The Thirty-Six Stratagems

For when you already hold the advantage — how to press a strong hand without wasting it.

1 瞞天過海 Mán tiān guò hǎi Deceive the Heavens to Cross the Sea Hide a bold move inside the utterly routine. What people see every day, they stop seeing. 2 圍魏救趙 Wéi Wèi jiù Zhào Besiege Wei to Rescue Zhao Don't fight where the enemy is strong. Threaten what they can't afford to leave undefended, and they'll come to you. 3 借刀殺人 Jiè dāo shā rén Kill with a Borrowed Knife Let someone else do your dirty work. Their hand swings the blade; your fingerprints are nowhere. 4 以逸待勞 Yǐ yì dài láo Wait at Leisure While the Enemy Labors Let the other side exhaust themselves rushing to you. Arrive rested to a fight they're too tired to win. 5 趁火打劫 Chèn huǒ dǎ jié Loot a Burning House When a rival is already on fire with troubles, that's the moment to move — not out of kindness. 6 聲東擊西 Shēng dōng jī xī Make a Sound in the East, Strike in the West Point everyone's attention one way, then hit from the other. Surprise is just misdirected attention.

Evenly matched. Manufacture the opening, then take it before your rival notices it was there.

7 無中生有 Wú zhōng shēng yǒu Create Something from Nothing Conjure a threat, an asset, or a fact that isn't there — long enough for it to be treated as if it were. 8 暗渡陳倉 Àn dù Chén cāng Openly Repair the Road, Secretly Cross at Chencang Make a big obvious show of the expected path while your real advance sneaks in by the back road. 9 隔岸觀火 Gé àn guān huǒ Watch the Fire Across the River When your enemies are busy destroying each other, don't interrupt. Pull up a chair. 10 笑裏藏刀 Xiào lǐ cáng dāo Hide a Knife Behind a Smile Win trust and warmth first. The move comes later, from a direction they've decided to stop guarding. 11 李代桃僵 Lǐ dài táo jiāng Sacrifice the Plum to Save the Peach When you can't save everything, let a lesser piece take the blow so the piece that matters survives. 12 順手牽羊 Shùn shǒu qiān yáng Lead Away the Goat in Passing Take the small, unguarded opportunity that happens to be right there. Not the plan — just good hands.

You're on the front foot — provoke, lure, and aim past the soldiers at the one head that matters.

13 打草驚蛇 Dǎ cǎo jīng shé Beat the Grass to Startle the Snake Make a deliberate disturbance to flush a hidden threat into showing itself before it's ready. 14 借屍還魂 Jiè shī huán hún Borrow a Corpse to Return the Soul Take something dead, forgotten, or discarded and revive it as the perfect vehicle for your plan. 15 調虎離山 Diào hǔ lí shān Lure the Tiger Down from the Mountain You can't beat the tiger on its own turf. Draw it away from the source of its strength first. 16 欲擒故縱 Yù qín gù zòng To Catch, First Let Loose Corner someone and they fight to the death. Give them room and they relax — then you close it. 17 拋磚引玉 Pāo zhuān yǐn yù Toss a Brick to Attract Jade Offer something cheap to bait out something valuable — a real answer, a commitment, a rival's hand. 18 擒賊擒王 Qín zéi qín wáng To Catch the Bandits, First Catch the King Don't hack at the limbs. Take the head — the leader, the keystone, the decision-maker — and the rest folds.

The board is a mess. Good. Cut the supply line, muddy the water, and slip away clean.

19 釜底抽薪 Fǔ dǐ chōu xīn Remove the Firewood from Under the Pot Don't fight the boiling water. Pull the fuel out from underneath and the whole problem goes cold. 20 混水摸魚 Hún shuǐ mō yú Fish in Troubled Water Stir up confusion, then reach in and grab what you want while nobody can see clearly. 21 金蟬脫殼 Jīn chán tuō qiào The Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell Leave a convincing shell behind — the appearance that you're still there — while the real you slips quietly away. 22 關門捉賊 Guān mén zhuō zéi Shut the Door to Catch the Thief Before you strike, cut off the escape. A trapped opponent with nowhere to run is one you can finish. 23 遠交近攻 Yuǎn jiāo jìn gōng Befriend the Distant, Attack the Near Ally with those too far away to threaten you; press against the neighbour whose ground you can actually take. 24 假道伐虢 Jiǎ dào fá Guó Borrow the Road to Conquer Guo Get access through a neighbour by promising it's about someone else — then use that access on the neighbour.

Get close, combine schemes, and turn a partner's house into your own.

25 偷梁換柱 Tōu liáng huàn zhù Steal the Beams, Swap the Pillars Quietly replace the load-bearing parts of something while its familiar exterior stays exactly where it was. 26 指桑罵槐 Zhǐ sāng mà huái Point at the Mulberry, Curse the Locust Warn or discipline someone powerful indirectly, by making an example of a safer target they'll recognise. 27 假癡不癲 Jiǎ chī bù diān Feign Foolishness Without Going Mad Play the harmless fool so nobody guards against you — while your judgement stays perfectly sharp underneath. 28 上屋抽梯 Shàng wū chōu tī Lure onto the Roof, Then Remove the Ladder Get someone committed to a position they can't retreat from — then take away the way back. 29 樹上開花 Shù shàng kāi huā Deck the Tree with False Blossoms Make a modest force look formidable by dressing it up — borrowed scale, a staged flourish, the look of momentum. 30 反客為主 Fǎn kè wéi zhǔ Turn the Guest into the Host Enter as the guest, make yourself useful and then indispensable, then quietly take over the house.

You're losing. Buy time, sow discord, trade a little blood for trust — and if all else fails, leave.

31 美人計 Měi rén jì The Beauty Trap Against a strong opponent, don't attack the army — attack the appetites and attachments of the person leading it. 32 空城計 Kōng chéng jì The Empty Fort When you're too weak to defend, project total calm. An enemy who fears a trap won't attack an open gate. 33 反間計 Fǎn jiàn jì Turn the Enemy's Spy Take the channel the other side uses to learn about you, and feed it back exactly what you want them to believe. 34 苦肉計 Kǔ ròu jì The Self-Injury Ploy Take a visible, credible loss yourself so the other side trusts you — nobody suspects the one who is clearly hurting. 35 連環計 Lián huán jì Chain the Stratagems Together Don't rely on one scheme. Link several so each sets up the next and the target can't escape them all at once. 36 走為上 Zǒu wéi shàng If All Else Fails, Retreat When the position is truly lost, the smartest move is to leave intact. A live army fights another day; a dead one doesn't.