With overall planning and overall consideration, one battle can be completed in three steps.

Tian Ji often races horses with the princes of Qi, placing large sums of money as bets. Sun Bin discovered that the horses in the competition were all about the same foot power and could be divided into upper, middle and lower grades, so he suggested that Tian Ji increase the bet and assured him that he would win. Tian Ji then set up a thousand gold bets with King Wei of Qi and other princes to compete in horse racing. Sun Bin asked Tian Ji to replace the high-grade horse with a low-grade horse, and competed with King Wei of Qi's high-grade horse. He was defeated in the first game. Then Sun Bin asked Tian Ji to replace the medium-grade horse with a high-grade horse, and the low-grade horse with a medium horse, and competed with Qi Wei respectively. King Wei's middle and lower horses raced, and Tian Ji won two and lost one, and finally won King Qi Wei's bet of a thousand gold. Sun Bin became famous. Tian Ji recommended Sun Bin to King Wei of Qi, and King Wei of Qi asked him for advice on the art of war. And let him serve as his art of war teacher.