The Basics of an Unorthodox Strategy (3)

Before developing an unorthodox strategy, understand the measures and constraints of one's strategic situation is essential. 

The objective of the unorthodox strategy is to influence the rival through pretext and guile.  

Mastering the fundamental tactical principles and possessing the skill to evaluating the settings and the rival's intent and their strategic state is quite important.   

For more insights on the Big Tangible Picture and a few tactical pointers on how to play "the unorthodox game.", we suggested the reading of the first two chapters of Six Secret Teachings. 

A Military Introduction to Unorthodox Strategies

If you are looking for an introductory to how unorthodox strategy is applied in military situation, you can try this book.  Click here for a NYT review of this book. 

For the advanced strategic readers, I would suggest Ian F.W. Beckett, Modern Insurgencies and Counter-insurgencies and Robert B Asprey, War in the Shadows, Volume I and Volume II.

My other favorites are: 100 Unorthodox Strategies and Tao of Deception.

Alpha Go: 3 World's Best Player: 0

Source: New Yorker

“Go is to Western chess what philosophy is to double-entry accounting.”     - Trevanian, Shibumi

Click here on the outcome of Google's Alpha Go's three matches against the world's best player. 

Alpha Go's next step is to head toward the state of retirement.

Click here for those who wanted to pursue the career as a professional Go (Weiqi) player.

Those who are interested in studying the games between Alpha Go and itself. Click here. 

Side Note

Regardless of the outcome, Go (Weiqi) is a great game for those who are interesting in developing intuitive strategic and tactical skills by recognizing a myriad of conflicting patterns. 

Learning it through poor translations and ill-conceived opinions of Sunzi essay on strategy is not the way to go. 

The Basics of an Unorthodox Strategy (2)

The T'ai-tsung said, "If, as Sun-Tzu said, 'dividing and combining are changes, 'wherein lie the unorthodox and orthodox?"

Li Ching said: For those who excel at employing troops there are none that are not orthodox, none that are not unorthodox, so they cause the enemy  never to be able to fathom them. Thus with the orthodox they are victorious, with the unorthodox they are also victorious. The officers of the Three Armes only know the victory, none know how it is attained. Without being able to fully comprehend the changes, how could outstanding generals attain this? As for where, the dividing and combining come from, only Sun-tzu was capable of comprehending it. From Wu-Chi , no one has been able to attain it."
                                                                                                                         Questions and Replies 1  

Your Competition: The Cult of The Non-Experts

It amazes us that there are people who have tried to become experts by reading the first 100 links of various topics that they were searching on.

They understand what the topic is about and how it works in terms of generality without the specificity behind it.

These same people rarely ever think about  contingencies and can barely think one move ahead.   

They go with their heart without understanding how it connects to the Big Tangible Picture and/or  ever contemplating on the consequences of failing.  

This same group of non-mindful people tell their followers to believe in magical thinking and that there is another chance for all situations. 

This is your competition.