These are the most powerful and famous Chinese strategies I have read and am still learning. It is not easy to understand the meaning and implementation. However, it is definitely worth your time to research and learn about it. 🙂
INDIRECT ACTION STRATEGIES
1. Besiege Wèi to rescue Zhào
2. Make a sound in the east, then strike in the west
3. Go to Chen Cang through secret path
4. Stomp the grass and scare the snake
5. Point at the mulberry tree while cursing the locust tree
6. Changing from guest into host
CONTINUOUS CHANGE STRATEGIES
7. Patiently wait until enemies are exhausted
8. Create something from nothing
9. Borrow a corpse to resurrect the soul
NO-ACTION STRATEGIES
10. Defeat the enemy by capturing their chief
11. Remove the firewood from under the pot
12. Kill with a borrowed sword
13. Take the opportunity to pilfer a goat
14. Watch the fires burning across the river
15. Tossing out a brick to get a jade gem
CONFUSION STRATEGIES
16. Loot a burning house
17. Disturb the water and catch a fish
18. The beauty trap (Honeypot)
DECEPTION STRATEGIES
19. Cross the sea without the emperor’s knowledge
20. Change the sail and pole with bad quality ones
21. Hide a knife behind a smile
22. Act dumb and hide the intelligence
23. Lure the tiger off its mountain lair
24. Remove the ladder when the enemy has ascended to the roof
WINNING STRATEGIES
25. Release enemy to be captured again
26. Shut the door to catch the thief
CONFRONTATION STRATEGIES
27. Befriend a distant state and strike a neighboring one
28. Borrow a safe passage to conquer the State of Guo
DESPERATE STRATEGIES
29. Sacrifice the plum tree to preserve the peach tree
30. Slough off the cicada’s golden shell
31. If all else fails, retreat
32. Deck the tree with false blossoms
33. The empty fort strategy
34. Let the enemy’s own spy sow discord in the enemy camp
35. Inflict injury on oneself to win the enemy’s trust
THE STRATEGY OF LINKING STRATEGIES
36. Chain stratagems
VINCENT HUBERTA 