World Snooker Championships 2023: Preview

The World Snooker Championship

The World Snooker Championship is the longest-running and most prestigious tournament in professional snooker. It is also the most lucrative, with total prize money in 2023 of £2,395,000, including £500,000 for the winner. 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 current world champion is Ronnie O’Sullivan.

World Snooker Championship 2023

The World Championship takes place from April 15 – May 1 at the Crucible in Sheffield.

The current length format of matches per round is as follows. The first round is played over best of 19 frames, played over two sessions. The second round and quarter-finals are the best of 25 frames played over three sessions; while the semi-finals and final are played over four sessions, the semi-finals being best of 33 frames and the final being best of 35 frames.   Great mental strength is required to succeed at this tournament.

The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

The World Snooker Championship has been held at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield since 1977, with John Spencer defeating defending champion Ray Reardon in the final.

World Snooker Championship History

World Snooker Championship: Past Winners

World Snooker Championship: Most Titles

World Snooker Championship 2023: Latest Odds

Defending champion and world number one Ronnie O’Sullivan is the favourite to win in Sheffield. It would take O’Sullivan, 47, to eight titles, which would be a record for the modern era (from 1969).

At the 2022 World Championship, “The Rocket” made his 30th Crucible appearance, equalling Steve Davis’s record. He defeated Judd Trump 18–13 in the final to win his seventh world title, equalling Stephen Hendry for the most world titles in the modern era. At 46 years and 148 days, he became the oldest world champion in snooker history, surpassing Ray Reardon, who was 45 years and 203 days when he won his last title in 1978.  O’Sullivan also surpassed Hendry’s record of 70 Crucible wins, setting a new record of 74.

This season O’Sullivan has reached the quarter-finals of the UK Snooker Championships and the Masters. He withdrew from the WST Classic with an elbow injury, but hopes to be fit for the Crucible.

 Judd Trump, world champion in 2019 won the Masters and will be looking to add another world title in Sheffield.

Third favourite Mark Selby won the WST Classic in his hometown of Leicester. The 2021 world champion could be in the mix. UK Champion Mark Allen cannot be discounted, nor can Shaun Murphy or Mark Williams.

Seven-time Champion Stephen Hendry will play in the qualifying tournament, as will arguably the greatest player never to win the World Championship, Jimmy White. “The Whirlwind” , 60, defeated Trump in the WST classic and is confident of making another Crucible appearance.