a situation where two sides fight each other, allowing a third party to gain the advantage

a fierce contest between two powerful and evenly matched adversaries

(traditional Chinese medicine) a term describing the progression of a disease as a struggle between vital energy [[正气|正氣|zheng4 qi4]] and harmful influences [[邪气|邪氣|xie2 qi4]]

petty conflict over trivial matters; a struggle between tiny factions like that between the mythical kingdoms on the horns of a snail

if two parties fight, a third party will benefit from the struggle; to reap the spoils of another's conflict

(idiom) when two countries are at war, they should not execute messengers or envoys sent from the other side

literally meaning 'when the snipe and the clam grapple, the fisherman benefits'; used to describe a situation where two parties are locked in a dispute, allowing a third party to step in and take advantage of the situation

Literally means that when two tigers fight each other, one will surely be injured; used to describe how a conflict between two powerful parties or factions will inevitably result in loss or damage for at least one of them

The power struggle for control of China between the forces of [[项羽|項羽|xiang4 yu3]] (Chu) and [[刘邦|劉邦|liu2 bang1]] (Han) from 206 to 202 BC.