The game of candlepins was invented in 1881 in Worcester, Massachussetts. The game is quite different from the tenpin variety, and as a result offers some interesting challenges. For starters, you are allowed three balls per frame as opposed to two. Secondly, if downed pins remain on the plate after the first two balls, they are not removed. Before you say "Oh that must make it easier," check out the following statistics: The candlepin ball is only 4.5" in diameter and weighs between 2lbs-5oz. and 2lbs-7oz. The pins are 15-3/4" long and skinnier than the tenpin kind. A candlepin is tapered at both ends and wider at the middle. They are 1-3/4" wide at each end and only 2-15/16" wide at the middle. The pins are spaced 12" apart at their centers. If you do the math, you will see that it is very possible to punch right through if you don't split the pins properly. Also, since the lane is 60' from foul line to the center pin, the pins don't look that far apart. I don't mean to diminish the difficulty of tenpin, but I think it is pretty clear why there has never been a 300 game in candlepin. [from http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Arena/7789/about.htm]