Treatise on Armament Technology, Volume...

Page 4

Heaven is round and Earth is square. A military formation is like the round canopy of the azure heavens, while the earth resembles a chessboardoriginal: 棋盤 — qípán; while often translated as "chessboard," in this 17th-century context it refers to the grid-based boards used for Weiqi (Go) or Xiangqi (Chinese Chess), which served as common metaphors for strategic geography.; the soldiers are like the chess pieces.

Though the soldiers are the ones who move, their effectiveness relies entirely on the General'soriginal: 將帥 — jiàngshuài; the high-ranking commanders or strategist-in-chief. ability to maneuver the "momentum" of the game. The outcome of a match—victory or defeat—is determined in the moments when one finally faces the enemy.

The fate of the Three Armiesoriginal: 三軍 — sānjūn; a traditional term for the entire military force, consisting of the center, left, and right wings. is decided in a single instant. All tactical formations are derived from the vertical and horizontal methods found within the Eight Formations.

Large square formations encompass small square formations; large camps encompass small camps. The nine divisions and the Eight Formations function exactly like the grid of a chessboard upon which the soldiers engage in battle.