Chapter 3: Attack by Stratagem
From Sun Tzu’s The Art of War (Lionel Giles translation, 1910).
The most quoted chapter: the highest form of generalship is to defeat the enemy’s strategy without fighting. Sun Tzu ranks outcomes — subdue by strategy, then by diplomacy, then by siege, last by battle.
Key principles
- The best victory is won without fighting.
- Attack the enemy’s plans before you attack their army.
- To subdue the enemy without battle is the acme of skill.
- Avoid laying siege when a cheaper path exists.
Quotations from this chapter
Drawn from our sourced lesson database — each links to its permanent page with the full interpretation.
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.”
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“To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.”
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“In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy’s country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good.”
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“In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact.”
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“To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.”
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Modern applications
- Resolve a dispute by changing the incentives before it becomes open conflict.
- Win a market by making the fight unnecessary — own the ground others would attack.
Related strategy topics
Sun Tzu on Decision-MakingSun Tzu for InvestorsSun Tzu on CompetitionSun Tzu on ConflictSun Tzu on NegotiationSun Tzu for BusinessSun Tzu on PositioningSun Tzu on RiskSun Tzu on Leadership
Frequently asked questions
What does “subdue the enemy without fighting” mean?
It is Sun Tzu’s highest ideal of strategy: break the opponent’s plan, alliance, or will so the battle never needs to happen. It appears in Chapter 3 of the Giles translation.
What are the five kinds of attack Sun Tzu ranks?
He ranks them from best to worst: defeat the enemy’s strategy, break their alliances, attack their army, attack their cities, and only last, attack their forces in the field. Fighting is the last resort.