The PDC World Darts Championship is back with the magic of Ally Pally sure to produce some superb arrows.
Peter Wright claimed a second title in last year’s championship, defeating Michael Smith in a thrilling final 7-5.
Michael van Gerwen is the favourite once again, just ahead of 2021 champion Gerwyn Price, and the Dutch player, a three-time winner, insists he has nothing to prove.
“Of course I want to add more, but as long as I keep winning tournaments, World Championships will follow,” he told the PA news agency. “That’s how it is, keep believing in yourself. People always say you have to do this or that, I have won four big tournaments this season so I am not complaining. I am doing fine. From this moment, there is only more to come.
“I don’t have to prove anything, what I did in darts in the last 10 or 15 years, everyone knows what I am capable of. I just want to do the thing I love the most and that is play as well as possible.” Here’s the schedule for the World Darts Championship 2023:
2022/23 World Darts Championship
Schedule of Play
Thursday December 15 (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Mickey Mansell 3-1 Ben Robb (R1)
Keane Barry 1-3 Grant Sampson (R1)
Jermaine Wattimena 2-3 Nathan Rafferty (R1)
Peter Wright 3-0 Mickey Mansell (R2)
Friday December 16
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Alan Soutar 3-0 Mal Cuming (R1)
Boris Krcmar 3-0 Toru Suzuki (R1)
Adrian Lewis 3-0 Daniel Larsson (R1)
Kim Huybrechts 3-0 Grant Sampson (R2)
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Rowby-John Rodriguez 2-3 Lourence Ilagan (R1)
William O‘Connor 3-0 Beau Greaves (R1)
Keegan Brown v Florian Hempel (R1)
Michael Smith v Nathan Rafferty (R2)
Saturday December 17
Afternoon Session (1100 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Martin Lukeman v Nobuhiro Yamamoto (R1)
Simon Whitlock v Christian Perez (R1)
Adam Gawlas v Richie Burnett (R1)
Daryl Gurney v Alan Soutar (R2)
Evening Session (2000 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Ryan Meikle v Lisa Ashton (R1)
Cameron Menzies v Diogo Portela (R1)
Josh Rock v Jose Justicia (R1)
Dimitri Van den Bergh v Lourence Ilagan (R2)
Sunday December 18
Afternoon Session (1100 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Madars Razma v Prakash Jiwa (R1)
Karel Sedlacek v Raymond Smith (R1)
Luke Woodhouse v Vladyslav Omelchenko (R1)
Damon Heta v Adrian Lewis (R2)
Evening Session (2000 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Mike De Decker v Jeff Smith (R1)
Scott Williams v Ryan Joyce (R1)
Matt Campbell v Danny Baggish (R1)
Nathan Aspinall v Boris Krcmar (R2)
Monday December 19
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Andrew Gilding v Robert Owen (R1)
Danny Jansen v Paolo Nebrida (R1)
Niels Zonneveld v Lewy Williams (R1)
Jose de Sousa v Whitlock/Perez (R2)
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Geert Nentjes v Leonard Gates (R1)
Ritchie Edhouse v David Cameron (R1)
Steve Beaton v Danny van Trijp (R1)
Gerwyn Price v Woodhouse/Omelchenko (R2)
Tuesday December 20 (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Jim Williams v Sebastian Bialecki (R1)
Jamie Hughes v Jimmy Hendriks (R1)
Ricky Evans v Fallon Sherrock (R1)
Raymond van Barneveld v Meikle/Ashton (R2)
Wednesday December 21
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
2x First Round, 2x Second Round
John O’Shea v Darius Labanauskas (R1)
Martijn Kleermaker v Xicheng Han (R1)
Callan Rydz v Rock/Justicia (R2)
Dave Chisnall v Gilding/Owen (R2)
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
4x Second Round
Mervyn King v Campbell/Baggish
Gabriel Clemens v William O‘Connor
Michael van Gerwen v Zonneveld/L Williams
Stephen Bunting v Nentjes/Gates
Thursday December 22
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
4x Second Round
Krzysztof Ratajski v Jansen/Nebrida
Ryan Searle v Gawlas/Burnett
Mensur Suljovic v De Decker/J Smith
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Sedlacek/R Smith
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
4x Second Round
Gary Anderson v Razma/Jiwa
James Wade v J Williams/Bialecki
Luke Humphries v Brown/Hempel
Vincent van der Voort v Menzies/Portela
Friday December 23
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
4x Second Round
Brendan Dolan v Hughes/Hendriks
Chris Dobey v Kleermaker/Han
Ross Smith v O’Shea/Labanauskas
Rob Cross v S Williams/Joyce
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
4x Second Round
Martin Schindler v Lukeman/Yamamoto
Danny Noppert v Edhouse/Cameron
Jonny Clayton v Beaton/Van Trijp
Joe Cullen v Evans/Sherrock
Tuesday December 27
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x Third Round
Van den Bergh/Rodriguez/Ilagan v Ratajski/Jansen/Nebrida
Aspinall/Krcmar/T Suzuki v Rydz/Rock/Justicia
Clayton/Beaton/Van Trijp v Dolan/Hughes/Hendriks
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x Third Round
Wade/J Williams/Bialecki v Clemens/O’Connor/Greaves
Price/Woodhouse/Omelchenko v Van Barneveld/Meikle/Ashton
Wright/Mansell/Robb v Huybrechts/Barry/Sampson
Wednesday December 28
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x Third Round
Searle/Gawlas/Burnett v De Sousa/Whitlock/Perez
Noppert/Edhouse/Cameron v Gurney/Soutar/Cuming
Anderson/Razma/Jiwa v Dobey/Kleermaker/Han
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x Third Round
Cullen/Evans/Sherrock v Heta/Lewis/Larsson
Van Gerwen/Zonneveld/L Williams v Suljovic/De Decker/J Smith
M Smith/Wattimena/Rafferty v Schindler/Lukeman/Yamamoto
Thursday December 29
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x Third Round
Van Duijvenbode/Sedlacek/Ray Smith v Ross Smith/O’Shea/Labanauskas
Cross/S Williams/Joyce v King/Campbell/Baggish
Chisnall/Gilding/Owen v Bunting/Nentjes/Gates
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
1x Third Round, 2x Fourth Round
Humphries/K Brown/Hempel v Van der Voort/Menzies/Portela
Fourth Round games on December 29-30 TBC
Schedule of play subject to change. Any amendments will be advised at pdc.tv and through the OfficialPDC social media channels.
Format
First Round – Best of five sets
Second 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
2022/23 World Darts Championship odds
Michael van Gerwen 9/4
Gerwyn Price 6/1
Michael Smith 7/1
Peter Wright 9/1
Luke Humphries 12/1
Jonny Clayton 16/1
Josh Rock 16/1
Dimitri Van den Bergh 25/1
Dirk van Duijvenbode 28/1
Rob Cross 28/1
Danny Noppert 33/1
Dave Chisnall 33/1
Joe Cullen 33/1
Nathan Aspinall 33/1
Damon Heta 40/1
Gary Anderson 50/1
James Wade 50/1
Ross Smith 66/1
Ryan Searle 66/1
Chris Dobey 80/1
Raymond van Barneveld 80/1
Daryl Gurney 100/1
Jose De Sousa 100/1
Via Betfair
