expression, noun
match between equally shrewd opponents
Describes a contest or battle where both sides use deception and genuine tactics, and neither can easily outwit the other. Often used in strategic contexts like games, business, or warfare.
将棋の名人戦はまさに虚々実々の戦いだった。
The Meijin title match was truly a battle of wits between equally shrewd players.
両社の交渉は虚々実々の戦いで、なかなか決着がつかなかった。
The negotiations between the two companies were a match of equal cunning, and they couldn't reach a settlement easily.
虚実 refers to the concepts of falsehood and truth, or deception and sincerity, often used in the phrase 虚実を尽くす. 虚々実々の戦い is a set expression that specifically describes a contest where both sides employ these tactics equally.
From the four-character compound 虚虚実実 (falsehoods and truths intermingled) combined with 戦い (battle). The repetition emphasizes the back-and-forth of deceptive and genuine moves.