Lure Enemy Out of Position / 诱敌离位

Lure enemy out of position / 诱敌离位 is the tactical pattern 《资治通鉴·周纪》16丨孙膑庞涓恩怨纠葛 桂陵之战 attributes to 孙膑 when 齐威王 asks how to break a stalemate between well-formed armies. Sun Bin proposes exposing a small force under a brave lower-status leader, letting it take disadvantage, and tempting the enemy into pursuit.

The pattern matters because it shifts the question from strength comparison to position control. The enemy is dangerous while holding formation; once it leaves that position, prepared forces can attack from the side. The source later pairs this logic with 围魏救赵, where the entire Wei army is pulled away from 邯郸 by pressure on 大梁.

Key Claims

• A strong enemy can be made weaker by changing its location and formation before the decisive fight.
• A small exposed force may be a deliberate lure rather than a simple sacrifice.
• The tactic depends on preparation; drawing the enemy out has no value without a waiting strike.
• The same logic can scale from battlefield formation to campaign design.

Connections

• 孙膑 and 齐威王 - teacher and questioner in the source.
• 田忌 and 齐国 - command setting for later application.
• Encircling Wei to Rescue Zhao / 围魏救赵, 桂陵之战, 大梁, and 邯郸 - campaign-scale version.
• Tian Ji Horse Racing / 田忌赛马 - adjacent pattern of changing matchups before contesting.