UK Championship facts for kids
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| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Venue | Barbican |
| Location | York |
| Country | England |
| Established | 1977 |
| Organisation(s) | World Snooker Tour |
| Format | Ranking event |
| Total prize fund | £1,205,000 |
| Recent edition | 2024 |
| Current champion(s) |  Judd Trump (ENG) |
The UK Championship is a big professional snooker tournament. It is one of the three most important snooker events, called the Triple Crown. The other two are the World Championship and the Masters. This tournament usually takes place at the Barbican in York, England. A famous player named Ronnie O'Sullivan has won the UK Championship a record eight times. Steve Davis won it six times, and Stephen Hendry won it five times.
Contents
History of the UK Championship
Early Years and Changes
The UK Championship started in 1977. It was first held in Tower Circus, Blackpool. Back then, it was called the United Kingdom Professional Snooker Championship. Only British players could enter. Patsy Fagan won the very first tournament. He beat Doug Mountjoy and took home £2000.
The next year, the event moved to the Guild Hall in Preston. It stayed there until 1997. In 1984, the rules changed. The tournament became a "ranking event." This meant all professional players could join. Winning it also gave players points for their world ranking.
Memorable Matches and Champions
Many exciting finals have happened at the UK Championship. In 1977, Patsy Fagan won his only major title. John Virgo also got his only big win in 1979.
Steve Davis won the tournament in 1980 and 1981. He played against Terry Griffiths in the 1981 final. These two players were very strong at that time. Griffiths then won in 1982. He beat Alex Higgins. Higgins won the next year in 1983, beating Davis in a very close match. Davis won four more times between 1984 and 1987.
In 1988, Doug Mountjoy became the oldest winner at 46 years old. He surprised everyone by beating the young Stephen Hendry. Mountjoy also won another big tournament the next month.
Hendry's Dominance and New Stars
Stephen Hendry won in 1989. This win showed he would be a top player for many years. He beat Steve Davis in that final. Hendry won again in 1990, again against Davis. His win in 1994 against Ken Doherty was amazing. Hendry made seven century breaks in that match.
In 1993, the final match became shorter. It changed from 31 frames to 19 frames. This is still the length of the final today. That year, Ronnie O'Sullivan became the youngest winner ever. He was only 17 years old. Hendry won three times in a row from 1994 to 1996. From 1997 to 2002, players from the 'Class of '92' won every year. These players were O'Sullivan, John Higgins, and Mark Williams.
New Winners and Exciting Finishes
In 2005, 48-year-old Steve Davis reached the final. He played against 18-year-old Ding Junhui. Ding won, becoming the first non-British or Irish player to win the UK Championship. He was also the second youngest winner after O'Sullivan. The next year, Peter Ebdon won the title.
Ronnie O'Sullivan won his fourth title in 2007. He beat Stephen Maguire. In that tournament, O'Sullivan also made a perfect maximum break in his semi-final match. The 2009 final saw Ding Junhui win his second title.
The 2010 final was very dramatic. John Higgins was losing 5–9 to Mark Williams. But Higgins fought back and won the last few frames. He won the match 10–9. He said it was his best win ever.
Return to York and Recent Years
In 2011, the event returned to the Barbican Centre in York. The matches became shorter, with most rounds being best of 11 frames. In 2013, all 128 players started in the first round at the Barbican. This format is still used today.
The 2014 final was another classic. Ronnie O'Sullivan beat Judd Trump 10–9. O'Sullivan also made a maximum break in that tournament. Other players like John Higgins, Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, and Mark Allen also made maximum breaks in these years.
From 2012 to 2018, Neil Robertson, Mark Selby, or Ronnie O'Sullivan won the event. In 2015, the final was between two players from outside the UK: Neil Robertson (Australia) and Liang Wenbo (China). This happened again in 2021 with Zhao Xintong (China) and Luca Brecel (Belgium).
Ronnie O'Sullivan won in 2017 and 2018. He became the first player since Stephen Hendry to win two years in a row. O'Sullivan now holds the record with eight UK titles, winning his eighth in 2023. Ding Junhui won his third title in 2019. In 2020, Neil Robertson won his third title. He beat Judd Trump in a very long final.
The UK Championship has had many different sponsors over the years. The BBC broadcasts the tournament every year. It is usually held at the end of the year.
Winners
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Final score | Season | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK Championship (non-ranking, 1977–1983) | ||||||
| 1977 |  Patsy Fagan (IRL) |
 Doug Mountjoy (WAL) |
12–9 | 1977–78 | Tower Circus in Blackpool | |
| 1978 | Doug Mountjoy (WAL) |
David Taylor (ENG) |
15–9 | 1978–79 | Preston Guild Hall in Preston | |
| 1979 | John Virgo (ENG) |
Terry Griffiths (WAL) |
14–13 | 1979–80 | ||
| 1980 | Steve Davis (ENG) |
 Alex Higgins (NIR) |
16–6 | 1980–81 | ||
| 1981 | Steve Davis (ENG) |
Terry Griffiths (WAL) |
16–3 | 1981–82 | ||
| 1982 | Terry Griffiths (WAL) |
Alex Higgins (NIR) |
16–15 | 1982–83 | ||
| 1983 | Alex Higgins (NIR) |
Steve Davis (ENG) |
16–15 | 1983–84 | ||
| UK Championship (ranking, 1984–present) | ||||||
| 1984 | Steve Davis (ENG) |
Alex Higgins (NIR) |
16–8 | 1984–85 | Preston Guild Hall in Preston | |
| 1985 | Steve Davis (ENG) |
Willie Thorne (ENG) |
16–14 | 1985–86 | ||
| 1986 | Steve Davis (ENG) |
Neal Foulds (ENG) |
16–7 | 1986–87 | ||
| 1987 | Steve Davis (ENG) |
Jimmy White (ENG) |
16–14 | 1987–88 | ||
| 1988 | Doug Mountjoy (WAL) |
 Stephen Hendry (SCO) |
16–12 | 1988–89 | ||
| 1989 | Stephen Hendry (SCO) |
Steve Davis (ENG) |
16–12 | 1989–90 | ||
| 1990 | Stephen Hendry (SCO) |
Steve Davis (ENG) |
16–15 | 1990–91 | ||
| 1991 | John Parrott (ENG) |
Jimmy White (ENG) |
16–13 | 1991–92 | ||
| 1992 | Jimmy White (ENG) |
John Parrott (ENG) |
16–9 | 1992–93 | ||
| 1993 | Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG) |
Stephen Hendry (SCO) |
10–6 | 1993–94 | ||
| 1994 | Stephen Hendry (SCO) |
Ken Doherty (IRL) |
10–5 | 1994–95 | ||
| 1995 | Stephen Hendry (SCO) |
Peter Ebdon (ENG) |
10–3 | 1995–96 | ||
| 1996 | Stephen Hendry (SCO) |
John Higgins (SCO) |
10–9 | 1996–97 | ||
| 1997 | Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG) |
Stephen Hendry (SCO) |
10–6 | 1997–98 | ||
| 1998 | John Higgins (SCO) |
Matthew Stevens (WAL) |
10–6 | 1998–99 | Bournemouth International Centre in Bournemouth |
|
| 1999 | Mark Williams (WAL) |
Matthew Stevens (WAL) |
10–8 | 1999–00 | ||
| 2000 | John Higgins (SCO) |
Mark Williams (WAL) |
10–4 | 2000–01 | ||
| 2001 | Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG) |
Ken Doherty (IRL) |
10–1 | 2001–02 | Barbican Centre in York | |
| 2002 | Mark Williams (WAL) |
Ken Doherty (IRL) |
10–9 | 2002–03 | ||
| 2003 | Matthew Stevens (WAL) |
Stephen Hendry (SCO) |
10–8 | 2003–04 | ||
| 2004 | Stephen Maguire (SCO) |
David Gray (ENG) |
10–1 | 2004–05 | ||
| 2005 |  Ding Junhui (CHN) |
Steve Davis (ENG) |
10–6 | 2005–06 | ||
| 2006 | Peter Ebdon (ENG) |
Stephen Hendry (SCO) |
10–6 | 2006–07 | ||
| 2007 | Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG) |
Stephen Maguire (SCO) |
10–2 | 2007–08 | Telford International Centre in Telford |
|
| 2008 | Shaun Murphy (ENG) |
 Marco Fu (HKG) |
10–9 | 2008–09 | ||
| 2009 | Ding Junhui (CHN) |
John Higgins (SCO) |
10–8 | 2009–10 | ||
| 2010 | John Higgins (SCO) |
Mark Williams (WAL) |
10–9 | 2010–11 | ||
| 2011 | Judd Trump (ENG) |
Mark Allen (NIR) |
10–8 | 2011–12 | Barbican Centre in York | |
| 2012 | Mark Selby (ENG) |
Shaun Murphy (ENG) |
10–6 | 2012–13 | ||
| 2013 |  Neil Robertson (AUS) |
Mark Selby (ENG) |
10–7 | 2013–14 | ||
| 2014 | Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG) |
Judd Trump (ENG) |
10–9 | 2014–15 | ||
| 2015 | Neil Robertson (AUS) |
Liang Wenbo (CHN) |
10–5 | 2015–16 | ||
| 2016 | Mark Selby (ENG) |
Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG) |
10–7 | 2016–17 | ||
| 2017 | Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG) |
Shaun Murphy (ENG) |
10–5 | 2017–18 | ||
| 2018 | Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG) |
Mark Allen (NIR) |
10–6 | 2018–19 | ||
| 2019 | Ding Junhui (CHN) |
Stephen Maguire (SCO) |
10–6 | 2019–20 | ||
| 2020 | Neil Robertson (AUS) |
Judd Trump (ENG) |
10–9 | 2020–21 | Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes | |
| 2021 | Zhao Xintong (CHN) |
 Luca Brecel (BEL) |
10–5 | 2021–22 | Barbican Centre in York | |
| 2022 | Mark Allen (NIR) |
Ding Junhui (CHN) |
10–7 | 2022–23 | ||
| 2023 | Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG) |
Ding Junhui (CHN) |
10–7 | 2023–24 | ||
| 2024 | Judd Trump (ENG) |
Barry Hawkins (ENG) |
10–8 | 2024–25 | ||
Finalists
| Name | Nationality | Winner | Runner-up | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ronnie O'Sullivan | England |
8 | 1 | 9 |
| Steve Davis | England |
6 | 4 | 10 |
| Stephen Hendry | Scotland |
5 | 5 | 10 |
| John Higgins | Scotland |
3 | 2 | 5 |
| Ding Junhui | China |
3 | 2 | 5 |
| Neil Robertson | Australia |
3 | 0 | 3 |
| Mark Williams | Wales |
2 | 2 | 4 |
| Judd Trump | England |
2 | 2 | 4 |
| Doug Mountjoy | Wales |
2 | 1 | 3 |
| Mark Selby | England |
2 | 1 | 3 |
| Alex Higgins | Northern Ireland |
1 | 3 | 4 |
| Terry Griffiths | Wales |
1 | 2 | 3 |
| Jimmy White | England |
1 | 2 | 3 |
| Matthew Stevens | Wales |
1 | 2 | 3 |
| Shaun Murphy | England |
1 | 2 | 3 |
| Stephen Maguire | Scotland |
1 | 2 | 3 |
| Mark Allen | Northern Ireland |
1 | 2 | 3 |
| John Parrott | England |
1 | 1 | 2 |
| Peter Ebdon | England |
1 | 1 | 2 |
| Patsy Fagan | Ireland |
1 | 0 | 1 |
| John Virgo | England |
1 | 0 | 1 |
| Zhao Xintong | China |
1 | 0 | 1 |
| Ken Doherty | Ireland |
0 | 3 | 3 |
| David Taylor | England |
0 | 1 | 1 |
| Willie Thorne | England |
0 | 1 | 1 |
| Neal Foulds | England |
0 | 1 | 1 |
| David Gray | England |
0 | 1 | 1 |
| Marco Fu | Hong Kong |
0 | 1 | 1 |
| Liang Wenbo | China |
0 | 1 | 1 |
| Luca Brecel | Belgium |
0 | 1 | 1 |
| Barry Hawkins | England |
0 | 1 | 1 |
- Active players are shown in bold.
Television Coverage
The BBC is the main TV channel that shows the UK Championship. Eurosport also broadcasts the event. The BBC has shown every tournament since it started in 1977.
See also
In Spanish: Campeonato del Reino Unido (snooker) para niños
