Zhong Zhen (1889-1946), a native of Panyu, Guangdong, was a modern Chinese chess player. He was known as one of the "Three Phoenixes of Eastern Guangdong" along with Huang Songxuan and Zeng Zhanhong. He was also known as "Oil Seller". In his early years, he worked as a rice carrier for his brother's rice shop. He was strong enough to carry a whole bag of rice and was called "Rice Boy". At the age of 19, he became famous by defeating Tang Chang, a famous player from Guangzhou. He made a living by playing chess. His chess style was unpredictable and varied. He was known as "Seven Star King" because he was good at the "Seven Stars Gathering" game. He was also known as "Chess Immortal" because of his ingenious moves such as "Sacrificing a Horse to Trap a Chariot".

Zhong Zhen was guided by Feng Jingru in his early years. It is believed that he had entered the chess world in Guangzhou at the age of thirty. He had concealed his chess skills and studied new game rules for practical use. In 1925, with the assistance of Zeng Zhanhong, he went to Annam (now Vietnam) for exchanges and played against local chess players such as Nguyen Ba Xian, He Guangbu, and Xu Wenhai. During his time in Vietnam, he was known as the "Chess Immortal of Annam", which influenced the local chess style. He studied endgames and broke through the "Snowy Pass" game rule in the "Hundred Chess Game Manual". He discovered a new variation in which Black could win by moving from Pawn 1 to Pawn 2. He also took Chen Songshun as his disciple. Zhong Zhen once said that he had failed in his opium trafficking and ended up in poverty. After wandering around many places, he made a living by playing chess. In 1946, while staying in Shantou, he raised funds for a school to build a school and participated in a chess competition. In the same year, he died of poverty and illness. There are various theories about his life and background, such as being a descendant of Manchus, a son of a poor wealthy family, or a rice shop worker. He often acted like a chess player from the Jianghu (江湖, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry), and once used trickery to play against Huang Songxuan, which caused a stir in the chess world .

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