In the 19th century, the “Great Game” was the strategic competition between the British Empire and Tsarist Russia over the domination of Central Asia. This historic competition is resurfacing in a modern form, with new players, new tools, and billions of dollars at stake. Central Asia, which had long been viewed as a geopolitical backwater, has emerged as a critical front line in the contest for supremacy among great powers. Illustration by The Geostrata Today, China, Russia,