List of world snooker champions

The World Snooker Championship Trophy

The World Snooker Championship is an annual ranking snooker tournament founded in 1927 and since 1977 played at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. The tournament is played over seventeen days in late April and early May, and is chronologically the third of the three Triple Crown events of the season since 1977/1978, when the UK Championship was first held. The event was not held from 1941 to 1945 because of World War II or between 1958 and 1963 due to declining interest.

The governing body that currently organises this event is the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. Prior to the WPBSA assuming control of the professional game in 1968, the world championship was organised by the Billiards Association and Control Council (BACC), except for a few years when the Professional Billiards Players' Association (PBPA) staged their own event, the World Professional Match-play Championship, following a dispute with the BACC.^[1]

The most successful player at the World Snooker Championship was Joe Davis, who won fifteen consecutive titles between 1927 and 1946. The record in the modern era, usually dated from the reintroduction in 1969 of a knock-out tournament format, rather than a challenge format, is held by Stephen Hendry, who won the title seven times between 1990 and 1999.

Champions

Format	Organiser
Knockout tournament	BACC
Challenge event with defending champion receiving a bye to the final †	BACC
World Professional Match-play Championship ◊	PBPA
Challenge matches ‡	BACC
Knockout tournament (modern era)	WPBSA

^{[2][3][4][5][6]}

Year Winner Runner-up Final score Season Venue of final 1927 Joe Davis Tom Dennis 16–7 n/a Camkin's Hall, Birmingham 1928† Joe Davis Fred Lawrence 16–13 n/a Camkin's Hall, Birmingham 1929 Joe Davis Tom Dennis 17–12 n/a Lounge Hall, Nottingham 1930 Joe Davis Tom Dennis 25–12 n/a Thurston's Hall, London 1931 Joe Davis Tom Dennis 25–21 n/a Lounge Hall, Nottingham 1932 Joe Davis Clark McConachy 25–18 n/a Thurston's Hall, London 1933 Joe Davis Willie Smith 25–18 n/a Joe Davis Centre, Chesterfield 1934 Joe Davis Tom Newman 25–22 n/a Lounge Hall, Nottingham and Kettering 1935 Joe Davis Willie Smith 28–21 n/a Thurston's Hall, London 1936 Joe Davis Horace Lindrum 34–27 n/a Thurston's Hall, London 1937 Joe Davis Horace Lindrum 32–29 n/a Thurston's Hall, London 1938 Joe Davis Sidney Smith 37–24 n/a Thurston's Hall, London 1939 Joe Davis Sidney Smith 43–30 n/a Thurston's Hall, London 1940 Joe Davis Fred Davis 37–36 n/a Thurston's Hall, London 1946 Joe Davis Horace Lindrum 78–67 n/a Royal Horticultural Hall, London 1947 Walter Donaldson Fred Davis 82–63 n/a Leicester Square Hall, London 1948 Fred Davis Walter Donaldson 84–61 n/a Leicester Square Hall, London 1949 Fred Davis Walter Donaldson 80–65 n/a Leicester Square Hall, London 1950 Walter Donaldson Fred Davis 51–46 n/a Tower Circus, Blackpool 1951 Fred Davis Walter Donaldson 58–39 n/a Tower Circus, Blackpool 1952 Horace Lindrum^[a] Clark McConachy 94–49 n/a Houldsworth Hall, Manchester 1952◊ Fred Davis Walter Donaldson 38–35 n/a Tower Circus, Blackpool 1953◊ Fred Davis Walter Donaldson 37–34 n/a Leicester Square Hall, London 1954◊[7][8] Fred Davis Walter Donaldson 45–26 n/a Houldsworth Hall, Manchester 1955◊ Fred Davis John Pulman 38–35 n/a Tower Circus, Blackpool 1956◊ Fred Davis John Pulman 38–35 n/a Tower Circus, Blackpool 1957◊ John Pulman Jackie Rea 39–34 n/a St Helier, Jersey 1964‡ John Pulman Fred Davis 19–16 n/a Burroughes Hall, London 1964‡ John Pulman Rex Williams 40–33 n/a Burroughes Hall, London 1965‡ John Pulman Fred Davis 37–36 n/a Burroughes Hall, London 1965‡ John Pulman Rex Williams 25–22^[b1] n/a South Africa 1965‡ John Pulman Fred Van Rensburg 39–12 n/a South Africa 1966‡ John Pulman Fred Davis 5–2^[b2] n/a St George's Hall, Liverpool 1968‡ John Pulman Eddie Charlton 39–34 n/a Co-operative Hall, Bolton 1969 John Spencer Gary Owen 37–24 n/a Victoria Hall, London 1970 Ray Reardon John Pulman 37–33 n/a Victoria Hall, London 1971 John Spencer Warren Simpson 37–29 n/a Chevron Hotel, Sydney, Australia 1972 Alex Higgins John Spencer 37–32 n/a Selly Park British Legion, Birmingham 1973 Ray Reardon Eddie Charlton 38–32 n/a City Exhibition Hall, Manchester 1974 Ray Reardon Graham Miles 22–12 1973/74 Belle Vue, Manchester 1975 Ray Reardon Eddie Charlton 31–30 1974/75 Nunawading Basketball Centre, Melbourne, Australia 1976 Ray Reardon Alex Higgins 27–16 1975/76 Wythenshawe Forum, Manchester 1977 John Spencer Cliff Thorburn 25–21 1976/77 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 1978 Ray Reardon Perrie Mans 25–18 1977/78 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 1979 Terry Griffiths Dennis Taylor 24–16 1978/79 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 1980 Cliff Thorburn Alex Higgins 18–16 1979/80 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 1981 Steve Davis Doug Mountjoy 18–12 1980/81 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 1982 Alex Higgins Ray Reardon 18–15 1981/82 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 1983 Steve Davis Cliff Thorburn 18–6 1982/83 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 1984 Steve Davis Jimmy White 18–16 1983/84 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 1985 Dennis Taylor Steve Davis 18–17 1984/85 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 1986 Joe Johnson Steve Davis 18–12 1985/86 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 1987 Steve Davis Joe Johnson 18–14 1986/87 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 1988 Steve Davis Terry Griffiths 18–11 1987/88 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 1989 Steve Davis John Parrott 18–3 1988/89 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 1990 Stephen Hendry Jimmy White 18–12 1989/90 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 1991 John Parrott Jimmy White 18–11 1990/91 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 1992 Stephen Hendry Jimmy White 18–14 1991/92 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 1993 Stephen Hendry Jimmy White 18–5 1992/93 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 1994 Stephen Hendry Jimmy White 18–17 1993/94 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 1995 Stephen Hendry Nigel Bond 18–9 1994/95 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 1996 Stephen Hendry Peter Ebdon 18–12 1995/96 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 1997 Ken Doherty Stephen Hendry 18–12 1996/97 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 1998 John Higgins Ken Doherty 18–12 1997/98 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 1999 Stephen Hendry Mark Williams 18–11 1998/99 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 2000 Mark Williams Matthew Stevens 18–16 1999/00 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 2001 Ronnie O'Sullivan John Higgins 18–14 2000/01 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 2002 Peter Ebdon Stephen Hendry 18–17 2001/02 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 2003 Mark Williams Ken Doherty 18–16 2002/03 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 2004 Ronnie O'Sullivan Graeme Dott 18–8 2003/04 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 2005 Shaun Murphy Matthew Stevens 18–16 2004/05 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 2006 Graeme Dott Peter Ebdon 18–14 2005/06 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 2007 John Higgins Mark Selby 18–13 2006/07 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 2008 Ronnie O'Sullivan Ali Carter 18–8 2007/08 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 2009 John Higgins Shaun Murphy 18–9 2008/09 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 2010 Neil Robertson Graeme Dott 18–13 2009/10 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 2011 John Higgins Judd Trump 18–15 2010/11 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 2012 Ronnie O'Sullivan Ali Carter 18–11 2011/12 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 2013 Ronnie O'Sullivan Barry Hawkins 18–12 2012/13 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 2014 Mark Selby Ronnie O'Sullivan 18–14 2013/14 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 2015 Stuart Bingham Shaun Murphy 18–15 2014/15 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield 2016 Mark Selby Ding Junhui 18–14 2015/16 Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

Joe Davis (1927–40 & 1946) Stephen Hendry (1990, 1992–96 & 1999) Steve Davis (1981, 1983–84 & 1987–89) Ronnie O’Sullivan (2001, 2004, 2008, 2012–13) John Higgins (1998, 2007, 2009 & 2011) Alex Higgins (1972 & 1982) Mark Williams (2000 & 2003)

Statistics

Multiple champions

Challenge match

World Professional Match-play Championship

Competed in 2016

Player	Total	Years
Joe Davis	15	1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1946
Fred Davis	8	1948, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956
John Pulman		1957, 1964, 1964, 1965, 1965, 1965, 1966, 1968
Stephen Hendry	7	1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999
Ray Reardon	6	1970, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978
Steve Davis		1981, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989
Ronnie O'Sullivan	5	2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013
John Higgins	4	1998, 2007, 2009, 2011
John Spencer	3	1969, 1971, 1977
Walter Donaldson	2	1947, 1950
Alex Higgins		1972, 1982
Mark Williams		2000, 2003
Mark Selby		2014, 2016

Champions by country (modern era)

Country	Players	Total	First title	Last title
England	9	21	1969	2016
Scotland	3	12	1990	2011
Wales	3	9	1970	2003
Northern Ireland	2	3	1972	1985
Canada	1	1	1980	1980
Republic of Ireland	1	1	1997	1997
Australia	1	1	2010	2010

Champions by country (all-time)

Country	Players	Total	First title	Last title
England	12	52	1927	2016
Scotland	4	14	1947	2011
Wales	3	9	1970	2003
Northern Ireland	2	3	1972	1985
Australia	2	2	1952	2010
Canada	1	1	1980	1980
Republic of Ireland	1	1	1997	1997

Notes

• ^a Due to a disagreement with the Billiards Association and Control Club and the Professional Billiards Players' Association (PBPA), Lindrum and McConachy were the only players to compete, with most professional players playing in the World Professional Match-play Championship instead. As a result, Lindrum's title win sometimes ignored, with Cliff Thorburn (Canada), Ken Doherty (Republic of Ireland) and Neil Robertson (Australia) usually regarded as the only non-United Kingdom World Champions.^[5]
• ^{b1 b2} The title was decided over a series of matches rather than frames.^[9]

References

1. "World Snooker Title". The Glasgow Herald. 19 February 1952. p. 2.
2. Turner, Chris. "World Professional Championship". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
3. "World Championship – Roll of Honour". Global Snooker. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
4. "Hall of Fame". Snooker.org. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
5. "History of the World Snooker Championship". worldsnooker.com. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
6. "Embassy World Championship". Snooker Scene. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
7. Hayton, Eric (2004). The CueSport Book of Professional Snooker. Lowestoft: Rose Villa Publications. p. 144. ISBN 0-9548549-0-X.
8. "Davis retains snooker title". The Argus. 8 March 1954. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
9. Everton, Clive (1981). Guinness Book of Snooker. Enfield: Guinness Superlatives. p. 65. ISBN 0-85112-230-2.