The Art of War, Chapter 6 summary

What happens

1. Sun Tzu urges commanders to arrive fresh, control enemy movements, and attack positions that lack strong defenses.
2. Secrecy lets an army concentrate its strength while uncertainty forces its opponent to spread troops across many possible targets.
3. Knowing the battle’s time and location allows separated troops to unite; uncertainty prevents different sections from supporting each other.
4. Sun Tzu argues that the larger forces of Yüeh need not win and recommends probing enemy intentions and vulnerabilities.
5. He distinguishes visible tactics from hidden planning and warns against repeating a successful method without considering circumstances.
6. Water and changing natural cycles illustrate his closing argument that warfare demands constant adaptation.

In this chapter

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