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The Pipe Game (1900)

Frank Marshall vs Amos Burn · Paris, 1900 · Queen's Gambit Declined · 1–0

13… Bg7

White to move. The h-file is open and Black's king is short of defenders. Marshall found a forcing series of sacrifices that ends in mate — can you find the first blow?

Frank Marshall vs Amos Burn

Paris, 1900. Amos Burn liked to settle in for a long, closed game and light his pipe. Frank Marshall never gave him the chance: in just 18 moves Marshall opened the h-file, sacrificed a bishop on g6, dragged the king out and mated — reportedly before Burn could even get his pipe lit. It is one of the most famous miniatures in chess.

The lesson

Against a slow, passive setup, open a file toward the king and pour pieces down it before the defender wakes up. Marshall's h4–h5 and the sacrifice Bxg6 ripped open the h-file and the king's shelter at the same time; the queen and rook then mated. Tempo and open lines beat a solid but sleepy position.

Move by move

5. e35.e3 — a quiet Queen's Gambit Declined. Burn, a famously solid player, is happy with a slow game; Marshall has other ideas.

9. Bxf69.h4! The pawn storm begins. Marshall ignores normal development and throws the h-pawn at the kingside to pry open a file.

10. h410...g6 weakens the dark squares and the h-file, exactly what Marshall wants — but Black had little choice against the threat of h5.

11. h511.h5! Cracking the file open. After the exchange on g6 the h-file becomes a highway for the white rook and queen.

13. Qc213.Qc2 — quietly loading the battery. The queen joins the bishop and rook all aiming at the soft g6/h7 squares.

14. Bxg614.Bxg6! The breakthrough sacrifice. After …fxg6 the king's pawn cover is gone and the queen crashes in on g6.

15. Qxg615.Qxg6 — two pawns and threatening mate. Black is already lost; the king has no shelter on the open kingside.

16. Ng516.Ng5! Bringing the last attacker. The knight eyes h7 and f7 and prepares the rook sacrifice on h8.

17. Rh8+17.Rh8+!! The final sacrifice — it deflects the king to h8 so the queen can deliver mate from h7.

18. Qh7#18.Qh7# — checkmate, in just 18 moves. 'The Pipe Game': Burn never even got his pipe lit.

Frequently asked

Why is it called 'The Pipe Game'?

Amos Burn was famous for smoking a pipe and playing slow, closed positions. The story goes that Marshall's attack was so fast — mate in 18 moves — that Burn lost before he had even finished lighting his pipe.

What's the key attacking idea?

Open the h-file with h4–h5, then sacrifice on g6 to strip the king's pawns and pour the queen and rook down the open lines. It's a model of how to punish a passive, undeveloped kingside.

Can I try the attack myself?

Yes — take the board as White just before 14.Bxg6 and try to find the sacrifices and the mate, or replay the whole miniature move by move, no sign-up.