| Embassy World Darts Championship | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Tournament information | |||
| Dates | 1–8 January 1983 | ||
| Venue | Jollees Cabaret Club | ||
| Location | Stoke-on-Trent | ||
| Country |  England | ||
| Organisation(s) | BDO | ||
| Format | Sets Final – best of 11 | ||
| Prize fund | £33,050 | ||
| Winner's share | £8,000 | ||
| High checkout | 161  Jocky Wilson | ||
| Champion(s) | |||
| Keith Deller | |||
| |||
The 1983 Embassy World Darts Championship was staged at Jollees Cabaret Club in Stoke-on-Trent from 1–8 January 1983.
The tournament saw one of the World Darts Championship's biggest upsets, when Keith Deller defeated Eric Bristow, by 6 sets to 5 in the final, to become the youngest ever World Darts Champion and the first qualifier to win the World Championship.[1]
Deller also beat world number 3, John Lowe in the quarter-finals and defending champion and world number 2, Jocky Wilson in the semi-finals, making him the only player in history to defeat the world's top three ranked players in the World Championship.
The final featured one of darts' most memorable moments, when Bristow was left on 121. Having hit single 17 and then treble 18, Bristow decided against hitting the bullseye. Instead he hit a single 18 to leave double 16, whilst Deller was on 138. Deller had already missed seven darts at a double to win the title in the ninth set, when leading 5-3 and Bristow believed his opponent would not check out the high finish. However, Deller hit treble 20, followed by treble 18 and finally finished on double 12 to win the title. To this day commentators often refer to 138 as the "Deller checkout" if a player is left with that score.
- ^ Powell, Matt. "Suffolk darts legend Keith Deller shares impact of overnight stardom in new book". eadt.co.uk. Retrieved 21 April 2024.