Winning Stratagems

(Stratagem 1-6)

Stratagem 1

Deceive the heavens to cross the ocean.

Chinese: 瞒天过海
(Mán tiān guò hǎi)

Stratagem 2

Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao.

Chinese: 围魏救赵
(Wéi Wèi jiù Zhào)

Stratagem 3

Kill with a borrowed knife.

Chinese: 借刀杀人
(Jiè dāo shā rén)

Stratagem 4

Substitute leisure for labour.

Chinese: 以逸待劳
(Yǐ yì dài láo)

Stratagem 5

Loot a burning house.

Chinese: 趁火打劫
(Chèn huǒ dǎ jié)

Stratagem 6

Make a sound in the east, then strike in the west.

Chinese: 声东击西
(Shēng dōng jí xī)

Enemy Dealing Stratagems

(Stratagem 7-12)

Stratagem 7

Create something from nothing.

Chinese: 无中生有
(Wú zhōng shēng yǒu)

Stratagem 8

Openly repair the gallery roads, but sneak through the passage of Chencang.

Chinese: 暗渡陈仓
(Àn dù chén cāng)

Stratagem 9

Watch the fires burning across the river.

Chinese: 隔岸观火
(Gé àn guān huǒ)

Stratagem 10

Hide a knife behind a smile.

Chinese: 笑里藏刀
(Xiào lǐ cáng dāo)

Stratagem 11

Sacrifice the plum tree to preserve the peach tree.

Chinese: 李代桃僵
(Lǐ dài táo jiāng)

Stratagem 12

Take the opportunity to pilfer a goat.

Chinese: 顺手牵羊
(Shùn shǒu qiān yáng)

Attacking Stratagems

(Stratagem 13-18)

Stratagem 13

Startle the snake by hitting the grass around it.

Chinese: 打草惊蛇
(Dá cǎo jīng shé)

Stratagem 14

Borrow a corpse to resurrect the soul.

Chinese: 借尸还魂
(Jiè shī huán hún)

Stratagem 15

Entice the tiger to leave its mountain lair.

Chinese: 调虎离山
(Diào hǔ lí shān)

Stratagem 16

In order to capture, one must let loose.

Chinese: 欲擒故纵
(Yù qín gū zòng)

Stratagem 17

Tossing out a brick to get a jade gem.

Chinese: 抛砖引玉
(Pāo zhuān yǐn yù)

Stratagem 18

Defeat the enemy by capturing their chief.

Chinese: 擒贼擒王
(Qín zéi qín wáng)

Chaos Stratagems

(Stratagem 19-24)

Stratagem 19

Remove the firewood under the cooking pot.

Chinese: 釜底抽薪
(Fǔ dǐ chōu xīn)

Stratagem 20

Catch a fish while the water is disturbed.

Chinese: 混水摸鱼
(Hún shuǐ mō yú)

Stratagem 21

Slough off the cicada's golden shell.

Chinese: 金蝉脱壳
(Jīn chán tuō qiào)

Stratagem 22

Shut the door to catch the thief.

Chinese: 关门捉贼
(Guān mén zhōu zéi)

Stratagem 23

Befriend a distant state while attacking a neighbour.

Chinese: 远交近攻
(Yuǎn jiāo jìn gōng)

Stratagem 24

Obtain safe passage to conquer the State of Guo.

Chinese: 假道伐虢
(Jiǎ dào fá Guó)

Proximate Stratagems

(Stratagem 25-30)

Stratagem 25

Replace the beams with rotten timbers.

Chinese: 偷梁换柱
(Tōu liáng huàn zhù)

Stratagem 26

Point at the mulberry tree while cursing the locust tree.

Chinese: 指桑骂槐
(Zhǐ sāng mà huái)

Stratagem 27

Feign madness but keep your balance.

Chinese: 假痴不癫
(Jiǎ chī bù diān)

Stratagem 28

Remove the ladder when the enemy has ascended to the roof.

Chinese: 上屋抽梯
(Shàng wū chōu tī)

Stratagem 29

Deck the tree with false blossoms.

Chinese: 树上开花
(Shù shàng kāi huā)

Stratagem 30

Make the host and the guest exchange roles.

Chinese: 反客为主
(Fǎn kè wéi zhǔ)

Defeat Stratagems

(Stratagem 31-36)

Stratagem 31

The beauty trap.

Chinese: 美人计
(Měi rén jì)

Stratagem 32

The empty fort strategy.

Chinese: 空城计
(Kōng chéng jì)

Stratagem 33

Let the enemy's own spy sow discord in the enemy camp.

Chinese: 反间计
(Fǎn jiàn jì)

Stratagem 34

Inflict injury on one's self to win the enemy's trust.

Chinese: 苦肉计
(Kǔ ròu jì)

Stratagem 35

Chain stratagems.

Chinese: 连环计
(Lián huán jì)

Stratagem 36

If everything else fails, retreat.

Chinese: 走为上
(Zǒu wéi shàng)