kids encyclopedia robot

2023 PDC World Darts Championship facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
2023 Cazoo World Darts Championship
Tournament information
Dates 15 December 2022–3 January 2023
Venue Alexandra Palace
Location London, England
Organisation(s) PDC
Format Sets
Final – first to 7 sets
Prize fund £2,500,000
Winner's share £500,000
Nine-dart finish Michael Smith
High checkout
Champion(s)
 Michael Smith (ENG)
«2022 2024»
Michael Smith 6-3 Steve Lennon - Michael Smith - 2019249215712 2019-09-06 PDC European Darts Matchplay - 1108 - B70I6125 (cropped)
Michael Smith won the PDC World Darts Championship for the first time

The 2023 PDC World Darts Championship was a big professional darts competition. It was also known as the 2023 Cazoo World Darts Championship. This exciting event took place in London, England, at the famous Alexandra Palace. It ran from December 15, 2022, to January 3, 2023. This was the 30th time the PDC had organized this world championship.

In a thrilling final match, Michael Smith beat Michael van Gerwen with a score of 7–4. This win was special for Smith because it was his very first world title! He also became the number one darts player in the world. During the final, Smith achieved something amazing: he threw the only nine-dart finish of the whole tournament. This is like a perfect game in darts. The defending champion, Peter Wright, who had beaten Smith in the previous year's final, lost early in the third round.

A darts legend, Steve Beaton, played in his 32nd World Championship in a row, setting a new record. Another famous player, Raymond van Barneveld, also reached a milestone, playing in his 30th World Championship.

About the 2023 Darts Championship

APalace 1
Alexandra Palace in London, where the darts championship was held

In 2022, a company called Cazoo became the main sponsor for the tournament. This was a new step, as for 20 years, betting companies had sponsored the event. Cazoo also sponsors other big darts events, like the World Cup of Darts. Another company, Toyo Tires, also supported the event. Their logo was on the players' shirts.

The championship was held at Alexandra Palace in London. This venue has been used for the World Darts Championship since 2008. For the first time, players used a new dartboard called the Winmau Blade 6 Triple Core. This board replaced the old one after 25 years.

Gerwyn Price 6-3 Simon Stevenson - Gerwyn Price - 2019250162305 2019-09-07 PDC European Darts Matchplay - 1110 - AK8I9618 (cropped)
Gerwyn Price, the 2021 champion, was the top player going into the 2023 tournament.

Many people thought Michael van Gerwen from the Netherlands would win his fourth championship. Darts experts and even his rival, Gerwyn Price, said he was the player to beat. Van Gerwen felt confident, saying he had nothing to prove.

Prize Money and Trophy

The total prize money for the tournament was £2.5 million. This amount had been the same for five years. The player who won the championship received a huge £500,000! There was also a special £100,000 bonus. This bonus would be given if a player hit two nine-dart finishes. Half of this bonus would go to the player, and the other half would be split between Cancer Research UK and a lucky person chosen randomly.

The winner also received the Sid Waddell Trophy. This trophy is named after a famous darts commentator who passed away in 2012.

Position (number of players) Prize Money
(Total: £2,500,000)
Winner (1) £500,000
Runner-up (1) £200,000
Semi-finalists (2) £100,000
Quarter-finalists (4) £50,000
Fourth round losers (8) £35,000
Third round losers (16) £25,000
Second round losers (32) £15,000
First round losers (32) £7,500

How the Games Were Played

All matches followed specific rules. Players needed to score exactly 501 points to win a leg. They had to finish by hitting a double number or the bullseye. Matches were played in sets. Each set was the best of five legs, meaning the first player to win three legs won the set.

For most rounds, a player had to win a deciding set by two clear legs. However, if the score reached 5–5 in the deciding set, a sudden-death leg was played. This meant the next player to win a leg won the match.

Round Best of (sets) First to (sets)
First 5 3
Second
Third 7 4
Fourth
Quarter-finals 9 5
Semi-finals 11 6
Final 13 7

Players and Qualification

A total of 96 players competed in the championship. The top 32 players from the PDC Order of Merit were "seeded." This meant they automatically started in the second round. The next 32 players came from the 2022 PDC Pro Tour. The final 32 players qualified through various international events.

Top Seeded Players

Raymond van Barneveld in 2019
Raymond van Barneveld played in his 30th World Championship, a rare achievement.

Gerwyn Price, the 2021 champion, was the top seed. The defending champion from 2022, Peter Wright, was the second seed. Michael van Gerwen, a three-time world champion, was the third seed. He had won four major titles in 2022. Other past champions like Rob Cross, Gary Anderson, and Raymond van Barneveld also qualified as seeds. Van Barneveld's qualification was special as it was his 30th World Championship appearance.

Other Qualifiers

Many players qualified through the PDC Pro Tour. Josh Rock, a new player who won an event in his first year, was the highest-ranked non-seeded player. Former champions like Adrian Lewis and Steve Beaton also qualified this way. Beaton extended his record to 32 straight World Championship appearances.

New players making their debut included Martin Lukeman, Scott Williams, and Adam Gawlas.

International Qualifiers

The last group of 32 players came from international qualifying events. For the first time, an Asian Championship was held, and its top players qualified. A special qualifier was held for Ukrainian players, and Vladyslav Omelchenko became the first Ukrainian to play in the World Championship.

Two women, Lisa Ashton and Beau Greaves, qualified through the PDC Women's Tour. Fallon Sherrock, the only woman to have won a match at this event before, also qualified.

Tournament Highlights

Early Rounds

The first few rounds were quite surprising. Very few unseeded players managed to beat the seeded players. Only three seeded players lost in the first two rounds. This was the lowest number since 2006. The biggest upset was when James Wade, ranked eighth in the world, lost to Jim Williams.

Dirk van Duijvenbode's match was the only one in these rounds to go to extra legs. The highest average score in the first two rounds was 103.04, thrown by Ryan Joyce. However, he still lost his match! Michael van Gerwen had the highest winning average with 101.84. Martin Schindler hit the first "170 finish" of the tournament. This is a very high score to finish a leg.

Third Round Action

Peter Wright Darts Actueel 2022 (2)
Defending champion Peter Wright was knocked out in the third round by Kim Huybrechts.

The defending champion, Peter Wright, was knocked out in the third round. He lost 4–1 to Kim Huybrechts from Belgium. Two other former world champions, Raymond van Barneveld and Gary Anderson, also lost in this round.

Two unseeded players, Alan Soutar and Josh Rock, made it to the fourth round. Van Gerwen set a new tournament record for the highest average score in a match, with 107.66. Michael Smith also hit a 170 checkout in his match. The game between Van Duijvenbode and Ross Smith had a record 31 maximum scores (180s). Van Duijvenbode won this match in a sudden-death leg.

Fourth Round Excitement

Two more top-ranked players were eliminated in the fourth round. Former champion Rob Cross lost to Chris Dobey. Luke Humphries was beaten by Stephen Bunting. Dobey and Van Duijvenbode both hit 170 finishes in this round.

The impressive runs of Josh Rock and Alan Soutar came to an end. Rock lost to Jonny Clayton, and Soutar lost to Gabriel Clemens. Clemens made history by becoming the first German player to reach the quarter-finals of a PDC World Darts Championship.

Quarter-finals on New Year's Day

The quarter-finals were played on New Year's Day.

  • Dimitri Van den Bergh beat Jonny Clayton 5–3. Van den Bergh became the first Belgian player to reach the semi-finals.
  • Michael Smith defeated Stephen Bunting 5–3. Smith reached the semi-finals for the third time.
  • Gabriel Clemens caused a big upset by beating top seed Gerwyn Price 5–1. This was a historic moment for German darts. After the match, Price hinted he might not play in the World Championship again.
  • Michael van Gerwen easily beat Chris Dobey 5–0. He showed why he was the favorite, reaching his eighth semi-final.

Semi-finals Showdown

2022-06-13 Play-offs (2022 Premier League Darts) by Sandro Halank–168
Three-time PDC World Champion Michael van Gerwen reached the final for the sixth time.

The semi-finals were held on January 2.

  • Michael Smith played against Gabriel Clemens. Smith won 6–2, reaching his third world final.
  • Michael van Gerwen faced Dimitri Van den Bergh. Van Gerwen dominated the match, winning 6–0. He only lost three sets in the entire tournament up to this point. Van Gerwen's average score in this match was an amazing 108.28, the highest of the tournament.

The Grand Final

The final match between Michael Smith and Michael van Gerwen was a repeat of the 2019 final. It took place on January 3. Van Gerwen won the first set. But in the second set, something incredible happened. Van Gerwen almost hit a nine-dart finish, missing the final double. Immediately after, Smith stepped up and hit his own perfect nine-dart leg! This was a truly memorable moment.

Smith then won the second and third sets. Van Gerwen fought back, winning the fourth and fifth sets to take the lead again. But Smith kept pushing, winning the sixth and seventh sets to go ahead. Smith then won the eighth and ninth sets, putting huge pressure on Van Gerwen.

Van Gerwen managed to win the tenth set, keeping his hopes alive. In the eleventh set, Van Gerwen took an early lead. But Smith fought back again, setting up a deciding leg for the championship. Smith started the final leg with two perfect 180 scores and finished on double eight to become the World Champion for the first time! This victory also made him the world number one player.

Tournament Schedule

The tournament schedule was announced on November 30, 2022. The first and second rounds were played from December 15–23. The tournament then took a break for Christmas. It started again on December 27, with the third and fourth rounds. The quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final were all played in January 2023.

Thursday, 15 December
Match # Round Player 1 Score Player 2 Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5
Evening session 19:00 (GMT)
01 1  Mansell, MickeyMickey Mansell 92.49 3 – 1  Robb, BenBen Robb 89.13 3 – 0 0 – 3 3 – 0 3 – 2 N/A
02 1  Barry, KeaneKeane Barry 78.35 1 – 3  Grant Sampson 77.29 2 – 3 2 – 3 3 – 1 1 – 3 N/A
03 1  Wattimena, JermaineJermaine Wattimena 88.46 2 – 3  Rafferty, NathanNathan Rafferty 87.63 2 – 3 3 – 2 0 – 3 3 – 0 1 – 3
04 2  Wright, PeterPeter Wright 88.34 3 – 0  Mansell, MickeyMickey Mansell 77.50 3 – 1 3 – 0 3 – 0 N/A
Friday, 16 December
Match # Round Player 1 Score Player 2 Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5
Afternoon session 12:30 (GMT)
05 1  Soutar, AlanAlan Soutar 86.98 3 – 0  Mal Cuming 78.23 3 – 0 3 – 1 3 – 1 N/A
06 1  Krčmar, BorisBoris Krčmar 78.21 3 – 0  Suzuki, ToruToru Suzuki 78.43 3 – 1 3 – 0 3 – 2 N/A
07 1  Lewis, AdrianAdrian Lewis 93.57 3 – 0  Larsson, DanielDaniel Larsson 83.87 3 – 1 3 – 1 3 – 1 N/A
08 2  Huybrechts, KimKim Huybrechts 83.37 3 – 0  Grant Sampson 68.97 3 – 1 3 – 0 3 – 0 N/A
Evening session 19:00 (GMT)
09 1  Rodriguez, Rowby-JohnRowby-John Rodriguez 91.30 2 – 3  Ilagan, LourenceLourence Ilagan 87.98 1 – 3 1 – 3 3 – 1 3 – 0 2 – 3
10 1  O'Connor, WilliamWilliam O'Connor 94.26 3 – 0  Beau Greaves 88.34 3 – 2 3 – 2 3 – 0 N/A
11 1  Brown, KeeganKeegan Brown 91.54 2 – 3  Hempel, FlorianFlorian Hempel 88.55 2 – 3 3 – 2 3 – 2 1 – 3 2 – 3
12 2  Smith, MichaelMichael Smith 96.62 3 – 0  Rafferty, NathanNathan Rafferty 82.39 3 – 0 3 – 0 3 – 0 N/A
Saturday, 17 December
Match # Round Player 1 Score Player 2 Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5
Afternoon session 11:00 (GMT)
13 1  Lukeman, MartinMartin Lukeman 87.00 3 – 0  Nobuhiro Yamamoto 83.25 3 – 0 3 – 1 3 – 2 N/A
14 1  Whitlock, SimonSimon Whitlock 87.25 3 – 2  Christian Perez 85.81 3 – 0 2 – 3 3 – 2 0 – 3 3 – 1
15 1  Gawlas, AdamAdam Gawlas 84.86 3 – 2  Burnett, RichieRichie Burnett 85.12 3 – 0 0 – 3 1 – 3 3 – 1 3 – 1
16 2  Gurney, DarylDaryl Gurney 91.25 0 – 3  Soutar, AlanAlan Soutar 92.29 2 – 3 2 – 3 2 – 3 N/A
Evening session 20:00 (GMT)
17 1  Meikle, RyanRyan Meikle 91.88 3 – 2  Ashton, LisaLisa Ashton 84.04 3 – 1 3 – 2 2 – 3 2 – 3 3 – 0
18 1  Menzies, CameronCameron Menzies 85.92 3 – 1  Portela, DiogoDiogo Portela 83.03 3 – 1 1 – 3 3 – 1 3 – 1 N/A
19 1  Josh Rock 93.36 3 – 1  Justicia, JoséJosé Justicia 85.66 3 – 1 1 – 3 3 – 1 3 – 0 N/A
20 2  Van den Bergh, DimitriDimitri Van den Bergh 94.69 3 – 0  Ilagan, LourenceLourence Ilagan 79.60 3 – 0 3 – 2 3 – 0 N/A
Sunday, 18 December
Match # Round Player 1 Score Player 2 Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5
Afternoon session 11:00 (GMT)
21 1  Razma, MadarsMadars Razma 89.30 3 – 1  Prakash Jiwa 86.19 3 – 2 2 – 3 3 – 2 3 – 0 N/A
22 1  Sedláček, KarelKarel Sedláček 98.72 3 – 0  Raymond Smith 92.40 3 – 2 3 – 0 3 – 2 N/A
23 1  Woodhouse, LukeLuke Woodhouse 87.89 3 – 0  Vladyslav Omelchenko 80.51 3 – 0 3 – 2 3 – 1 N/A
24 2  Heta, DamonDamon Heta 96.17 3 – 0  Lewis, AdrianAdrian Lewis 82.96 3 – 1 3 – 2 3 – 1 N/A
Evening session 20:00 (GMT)
25 1  De Decker, MikeMike De Decker 88.56 3 – 1  Smith, JeffJeff Smith 92.09 3 – 0 3 – 2 2 – 3 3 – 2 N/A
26 1  Williams, ScottScott Williams 100.32 3 – 1  Joyce, RyanRyan Joyce 103.04 3 – 1 1 – 3 3 – 2 3 – 1 N/A
27 1  Campbell, MattMatt Campbell 93.58 0 – 3  Baggish, DannyDanny Baggish 92.96 1 – 3 2 – 3 2 – 3 N/A
28 2  Aspinall, NathanNathan Aspinall 97.80 3 – 1  Krčmar, BorisBoris Krčmar 91.88 3 – 2 2 – 3 3 – 1 3 – 0 N/A
Monday, 19 December
Match # Round Player 1 Score Player 2 Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5
Afternoon session 12:30 (GMT)
29 1  Gilding, AndrewAndrew Gilding 88.43 3 – 2  Robert Owen 86.52 1 – 3 3 – 2 3 – 1 0 – 3 3 – 1
30 1  Danny Jansen 83.42 3 – 2  Paolo Nebrida 82.75 3 – 1 3 – 2 2 – 3 0 – 3 3 – 0
31 1  Zonneveld, NielsNiels Zonneveld 86.88 0 – 3  Lewy Williams 92.81 1 – 3 2 – 3 1 – 3 N/A
32 2  de Sousa, JoséJosé de Sousa 86.75 3 – 2  Whitlock, SimonSimon Whitlock 86.23 2 – 3 2 – 3 3 – 0 3 – 1 3 – 1
Evening session 19:00 (GMT)
33 1  Nentjes, GeertGeert Nentjes 78.35 1 – 3  Leonard Gates 81.21 3 – 2 1 – 3 0 – 3 2 – 3 N/A
34 1  Edhouse, RitchieRitchie Edhouse 87.34 2 – 3  David Cameron 87.86 3 – 0 3 – 2 2 – 3 0 – 3 1 – 3
35 1  Beaton, SteveSteve Beaton 85.23 0 – 3  Danny van Trijp 87.06 1 – 3 1 – 3 2 – 3 N/A
36 2  Price, GerwynGerwyn Price 92.88 3 – 1  Woodhouse, LukeLuke Woodhouse 89.05 1 – 3 3 – 2 3 – 1 3 – 0 N/A
Tuesday, 20 December
Match # Round Player 1 Score Player 2 Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5
Evening session 19:00 (GMT)
37 1  Williams, JimJim Williams 91.09 3 – 2  Białecki, SebastianSebastian Białecki 90.32 0 – 3 3 – 1 2 – 3 3 – 0 3 – 1
38 1  Hughes, JamieJamie Hughes 79.78 1 – 3  Jimmy Hendriks 78.33 3 – 2 1 – 3 2 – 3 1 – 3 N/A
39 1  Evans, RickyRicky Evans 89.32 3 – 1  Sherrock, FallonFallon Sherrock 89.71 1 – 3 3 – 2 3 – 2 3 – 2 N/A
40 2  Barneveld, Raymond vanRaymond van Barneveld 95.18 3 – 1  Meikle, RyanRyan Meikle 93.89 1 – 3 3 – 0 3 – 2 3 – 0 N/A
Wednesday, 21 December
Match # Round Player 1 Score Player 2 Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5
Afternoon session 12:30 (GMT)
41 1  John O'Shea 81.08 2 – 3  Labanauskas, DariusDarius Labanauskas 83.78 3 – 2 3 – 2 1 – 3 2 – 3 1 – 3
42 1  Kleermaker, MartijnMartijn Kleermaker 86.28 3 – 0  Xicheng Han 77.73 3 – 0 3 – 1 3 – 1 N/A
43 2  Rydz, CallanCallan Rydz 88.10 0 – 3  Josh Rock 92.27 2 – 3 1 – 3 1 – 3 N/A
44 2  Chisnall, DaveDave Chisnall 97.87 3 – 1  Gilding, AndrewAndrew Gilding 95.01 0 – 3 3 – 0 3 – 2 3 – 2 N/A
Evening session 19:00 (GMT)
45 2  King, MervynMervyn King 93.74 3 – 2  Baggish, DannyDanny Baggish 88.01 3 – 2 3 – 2 2 – 3 1 – 3 3 – 1
46 2  Clemens, GabrielGabriel Clemens 95.64 3 – 0  O'Connor, WilliamWilliam O'Connor 91.86 3 – 2 3 – 2 3 – 0 N/A
47 2  Gerwen, Michael vanMichael van Gerwen 101.84 3 – 0  Lewy Williams 81.79 3 – 1 3 – 0 3 – 0 N/A
48 2  Bunting, StephenStephen Bunting 91.35 3 – 1  Leonard Gates 87.09 2 – 3 3 – 1 3 – 1 3 – 1 N/A
Thursday, 22 December
Match # Round Player 1 Score Player 2 Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5
Afternoon session 12:30 (GMT)
49 2  Ratajski, KrzysztofKrzysztof Ratajski 88.61 3 – 1  Danny Jansen 81.97 3 – 1 0 – 3 3 – 1 3 – 1 N/A
50 2  Searle, RyanRyan Searle 88.60 3 – 0  Gawlas, AdamAdam Gawlas 82.04 3 – 2 3 – 1 3 – 2 N/A
51 2  Suljović, MensurMensur Suljović 88.65 3 – 0  De Decker, MikeMike De Decker 85.63 3 – 1 3 – 2 3 – 1 N/A
52 2  Duijvenbode, Dirk vanDirk van Duijvenbode 95.18 3 – 2  Sedláček, KarelKarel Sedláček 88.26 3 – 1 1 – 3 2 – 3 3 – 1 4 – 2
Evening session 19:00 (GMT)
53 2  Anderson, GaryGary Anderson 96.39 3 – 1  Razma, MadarsMadars Razma 90.96 3 – 2 2 – 3 3 – 2 3 – 2 N/A
54 2  Wade, JamesJames Wade 91.01 2 – 3  Williams, JimJim Williams 90.49 3 – 1 1 – 3 0 – 3 3 – 0 1 – 3
55 2  Humphries, LukeLuke Humphries 90.95 3 – 2  Hempel, FlorianFlorian Hempel 86.47 2 – 3 3 – 0 1 – 3 3 – 0 3 – 1
56 2  Voort, Vincent van derVincent van der Voort 90.78 3 – 0  Menzies, CameronCameron Menzies 88.31 3 – 0 3 – 1 3 – 2 N/A
Friday, 23 December
Match # Round Player 1 Score Player 2 Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5
Afternoon session 12:30 (GMT)
57 2  Dolan, BrendanBrendan Dolan 87.85 3 – 1  Jimmy Hendriks 83.36 3 – 1 3 – 0 2 – 3 3 – 0 N/A
58 2  Dobey, ChrisChris Dobey 86.74 3 – 0  Kleermaker, MartijnMartijn Kleermaker 85.23 3 – 2 3 – 1 3 – 2 N/A
59 2  Smith, RossRoss Smith 100.97 3 – 1  Labanauskas, DariusDarius Labanauskas 93.85 3 – 2 3 – 0 2 – 3 3 – 2 N/A
60 2  Cross, RobRob Cross 99.32 3 – 1  Williams, ScottScott Williams 96.98 2 – 3 3 – 2 3 – 2 3 – 2 N/A
Evening session 19:00 (GMT)
61 2  Schindler, MartinMartin Schindler 93.04 3 – 1  Lukeman, MartinMartin Lukeman 94.52 3 – 2 2 – 3 3 – 1 3 – 1 N/A
62 2  Noppert, DannyDanny Noppert 95.03 3 – 1  David Cameron 90.26 3 – 1 3 – 1 2 – 3 3 – 1 N/A
63 2  Clayton, JonnyJonny Clayton 99.62 3 – 0  Danny van Trijp 83.30 3 – 1 3 – 1 3 – 1 N/A
64 2  Cullen, JoeJoe Cullen 95.03 3 – 1  Evans, RickyRicky Evans 90.82 3 – 1 3 – 2 2 – 3 3 – 1 N/A
Tuesday, 27 December
Match # Round Player 1 Score Player 2 Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5 Set 6 Set 7
Afternoon session 12:30 (GMT)
65 3  Van den Bergh, DimitriDimitri Van den Bergh 92.92 4 – 1  Ratajski, KrzysztofKrzysztof Ratajski 92.38 3 – 2 3 – 0 0 – 3 3 – 1 3 – 1 N/A
66 3  Aspinall, NathanNathan Aspinall 98.19 3 – 4  Josh Rock 95.92 2 – 3 3 – 1 3 – 1 1 – 3 2 – 3 3 – 0 1 – 3
67 3  Clayton, JonnyJonny Clayton 93.76 4 – 1  Dolan, BrendanBrendan Dolan 94.07 3 – 2 3 – 2 3 – 2 2 – 3 3 – 2 N/A
Evening session 19:00 (GMT)
68 3  Williams, JimJim Williams 98.45 3 – 4  Clemens, GabrielGabriel Clemens 97.55 1 – 3 3 – 0 2 – 3 3 – 2 3 – 1 2 – 3 1 – 3
69 3  Price, GerwynGerwyn Price 93.68 4 – 0  Barneveld, Raymond vanRaymond van Barneveld 92.64 3 – 1 3 – 1 3 – 2 3 – 1 N/A
70 3  Wright, PeterPeter Wright 91.28 1 – 4  Huybrechts, KimKim Huybrechts 91.50 3 – 0 0 – 3 1 – 3 2 – 3 2 – 3 N/A
Wednesday, 28 December
Match # Round Player 1 Score Player 2 Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5 Set 6 Set 7
Afternoon session 12:30 (GMT)
71 3  Searle, RyanRyan Searle 87.51 3 – 4  de Sousa, JoséJosé de Sousa 91.75 3 – 1 3 – 2 3 – 1 2 – 3 2 – 3 1 – 3 1 – 3
72 3  Noppert, DannyDanny Noppert 90.42 2 – 4  Soutar, AlanAlan Soutar 93.38 3 – 1 3 – 0 1 – 3 0 – 3 1 – 3 0 – 3 N/A
73 3  Anderson, GaryGary Anderson 93.87 1 – 4  Dobey, ChrisChris Dobey 95.34 3 – 0 2 – 3 2 – 3 2 – 3 1 – 3 N/A
Evening session 19:00 (GMT)
74 3  Cullen, JoeJoe Cullen 98.09 4 – 0  Heta, DamonDamon Heta 94.00 3 – 2 3 – 1 3 – 2 3 – 0 N/A
75 3  Gerwen, Michael vanMichael van Gerwen 107.66 4 – 2  Suljović, MensurMensur Suljović 98.90 3 – 2 3 – 2 1 – 3 3 – 2 2 – 3 3 – 1 N/A
76 3  Smith, MichaelMichael Smith 95.36 4 – 3  Schindler, MartinMartin Schindler 94.97 2 – 3 3 – 0 2 – 3 1 – 3 3 – 2 3 – 1 3 – 1
Thursday, 29 December
Match # Round Player 1 Score Player 2 Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5 Set 6 Set 7
Afternoon session 12:30 (GMT)
77 3  Duijvenbode, Dirk vanDirk van Duijvenbode 93.44 4 – 3  Smith, RossRoss Smith 96.95 3 – 1 1 – 3 3 – 0 1 – 3 2 – 3 3 – 2 6 – 5
78 3  Cross, RobRob Cross 99.13 4 – 1  King, MervynMervyn King 92.10 3 – 0 3 – 0 3 – 1 1 – 3 3 – 1 N/A
79 3  Chisnall, DaveDave Chisnall 101.82 2 – 4  Bunting, StephenStephen Bunting 102.24 3 – 1 0 – 3 0 – 3 3 – 2 1 – 3 2 – 3 N/A
Evening session 19:00 (GMT)
80 3  Humphries, LukeLuke Humphries 96.48 4 – 3  Voort, Vincent van derVincent van der Voort 92.68 3 – 1 3 – 1 2 – 3 1 – 3 3 – 2 2 – 3 3 – 0
81 4  Price, GerwynGerwyn Price 94.43 4 – 1  de Sousa, JoséJosé de Sousa 91.92 3 – 1 3 – 2 1 – 3 3 – 2 3 – 2 N/A
82 4  Clayton, JonnyJonny Clayton 97.73 4 – 3  Josh Rock 96.97 0 – 3 3 – 1 3 – 1 2 – 3 2 – 3 3 – 1 3 – 0
Friday, 30 December
Match # Round Player 1 Score Player 2 Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5 Set 6 Set 7
Afternoon session 12:30 (GMT)
83 4  Huybrechts, KimKim Huybrechts 87.13 0 – 4  Van den Bergh, DimitriDimitri Van den Bergh 95.59 0 – 3 2 – 3 1 – 3 0 – 3 N/A
84 4  Clemens, GabrielGabriel Clemens 93.96 4 – 1  Soutar, AlanAlan Soutar 91.92 3 – 0 1 – 3 3 – 0 3 – 2 3 – 2 N/A
85 4  Smith, MichaelMichael Smith 103.25 4 – 1  Cullen, JoeJoe Cullen 93.86 3 – 2 0 – 3 3 – 0 3 – 2 3 – 2 N/A
Evening session 19:00 (GMT)
86 4  Cross, RobRob Cross 100.02 2 – 4  Dobey, ChrisChris Dobey 102.13 3 – 1 0 – 3 3 – 0 2 – 3 1 – 3 2 – 3 N/A
87 4  Gerwen, Michael vanMichael van Gerwen 100.42 4 – 1  Duijvenbode, Dirk vanDirk van Duijvenbode 89.77 3 – 1 3 – 1 1 – 3 3 – 2 3 – 0 N/A
88 4  Humphries, LukeLuke Humphries 89.92 1 – 4  Bunting, StephenStephen Bunting 99.43 1 – 3 0 – 3 3 – 1 2 – 3 0 – 3 N/A
Sunday, 1 January
Match # Round Player 1 Score Player 2 Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5 Set 6 Set 7 Set 8 Set 9
Afternoon session 12:30 (GMT)
89 QF  Van den Bergh, DimitriDimitri Van den Bergh 95.49 5 – 3  Clayton, JonnyJonny Clayton 93.92 0 – 3 3 – 0 1 – 3 3 – 0 2 – 3 3 – 2 3 – 1 3 – 2 N/A
90 QF  Smith, MichaelMichael Smith 91.63 5 – 3  Bunting, StephenStephen Bunting 97.16 3 – 2 0 – 3 3 – 1 3 – 1 3 – 0 0 – 3 1 – 3 3 – 1 N/A
Evening session 19:30 (GMT)
91 QF  Price, GerwynGerwyn Price 94.58 1 – 5  Clemens, GabrielGabriel Clemens 99.94 3 – 0 1 – 3 1 – 3 1 – 3 1 – 3 0 – 3 N/A
92 QF  Gerwen, Michael vanMichael van Gerwen 102.39 5 – 0  Dobey, ChrisChris Dobey 90.81 3 – 1 3 – 1 3 – 0 3 – 0 3 – 1 N/A
Monday, 2 January
Match # Round Player 1 Score Player 2 Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5 Set 6 Set 7 Set 8 Set 9 Set 10 Set 11
Evening session 19:30 (GMT)
93 SF  Clemens, GabrielGabriel Clemens 96.98 2 – 6  Smith, MichaelMichael Smith 101.85 2 – 3 3 – 2 2 – 3 3 – 2 0 – 3 2 – 3 2 – 3 1 – 3 N/A
94 SF  Van den Bergh, DimitriDimitri Van den Bergh 96.46 0 – 6  Gerwen, Michael vanMichael van Gerwen 108.28 2 – 3 0 – 3 0 – 3 2 – 3 0 – 3 0 – 3 N/A
Tuesday, 3 January
Match # Round Player 1 Score Player 2 Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5 Set 6 Set 7 Set 8 Set 9 Set 10 Set 11 Set 12 Set 13
Evening session 20:00 (GMT)
95 F  Smith, MichaelMichael Smith 100.87 7 – 4  Gerwen, Michael vanMichael van Gerwen 99.58 1 – 3 3 – 1 3 – 1 0 – 3 2 – 3 3 – 1 3 – 2 3 – 1 3 – 0 2 – 3 3 – 2 N/A

Final Results and Statistics

The tournament draw was done by famous darts commentators Wayne Mardle and Mark Webster. It was shown live on Sky Sports News and YouTube.

The Championship Final Match

Best of 13 sets
Referee: Kirk Bevins
Alexandra Palace, London, England, 3 January 2023
Smith, MichaelMichael Smith  7 – 4  Gerwen, Michael vanMichael van Gerwen
1–3, 3–1, 3–1, 0–3, 2–3, 3–1, 3–2, 3–1, 3–0, 2–3, 3–2
100.87 Average (3 darts) 99.58
50 100+ scores 50
31 140+ scores 28
22 180 scores 15
141 Highest checkout 105
3 100+ Checkouts 2
26/55 (47.3%) Checkout summary 20/52 (38.5%)

Tournament Finals Bracket

  Quarter-finals
(best of 9 sets)
1 January

Semi-finals
(best of 11 sets)
2 January

Final
(best of 13 sets)
3 January

                           
  1   Price, GerwynGerwyn Price 94.58 1  
25   Clemens, GabrielGabriel Clemens 99.94 5  
  25   Clemens, GabrielGabriel Clemens 96.98 2  
  4   Smith, MichaelMichael Smith 101.85 6  
4   Smith, MichaelMichael Smith 91.63 5
  21   Bunting, StephenStephen Bunting 97.16 3  
    4   Smith, MichaelMichael Smith 100.87 7
  3   Gerwen, Michael vanMichael van Gerwen 99.58 4
  15   Van den Bergh, DimitriDimitri Van den Bergh 95.49 5  
7   Clayton, JonnyJonny Clayton 93.92 3  
  15   Van den Bergh, DimitriDimitri Van den Bergh 96.46 0
  3   Gerwen, Michael vanMichael van Gerwen 108.28 6  
3   Gerwen, Michael vanMichael van Gerwen 102.39 5
  22   Dobey, ChrisChris Dobey 90.81 0  

Highest Average Scores

This table shows the best average scores (over 100) achieved by players in the tournament. A three-dart average is the average score a player gets with three darts. An average of 100 is considered excellent for a world-class player.

# Player Round Average Result
1  Gerwen, Michael vanMichael van Gerwen SF 108.28 Won
2  Gerwen, Michael vanMichael van Gerwen (2) R3 107.66 Won
3  Smith, MichaelMichael Smith R4 103.25 Won
4  Joyce, RyanRyan Joyce R1 103.04 Lost
5  Gerwen, Michael vanMichael van Gerwen (3) QF 102.39 Won
6  Bunting, StephenStephen Bunting R3 102.24 Won
7  Dobey, ChrisChris Dobey R4 102.13 Won
8  Smith, MichaelMichael Smith (2) SF 101.85 Won
9  Gerwen, Michael vanMichael van Gerwen (4) R2 101.84 Won
10  Chisnall, DaveDave Chisnall R3 101.82 Lost
11  Smith, RossRoss Smith R2 100.97 Won
12  Smith, MichaelMichael Smith (3) F 100.87 Won
13  Gerwen, Michael vanMichael van Gerwen (5) R4 100.42 Won
14  Williams, ScottScott Williams R1 100.32 Won
15  Cross, RobRob Cross R4 100.02 Lost

Where to Watch the Darts

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, Sky Sports broadcast the event. Emma Paton was the main presenter. Former world champions and other experts shared their thoughts. This championship was the first since the passing of long-time commentators John Gwynne and Nigel Pearson. Radio station Talksport also broadcast the tournament.

In other countries, different channels showed the darts. For example, in the Netherlands, it was on Viaplay. In Germany, Sport1 showed the games. They had record viewers for Gabriel Clemens' semi-final match.

TV Broadcasters Around the World

Country Broadcaster
Australia Fox Sports
Austria
Germany
Switzerland
Sport1, DAZN
Belgium VTM 2, VTM 4
Brazil
Canada
Italy
Japan
Spain
United States
DAZN
Croatia SPTV
Czech Republic
Slovakia
Nova Sport 2
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
Iceland
Latvia
Lithuania
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
Viaplay
Hungary SportTV
New Zealand Sky Sport
Philippines Setanta Sports
Poland TVP Sport
South Africa SuperSport
United Kingdom
Ireland
Sky Sports Darts

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Campeonato Mundial de Dardos PDC 2023 para niños

kids search engine
2023 PDC World Darts Championship Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.