1. 瞞天過海crossing the sea under camouflage
2. 圍魏救趙relieving the state of Zhao by besieging the state of Wei
3. 借刀殺人killing someone with a borrowed knife
4. 以逸待勞waiting at one’s ease for the exhausted enemy
5. 趁火打劫plundering a burning house
6. 聲東擊西making a feint to the east and attacking in the west
7. 無中生有creating something out of nothing
8. 暗渡陳倉advancing secretly by an unknown path
9. 隔岸觀火watching a fire from the other side of the river
10. 笑里藏刀covering the dagger with a smile
11. 李代桃僵palming off substitute for the real thing
12. 順手牽羊picking up something in passing
13. 打草驚蛇beating the grass to frighten the snake
14. 借尸還魂resurrecting a dead soul by borrowing a corpse
15. 調虎離山luring the tiger out of his den
16. 欲擒故縱letting the enemy off in order to catch him
17. 拋磚引玉giving the enemy something to induce him to lose more valuable things
18. 擒賊擒王capturing the ringleader first in order to capture all the followers
19. 釜底抽薪extracting the firewood from under the cauldron
20. 混水摸魚muddling the water to catch the fish; fishing in troubled waters
21. 金蟬脫殼slipping away by casting off a cloak; getting away like the cicada sloughing its skin
22. 關門捉賊catching the thief by closing / blocking his escape route
23. 遠交近攻befriending the distant enemy while attacking a nearby enemy
24. 假途伐虢attacking the enemy by passing through a common neighbor
25. 偷梁換柱stealing the beams and pillars and replacing them with rotten timbers
26. 指桑罵槐reviling/ abusing the locust tree while pointing to the mulberry
27. 假癡不癲feigning madness without becoming insane
28. 上屋抽梯removing the ladder after the enemy has climbed up the roof
29. 樹上開花putting artificial flowers on trees
30. 反客為主turning from the guest into the host
31. 美人計using seductive women to corrupt the enemy
32. 空城計presenting a bold front to conceal unpreparedness
33. 反間計sowing discord among the enemy
34. 苦肉計deceiving the enemy by torturing one’s own man
35. 連環計coordinating one stratagem with another
36. 走為上decamping being the best; running away as the best choice |