World Professional Darts Championship
The World Professional Darts Championship is one of the most important tournaments in the darts calendar. Originally held as an annual event between 1978 and 1993, players then broke off into two separate organisations after a controversial split in the game. Each organisation, the British Darts Organisation (BDO) and the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) now organise their own World Championship in January. As a result, there is no longer a unified world champion in the sport.
The BDO have organised their version dating back to 1978, when it was held at the Heart of the Midlands nightclub, Nottingham. The following year it moved to the Jollees Cabaret Club, Stoke, where it stayed until 1985. From then until 2019 it was held at the Lakeside Leisure Complex at Frimley Green, Surrey. From 2020 the tournament is held at The O2 Arena in London.
The PDC version started in 1994 after "the split", with a field of players containing all active previous World Champions from the BDO. It was originally staged at Purfleet's Circus Tavern, Essex, before moving to Alexandra Palace, London, for the 2008 World Championship.
Men's winners
By player
The following sortable table lists all winners of both versions of the World Championship (correct as of 12 January 2020).
| Player | Total | BDO | PDC |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 16 | 2 | 14 |
 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| 5 | 5 | – |
| 3 | 3 | – |
| 3 | – | 3 |
| 3 | 3 | – |
.svg.png){kind=small} | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | 3 | – |
 | 2 | – | 2 |
| 2 | 2 | – |
| 2 | – | 2 |
| 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 2 | – |
| 2 | 2 | – |
| 1 | 1 | – |
| 1 | 1 | – |
| 1 | 1 | – |
.svg.png){kind=small} | 1 | 1 | – |
| 1 | – | 1 |
.svg.png){kind=small} | 1 | 1 | – |
| 1 | 1 | – |
| 1 | 1 | – |
| 1 | 1 | – |
| 1 | 1 | – |
| 1 | 1 | – |
| 1 | 1 | – |
| 1 | 1 | – |
| 1 | 1 | – |
| 1 | 1 | – |
| 1 | 1 | – |
| 1 | – | 1 |
Highest average progression
| Average | Seed | Player | Score | Opponent | Stage | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 97.49 | 3 | |
6–3 | |
QF | 1978 |
| 99.00 | 5 | |
2–0 | |
1st | 1984 |
| 100.29 | unseeded | |
2–4 | |
QF | 1985 |
| 100.80 | unseeded | |
5–0 | |
SF | 1990 |
| 102.63 | 1 | |
3–0 | |
1st | 1993 |
| 103.98 | 1 | |
6–0 | |
F | 1998 |
| 105.03 | 3 | |
3–0 | |
1st | 1999 |
| 105.87 | 2 | |
6–0 | |
QF | 2000 |
| 107.46 | 2 | |
7–0 | |
F | 2001 |
| 111.21 | 2 | |
6–1 | |
2nd | 2002 |
| 114.05 | 1 | |
6–2 | |
SF | 2017 |
Women's winners
|
British Darts Organisation (current sponsors: Lakeside)
|
Professional Darts Corporation (current sponsors: Unicorn)
|
By player
The following sortable table lists all winners of both versions of the World Championship (correct as of 11 January 2020).
| Player | Total | BDO | PDC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 10 | – |
| 4 | 4 | – |
 | 3 | 3 | – |
 | 2 | 2 | – |
| 1 | 1 | – |
 | 1 | – | 1 |
Youth winners
|
British Darts Organisation (current sponsors: Lakeside)
|
Professional Darts Corporation (current sponsors: Unicorn)
|
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