Sun Zi's Art of War Chapter 05d applied to Xiangqi (Chinese Chess)

Chapter 5 of Sun Zi's Art of War is titled Energy. The title appears to have caused trouble to Lionel Giles when he translated the work. Strategic Military Power was the translation by Ralph Sawyer in his rendition, which the Webmaster aggrees more.

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.

In a nutshell, the following are discussed:
Sun Tzu's Chapter 5 (Energy) principles in "The Art of War" can apply to Xiangqi strategy. Controlling a vast or small force involves dividing units effectively. Managing a large or small army requires clear signs and signals. Ensuring the formation's stability amidst attack involves direct and indirect maneuvers. Creating a forceful impact akin to a grindstone against an egg relies on exploiting weak and strong positions. In Xiangqi, the direct approach engages in battles, but victory comes through indirect tactics. Skillful Xiangqi players harness indirect tactics seamlessly, perpetually adapting and employing combinations of moves like melodies, using energy and timing to achieve tactical superiority.

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.

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

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