Chinese Idioms about Strategy & Tactics

Know yourself and your opponent.

Borrowing arrows with straw boats — using the enemy's resources against them through cunning.

Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao — attack the enemy's weak point to force them to retreat.

Make noise east, strike west — feint to distract, attack elsewhere.

In war, deception is never wrong — all is fair in tactics.

About the same; equally matched; neck and neck.

To use any means to achieve one's goal; unscrupulous.

To alert the enemy by a rash act; to beat the grass and startle the snake.

Drastic and decisive; bold and resolute.

To make a prompt decision; to decide on the spur of the moment.

The most pressing matter of the moment; the top priority.

To prescribe the right remedy for the illness; to suit the remedy to the case.

To take drastic measures to resolve a problem; to remove the fuel from under the pot.

To take the big picture into consideration; to put the overall interest first.

To turn danger into safety; to avert a crisis.

To hit upon an idea in desperation; to rise to an emergency.

To carry considerable weight; to play a critical role.

An opportunity to exploit; a chance to take advantage of.

To satisfy both sides; to the benefit of all parties.

To attend to each and every aspect; to be meticulous and comprehensive.

To act in a way that defeats one's purpose; to go south by driving the chariot north; to run in the opposite direction.

To cut off all means of retreat; to burn one's bridges; to commit oneself fully to a task.

by every possible means; by hook or by crook

A large army; a vast crowd.

Seek common ground while reserving differences; agree to disagree.

To replace someone or something; to supersede.

To achieve twice the result with half the effort; to get great results with little effort.

Irresistible; unstoppable.

To be surrounded by enemies; to be isolated and without help.

to plan as a whole and take all factors into consideration

Perfectly safe; foolproof; absolutely sure.

To first act and then report; to act without prior authorization but seek approval afterwards.

To try every possible way; to do everything possible.

To have a well-thought-out plan; to have something up one's sleeve.

To do something in one vigorous effort; to press on to the finish without letup.

Kill two birds with one stone; achieve two things at once.

To adapt to local conditions; to act according to circumstances.

To shoot an arrow at a target; to have a definite object in view; to be purposeful.

Survival of the fittest; the superior wins and the inferior is eliminated.

To have nothing to fear because one has strong backing; fearless because of reliance on someone or something.

Methodical; in an orderly way; neat and tidy.

To devise strategies within a command tent; to plan and direct affairs from behind the scenes; masterminding.

Resolute and decisive; to chop nails and slice iron (with ease).

to oppose each other point-to-point; to be at loggerheads

Striving to be first and fearing to be last; rushing headlong.

armchair strategy; theoretical discussion divorced from practice

Resourceful and full of stratagems; wise and resourceful.