It is more important to outhink your enemy, than to outfight him

Bestow rewards without respect to customary practice; publish orders without respect to precedent. Thus you may employ the entire army as you would one man.

The difficulty of tactical maneuvering consists in turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain.

All warfare is based on deception. There is no place where espionage is not used. Offer the enemy bait to lure him.

So there are five ways of knowing who will win. Those who know when to fight and when not to fight are victorious. Those who discern when to use many or few troops are victorious. Those whose upper and lower ranks have the same desire are victorious.

Victory comes from finding opportunities in problems.

Rapidity is the essence of war: take advantage of the enemy's unreadiness, make your way by unexpected routes, and attack unguarded spots.