Legal Definitions - stratagem

A stratagem refers to a carefully planned maneuver or scheme, often involving an element of cunning or deception, designed to achieve a specific advantage over an opponent or in a challenging situation.

• Business Negotiation: During a competitive bidding process for a lucrative contract, Company X intentionally leaks information suggesting they are struggling with a different, unrelated project. This creates the impression that Company X might not be able to handle the new contract, prompting competitors to lower their bids in an attempt to secure the deal. However, Company X was never actually struggling and was fully prepared to take on the new work.

  This illustrates a stratagem because Company X used a deceptive tactic (feigning weakness) to manipulate the market and gain a financial advantage by encouraging competitors to reduce their prices.

• Political Campaign: A political candidate, anticipating a difficult question about a controversial past policy during a live debate, prepares a detailed, pre-rehearsed response that subtly shifts the focus to their opponent's similar, but less publicized, stance on the issue. This allows them to deflect scrutiny while simultaneously putting their opponent on the defensive.

  This is a stratagem because the candidate employed a pre-planned, clever tactic to avoid a disadvantage (being cornered by a tough question) and turn it into an opportunity to attack their opponent, thereby gaining a rhetorical advantage in the debate.

• Competitive Sports: In a championship chess match, one player makes a series of seemingly weak moves in the opening, sacrificing a minor piece early on. This lulls their opponent into a false sense of security, believing they have an easy path to victory. However, these initial moves were part of a deeper, complex plan designed to set up a devastating checkmate several turns later, which the opponent fails to foresee.

  This demonstrates a stratagem as the player used a deceptive sequence of moves (appearing weak) to mislead their opponent, creating an illusion of vulnerability to achieve a decisive victory.