Sun Zi's Art of War Chapter 07e applied to Xiangqi (Chinese Chess)
Sun Tzu's Chapter 7 (Maneuvering) of "The Art of War" relates to Xiangqi. The general's commands correspond to strategic decisions by players. Collecting an army aligns with arranging pieces optimally. Harmonizing elements reflects synergy between pieces' roles. Tactical maneuvering in Xiangqi involves positioning and leveraging piece strengths to deceive opponents. Skillful movement influences the opponent's moves while safeguarding one's own. Maneuvering with disciplined pieces is advantageous, while playing impulsively can lead to vulnerability. Strategic planning is vital, considering each move's implications. Maintaining composure during gameplay preserves mental clarity. Positioning pieces for control and attack mirrors handling mass formations. Sun Tzu's teachings align with strategic Xiangqi play, balancing offense and defense.
Ralph Sawyer's The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China is available for sale on Amazon.com. The author has not been able to obtain the permission of the publishers and has chosen to use Lionel Giles's version.
This chapter is very very relevant to Xiangqi. The ideas put forward by Sun Tzu's must be fully understood to take your play to another level.
Note: The examples have also been made into short videos with corresponding tags to offer a clearer explanation.
The URL is: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSgklQ5ZjutqDQRZhzhb4uDkYT8e2yk7d
Reference:
Translation of Sun Zi's Art of War is by Lionel Giles, First Published in 1910.
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Note on the English translations:
There are dozens of English translations of Sun Zi's Art of War. However, in the Webmaster's humble opinion, the best English translation is the one by Ralph D. Sawyer! Higly recommended! The Webmaster has read many Chinese versions of the book and also three or four English versions.
The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China by Ralph D. Sawyer.
His book can be found on Amazon at the following link: https://amzn.to/3Q6YaxP
Another interesting Sun Zi translation is Sun Tzu The Art of War by Stephen E. Kaufmann, a Karate expert. His translation contains some interesting insights.
Kauffman's book can also be found on Amazon at: https://amzn.to/48weGym