During the Warring States period, there was a general of Qi named Tian Ji, who loved horse racing. The prime minister of Qi, Sun Bin, was a very clever strategist.

Tian Ji often raced horses with King Wei of Qi. The rules were simple: horses were divided into three levels—top-class, middle-class, and low-class. Each side raced three rounds, one horse from each class, and the total results decided the winner.

At first, Tian Ji followed the rules literally:

• top-class horse vs. top-class horse,

• middle-class vs. middle-class,

• low-class vs. low-class.

But the king was rich and his horses were much better than Tian Ji’s. So every time Tian Ji raced, he lost, and his money bag got thinner and thinner.

Then Sun Bin gave him some advice:

“General, let’s change our strategy—

send your low-class horse against the king’s top-class horse (you’ll definitely lose that one),

but then use your middle-class horse against his low-class horse,

and finally your top-class horse against his middle-class horse.

That way, overall, you’ll win two out of three.”

Tian Ji thought it was brilliant.

On the race day:

• In the first round, Tian Ji’s low-class horse was crushed by the king’s top-class horse.

• In the second round, Tian Ji’s middle-class horse beat the king’s low-class horse.

• In the third round, Tian Ji’s top-class horse defeated the king’s middle-class horse.

Result: two wins out of three. Tian Ji turned the tables and won the match. King Wei, instead of being angry, laughed and praised Sun Bin’s cleverness.