Qin Kanying won the Women's Chinese Chess Championship in 1988, 1991, 1995, 1999 and 2004.

Qin reached the final of the Women's World Chess Championship 2000 in New Delhi after she sequentially knocked out Masha Klinova, Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant, Ketino Kachiani-Gersinska, Corina Peptan and Alisa Marić.

In the final she faced defending champion Xie Jun, who retained her title by winning 2½-1½ in a four-game match.

In the 1992 Olympiad she also won an individual bronze medal thanks to her score of 77,3% (six wins, five draws and no losses) on board three.

[5] Qin is married to chess grandmaster Peng Xiaomin, who is also her trainer.