I will be able to forecast which side will be victorious and which defeated.

Invincibility lies in the defense; the possibility of victory in the attack.

He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.

When your weapons are dulled and ardour damped, your strength exhausted and treasure spent, neighboring rulers will take advantage of your distress to act. And even though you have wise counsellors, none will be able to lay good plans for the future. Thus, while we have heard of blundering swiftness in war, we have not yet seen a clever operation that was prolonged.

You can prevent your opponent from defeating you through defense, but you cannot defeat him without taking the offensive.

Therefore, to estimate the enemy situation and to calculate distances and the degree of difficulty of the terrain so as to control victory are virtues of the superior general.

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