Carefully compare the opposing army with your own, so that you may know where strength is superabundant and where it is deficient.

The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand.

The value of time, that is of being a little ahead of your opponent, often provides greater advantage than superior numbers or greater resources.

If the enemy has occupied them before you, do not follow him, but retreat and try to entice him away.

If we know that our own men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware that the enemy is not open to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory. If we know that the enemy is open to attack, but are unaware that our own men are not in a condition to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory. If we know that the enemy is open to attack, and also know that our men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware that the nature of the ground makes fighting impracticable, we have still gone only halfway towards victory.

Rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him

Confront them with annihilation, and they will then survive; plunge them into a deadly situation, and they will then live. When people fall into danger, they are then able to strive for victory.