癫Feign madness but keep your balance 能而示之不能，用而示之不用 feign incapacity when able 趁火打劫Loot a burning house 亂而取之 when he is in disorder, take him

02作战 Waging War

以逸待劳Wait at leisure for the exhausted enemy 夫鈍兵挫銳，屈力殫貨 blunted weapons, damped ardour, strength spent: the chapter that itemises what a long campaign costs the side that marches 釜底抽薪Take the firewood from under the pot 智將務食於敵 the wise general feeds off the enemy; his supply is the fire under the pot 隔岸观火Watch the fire from across the river 夫兵久而國利者，未之有也 the cost of a long campaign falls on the belligerents, never on the onlooker

03谋攻 Attack by Stratagem

围魏救赵Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao 不戰而屈人之兵 the siege is lifted without fighting the army besieging it 远交近攻Befriend a distant state, attack a neighbour 其次伐交，其次伐兵 the ranking IS the move: spend diplomacy on the far state so force is spent only on the near one 借刀杀人Kill with a borrowed knife 其次伐交 next best, break their alliances; a borrowed blade IS the alliance dimension 关门捉贼Shut the door to catch the thief 十則圍之 with tenfold force, surround

04军形 Tactical Dispositions

以逸待劳Wait at leisure for the exhausted enemy 先為不可勝，以待敵之可勝 first make yourself unbeatable, then wait for him to become beatable 树上开花Deck the tree with false blossoms 善攻者動於九天之上 the attacker moves as if from the topmost heights; 形 is what the enemy is permitted to see

05兵势 Energy

无中生有Create something from nothing 奇正相生，如循環之無端 ordinary and extraordinary generate each other without end 声东击西Clamour in the east, attack in the west 形之，敵必從之 show him a shape and he is obliged to conform to it 抛砖引玉Toss out a brick to draw in jade 予之，敵必取之 offer, and the enemy must take 混水摸鱼Fish in troubled waters 紛紛紜紜，鬥亂而不可亂也 amid confusion, be the one who is not confused 偷梁换柱Steal the beams, swap the pillars 戰勢不過奇正 the whole of force is the swap between ordinary and extraordinary

06虚实 Weak Points and Strong

声东击西Clamour in the east, attack in the west 形人而我無形，則我專而敵分 make him show a shape while showing none, and he divides to cover everything 笑里藏刀Hide a knife behind a smile 進而不可禦者，沖其虛也 advance irresistibly by striking the void; the smile is what makes the point void 顺手牵羊Lead away the goat in passing 攻而必取者，攻其所不守也 take what is not defended 反客为主Turn the guest into the host 致人而不致於人 bring the enemy to you; do not be brought 空城计The empty fort strategy 虛實 the chapter that IS emptiness presented as substance

07军争 Maneuvering

围魏救赵Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao 迂其途而誘之以利，後人發，先人至 take the long road, bait him with an advantage, set out later and arrive first 调虎离山Lure the tiger down from the mountain 百里而爭利，則擒三將軍 march a hundred li for a prize and you lose your commanders; the stratagem makes the tiger do it 暗渡陈仓Secretly march to Chencang 以迂為直 the circuitous route that arrives first 欲擒故纵To catch, first let go 圍師必闕 always leave a surrounded force an outlet 擒贼擒王To catch bandits, first catch their leader 將軍可奪心 the commander may be robbed of his resolve 以逸待劳Wait at leisure for the exhausted enemy 以佚待勞 the stratagem's own four characters, near-verbatim, in the passage on husbanding strength

08九变 Variation in Tactics

以逸待劳Wait at leisure for the exhausted enemy 無恃其不來，恃吾有以待也 do not rely on his not coming; rely on being ready when he does 走为上If all else fails, retreat 途有所不由，軍有所不擊 there are roads not to be taken and armies not to be fought 李代桃僵Sacrifice the plum tree to save the peach 地有所不爭 there is ground that must not be contested; some things are given up on purpose

09行军 The Army on the March

打草惊蛇Beat the grass to startle the snake 鳥起者，伏也；獸駭者，覆也 birds rising mean an ambush beneath; startled beasts mean an attack coming 笑里藏刀Hide a knife behind a smile 辭卑而益備者，進也 humble words and quiet preparation mean he is about to attack; the treatise describes this stratagem from the receiving end 指桑骂槐Point at the mulberry, curse the locust tree 令之以文，齊之以武 govern by civility, align by discipline; the warning made by example

10地形 Terrain

调虎离山Lure the tiger down from the mountain 險形者，若敵先居之，引而去之，勿從也 if he holds the heights first, withdraw and draw him off; never follow him up 以逸待劳Wait at leisure for the exhausted enemy 遠形者，勢均，難以挑戰 at a distance and evenly matched, forcing the battle is the losing move

11九地 The Nine Situations

上屋抽梯Lure onto the roof, then remove the ladder 如登高而去其梯 like one who climbs high and kicks the ladder away; the treatise's own image for this stratagem 金蝉脱壳The golden cicada sheds its shell 後如脫兔，敵不及拒 then move like a bolting hare, too fast for him to shut the door 假道伐虢Borrow safe passage to conquer Guo 衢地則合交 on intersecting ground, join alliances

12火攻 The Attack by Fire

连环计The chain-of-stratagems 凡火攻，必因五火之變而應之 five developments, each answered by the next move; a plan built of links 趁火打劫Loot a burning house 火發於內，則早應之於外 when fire breaks out within, answer at once from without

13用间 The Use of Spies

反间计The counter-espionage / double-agent strategy 反間者，因其敵間而用之 the treatise names this stratagem's own characters as a class of agent 美人计The beauty trap 內間者，因其官人而用之 the inward agent, recruited among his own officials; the loosest fit on this map, and kept as an aid to reading rather than a derivation 苦肉计The self-injury stratagem 死間者，為誑事於外 the doomed agent, who carries a deception at his own cost

By set

胜战计 · Winning Stratagems

瞒天过海围魏救赵借刀杀人以逸待劳趁火打劫声东击西

敌战计 · Enemy-Dealing Stratagems

无中生有暗渡陈仓隔岸观火笑里藏刀李代桃僵顺手牵羊

攻战计 · Attacking Stratagems

打草惊蛇借尸还魂调虎离山欲擒故纵抛砖引玉擒贼擒王

混战计 · Chaos Stratagems

釜底抽薪混水摸鱼金蝉脱壳关门捉贼远交近攻假道伐虢

并战计 · Proximate Stratagems

偷梁换柱指桑骂槐假痴不癫上屋抽梯树上开花反客为主

败战计 · Desperate Stratagems

美人计空城计反间计苦肉计连环计走为上

One stratagem sits outside the thirteen

The two works are separate books, written centuries apart, so not every move has a home in the treatise. Where a link is shown here it rests on a specific line of that chapter — and where none exists we say so rather than invent one.

借尸还魂Borrow a corpse to resurrect the soul