Michael Smith leads opening night of World Darts Championship

The 31st staging of the World Darts Championship will see players from around the globe competing for the coveted Sid Waddell Trophy, with number one seed Smith headlining the 96-player field.

The festive feast of darts – which takes place from tomorrow through to the final on Wednesday January 3 – will see 24 debutants and 27 countries represented in the £2.5 million showpiece.

Smith created global headlines with his sensational triumph in January, producing an incredible nine-darter in a leg dubbed ‘the greatest of all-time’ on his way to a 7-4 success against Michael van Gerwen.

The world number one will take centre stage on his Alexandra Palace return on Friday, when he plays Dutch debutant Kevin Doets or Grand Slam of Darts quarter-finalist Stowe Buntz for a place in round three.

“I’m not quite ready to be called the former World Champion yet,” declared St Helens ace Smith, a finalist in three of the last five World Championships.

“I know what it takes to win it now, and I know I can bring my A-game. To become only the fourth player to go back-to-back would be amazing.

“When you retire, people can sometimes forget that you’ve won it, but when you’ve won it multiple times, you leave a legacy behind, and that is what I want to leave now.”

The pre-Christmas period at this year's World Championship will feature nine days of first and second round action from December 15-23.

The top 32 players from the PDC Order of Merit will enter the tournament in the second round, with the ProTour Order of Merit qualifiers taking on the International representatives in round one.

2010 runner-up Simon Whitlock will also feature on the tournament’s opening night, as he plays Paolo Nebrida for the right to face Gary Anderson in round two on Saturday December 16.

Two-time World Champion Anderson has enjoyed a welcome return to form in 2023, scooping a hat-trick of ProTour titles and progressing to last month’s Grand Slam quarter-finals.

The 52-year-old won a record 17 consecutive matches at Alexandra Palace between 2014-2017, and he’s bidding to roll back the years to become the first Scot to win a third World Championship crown.

“This is the big one,” insisted Anderson, who has featured in five Alexandra Palace finals throughout his glittering career.

“If you cannot get up for the World Championship, then you shouldn’t be playing the game!

“I think it’s going to be a brilliant tournament. You need to use every bit of knowledge and skill you’ve picked up over the last 20 or 30 years, and hopefully it all comes together.”

Four years on from her history-making exploits in the capital, Fallon Sherrock will take on Jermaine Wattimena in her first round tie on Sunday December 17, with former Masters champion Joe Cullen also set to star.

However, world number three Luke Humphries will headline Sunday’s double session, having lifted World Grand Prix, Grand Slam and Players Championship Finals titles during a blistering 49-day spell.

“I’m riding the wave at the moment,” insisted Humphries, who has won 20 of his last 21 Premier televised matches, in a record dating back to October.

“I’m full of confidence and I think that makes me dangerous, because when I’m at my best, I am a very tough player to beat.

“I feel much more equipped this year than I have done at any other point of my career, and I really believe this could be my year.”

2021 champion Gerwyn Price begins his latest title bid on Monday December 18, on a night which will also see World Youth Championship finalist Gian van Veen make his bow in the sport's biggest event.

Van Veen’s compatriot Van Gerwen will then enter the fray on Tuesday December 19, as the Dutch superstar sets his sights on a record fourth Alexandra Palace crown.

“The World Championship is the World Championship, and the top boys will come out fighting,” vowed Van Gerwen, who will meet either Keane Barry or Reynaldo Rivera in round two.

“I know I am one of the favourites, and you need to perform like a favourite. It’s important to put your opponents under pressure from the beginning and that’s my goal.

“I feel relaxed, I feel comfortable, and I believe if I play my A-game, nobody else beats me.”

Steve Beaton - making a record-extending 23rd consecutive PDC World Championship appearance - will also be in action on Tuesday, alongside four-time semi-finalist James Wade and Japan's Mikuru Suzuki, who returns to Ally Pally following a four-year hiatus.

Two-time World Champion Peter Wright will open his challenge on Wednesday December 20, with World Youth Champion Luke Littler up against former Lakeside Champion Christian Kist in round one.

The first round draws to a close on Thursday December 21, as 2018 winner Rob Cross, seventh seed Danny Noppert, last year’s semi-finalist Gabriel Clemens and Australian number one Damon Heta all take to the stage.

Dutch legend Raymond van Barneveld - a winner on debut in 2007 - will be among the high-profile names in action on Friday December 22, with 2022/23 semi-finalist Dimitri Van den Bergh and Masters champion Chris Dobey also set to star.

The second round will then conclude across two sessions on Saturday December 23, as World Matchplay winner Nathan Aspinall gets his sixth Alexandra Palace campaign underway.

The world number six made back-to-back semi-finals in his first two World Championship appearances, and now he’s aiming to cap off a terrific season by claiming the darting holy grail.

“It would be the stuff of dreams,” admitted Aspinall, who will feature on December 23 alongside Jonny Clayton, Stephen Bunting and Josh Rock.

“If I was to win the World Championship, I think it would be one of the greatest wins in darts.

“I’ve had the injury, issues with my throw and the knockbacks, but there is no reason why I can’t pick that trophy up this year. It will happen. Whether it’s this year, next year or the year after, it will happen.”

Following a three-day Christmas break, the third and fourth rounds will be held from December 27-30, with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final taking place from January 1-3.

Alongside the £500,000 top prize for the eventual champion, players will also be competing for the Ballon d’Art trophy – created by title sponsor Paddy Power for the player who hits the most 180s during the event.

The new award is the latest addition to THE BIG 180 Campaign, which will see Paddy Power donate £1,000 to Prostate Cancer UK for every maximum scored during the 2023/24 World Darts Championship.

The tournament will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK, through the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV (excluding UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria & Switzerland based subscribers).

2023/24 Paddy Power World Darts Championship Schedule of Play

Friday December 15 (1900 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Kevin Doets v Stowe Buntz (R1)

Cameron Menzies v Rusty-Jake Rodriguez (R1)

Simon Whitlock v Paolo Nebrida (R1)

Michael Smith v Doets/Buntz (R2)

Saturday December 16

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Lee Evans v Sandro Eric Sosing (R1)

Connor Scutt v Krzysztof Kciuk (R1)

Jules van Dongen v Darren Penhall (R1)

Dave Chisnall v Menzies/Rodriguez (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Jamie Hughes v David Cameron (R1)

Keane Barry v Reynaldo Rivera (R1)

Scott Williams v Haruki Muramatsu (R1)

Gary Anderson v Whitlock/Nebrida (R2)

Sunday December 17

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Ricky Evans v Simon Adams (R1)

Jim Williams v Norman Madhoo (R1)

Matt Campbell v Lourence Ilagan (R1)

Joe Cullen v Van Dongen/Penhall (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Dylan Slevin v Florian Hempel (R1)

Niels Zonneveld v Darren Webster (R1)

Jermaine Wattimena v Fallon Sherrock (R1)

Luke Humphries v L Evans/Eric Sosing (R2)

Monday December 18 (1900 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Mario Vandenbogaerde v Thibault Tricole (R1)

Gian van Veen v Man Lok Leung (R1)

Martin Lukeman v Haupai Puha (R1)

Gerwyn Price v Scutt/Kciuk (R2)

Tuesday December 19

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Ian White v Tomoya Goto (R1)

Ritchie Edhouse v Jeffrey de Graaf (R1)

Keegan Brown v Boris Krcmar (R1)

James Wade v Campbell/Ilagan (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Steve Beaton v Wessel Nijman (R1)

Mike De Decker v Dragutin Horvat (R1)

Ricardo Pietreczko v Mikuru Suzuki (R1)

Michael van Gerwen v Barry/Rivera (R2)

Wednesday December 20

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Radek Szaganski v Marko Kantele (R1)

Steve Lennon v Owen Bates (R1)

William O'Connor v Bhav Patel (R1)

Ross Smith v Zonneveld/Webster (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Ryan Joyce v Alex Spellman (R1)

Richard Veenstra v Ben Robb (R1)

Christian Kist v Luke Littler (R1)

Peter Wright v J Williams/Madhoo (R2)

Thursday December 21

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

2x First Round, 2x Second Round

Mickey Mansell v Xiaochen Zong (R1)

Luke Woodhouse v Berry van Peer (R1)

Madars Razma v De Decker/Horvat (R2)

Rob Cross v Vandenbogaerde/Tricole (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

4x Second Round

Andrew Gilding v Kist/Littler (R2)

Danny Noppert v S Williams/Muramatsu (R2)

Gabriel Clemens v Van Veen/Leung (R2)

Damon Heta v Lukeman/Puha (R2)

Friday December 22

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

4x Second Round

Brendan Dolan v Mansell/Zong (R2)

Jose de Sousa v Edhouse/De Graaf (R2)

Krzysztof Ratajski v Hughes/Cameron (R2)

Dirk van Duijvenbode v Brown/Krcmar (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

4x Second Round

Dimitri Van den Bergh v Slevin/Hempel (R2)

Martin Schindler v Wattimena/Sherrock (R2)

Raymond van Barneveld v Szaganski/Kantele (R2)

Chris Dobey v O’Connor/Patel (R2)

Saturday December 23

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

4x Second Round

Kim Huybrechts v Veenstra/Robb (R2)

Callan Rydz v Pietreczko/Suzuki (R2)

Jonny Clayton v Lennon/Bates (R2)

Daryl Gurney v Beaton/Nijman (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

4x Second Round

Ryan Searle v White/Goto (R2)

Josh Rock v Woodhouse/Van Peer (R2)

Stephen Bunting v Joyce/Spellman (R2)

Nathan Aspinall v R Evans/Adams (R2)

Wednesday December 27

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

3x Third Round

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

3x Third Round

Thursday December 28

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

3x Third Round

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

3x Third Round

Friday December 29

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

3x Third Round

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

1x Third Round, 2x Fourth Round

Saturday December 30

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

3x Fourth Round

Evening Session (1930 GMT)

3x Fourth Round

Monday January 1

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

2x Quarter-Finals

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

2x Quarter-Finals

Tuesday January 2 (1930 GMT)

Semi-Finals

Wednesday January 3 (2000 GMT)

Final

Format

First Round - Best of five sets

FormSecond Round - Best of five sets

Third Round - Best of seven sets

Fourth Round - Best of seven sets

Quarter-Finals - Best of nine sets

Semi-Finals - Best of 11 sets

Final - Best of 13 sets

Tie-Breaks

First Round matches will not have a tie-break; if the fifth set reaches two-all in legs, then the fifth leg will be sudden-death.

From the Second Round onwards, there will be a tie-break rule employed in all matches; where a deciding set must be won by two clear legs. If the score in the final set reaches 5-5 then a sudden-death leg will be played.

There would be no throw for the bull in any sudden-death legs.

Prize Fund

Winner - £500,000

Runner-Up - £200,000

Semi-Finalists - £100,000

Quarter-Finalists - £50,000

Fourth Round - £35,000

Third Round - £25,000

Second Round - £15,000

First Round - £7,500

Total - £2,500,000