World Snooker Championship

This article is about the main professional championship. For the amateur event, see IBSF World Snooker Championship. For the women's championship, see Women's World Snooker Championship. For the video game series, see World Snooker Championship (series).

World Snooker Championship
World Snooker Championship trophy
during the 2007 event
Tournament information
VenueCrucible Theatre
(since 1977)
LocationSheffield
CountryEngland
Established1927
Organisation(s)World Snooker Association
FormatRanking event
Total prize fundGB £2,395,000
Recent edition2024
Current champion Kyren Wilson (ENG)

The World Snooker Championship is the longest-running and most prestigious tournament in professional snooker. It is also the richest, with total prize money of £2,395,000 in 2023, including £500,000 for the winner.[1] First held in 1927, it is now one of the three tournaments (together with the UK Championship and the invitational Masters) that make up snooker's Triple Crown Series. The reigning world champion is Kyren Wilson.

Joe Davis dominated the tournament over its first two decades, winning the first 15 world championships before he retired undefeated after his final victory in 1946. The distinctive World Championship trophy, topped by a Greek shepherdess figurine, was acquired by Davis in 1926 for £19 and continues in use to this day.[2] No tournaments were held between 1941 and 1945 due to World War II, or between 1952 and 1963 due to a dispute between the Professional Billiards Players' Association (PBPA) and the Billiards Association and Control Council (BACC). The PBPA held an unofficial alternative, the World Professional Match-play Championship, between 1952 and 1957. The official championship was revived on a challenge basis in 1964.

The World Snooker Championship reverted to a knockout tournament format in 1969, beginning what is now known as snooker's modern era. It has taken place annually since then, with every championship since 1977 staged at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. Under a format that has remained largely unchanged since 1982, 32 players reach the Crucible each year; the top 16 players in the world rankings qualify automatically, while another 16 players win places through a qualification tournament. Only three qualifiers have ever won the tournament: Alex Higgins in 1972, Terry Griffiths in 1979, and Shaun Murphy in 2005.

Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan have each won seven times to jointly hold the record of most world titles in the modern era. Ray Reardon and Steve Davis have won six titles; John Higgins and Mark Selby four; John Spencer and Mark Williams three; and Alex Higgins two. Hendry is the youngest champion in the tournament's history, winning his first title in 1990 aged 21 years and 106 days. O'Sullivan became the oldest champion in 2022 when he won his seventh title aged 46 years and 148 days. O'Sullivan also holds the record for the most Crucible appearances with 32, having taken part in the tournament every year between 1993 and 2024. Fourteen maximum breaks have been made in the history of the tournament, Cliff Thorburn compiled the first in 1983, and Mark Selby the most recent in 2023, which was the first maximum break in a World Championship final. A record 109 century breaks were made at the Crucible in 2022. As of 2024, 28 players have won the World Snooker Championship.

  1. ^ "Prize Money World Rankings Schedule 2022/2023 Season" (PDF). World Snooker Tour. 2 October 2022. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 November 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  2. ^ "Trophies". WPBSA. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2021.