Qiqing shisan pian 棋經十三篇

Qiqing shisan pian 棋經十三篇 is a book on chess written by Zhang Ni 張擬 (c. 1050).

Is the most famous and widespread book on chess of ancient China. The structure of the book imitates the 13 chapters of the famous military book Sunzi bingfa 孫子兵法 to elucidate the most essential strategies to win a chess party. The opening chapter is an overview of the chess board, which serves as a metaphor for the unison of Heaven and Earth in the shape of Yin and Yang (black and white fields). The rest of the book highlights concrete tactics and moves. One aspect is the rating of chess tactics into nine different levels of quality, reflecting the nine ranks of state officials or other ranks of skills.

Zhang Ni's book is rated by Li Yimin's 李逸民 Wangyou qingle ji 忘憂清樂集 as the best chess book available at the time. The title was, therefore, abused by many later editors to boost sales of their books. Examples for an adaption of the title of Zhang Ni's book are found in the encyclopaedia Shilin guangji 事林廣記, the collection Xuanxuan qijing 玄玄棋經 by Yan Defu 嚴德甫 and Yan Tianzhang 晏天章, Xu Gu's 許谷 Shishi xianji 石室仙機, Su Yizhan's 蘇亦瞻 Yisou 弈籔, Shen Fu's 沈賦 Juyitang weiqi xinpu 居易堂圍棋新譜, Deng Yuanhui's 鄧元鏸 Yiqianzhai jipu 弈潛齋集譜, the series Shuofu 說郛, Mohai jinhu 墨海金壺 and Shoushange congshu 守山閣叢書.