2030 IDF World Championship
| 2030 IDF World Darts Championship | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Tournament information | |||
| Dates | 12 December 2029 – 1 January 2030 | ||
| Venue | Alexandra Palace | ||
| Location | London | ||
| Country | Template:ENG | ||
| Organisation(s) | IDF | ||
| Format | Sets Final – best of 11 | ||
| Prize fund | $7,500,000 | ||
| Winner's share | $1,000,000 | ||
| Nine-dart finish | Yes (Semi-final – Elias Storm) | ||
| High checkout | 170 Reza Aslani | ||
| Champion(s) | |||
| Dante Voss | |||
| |||
The 2030 IDF World Darts Championship was a professional darts tournament that was held from 12 December 2029 to 1 January 2030 at Alexandra Palace in London, England. It was the 39th edition of the World Darts Championship to be organised by the International Darts Federation and the 22nd to be held at Alexandra Palace. The winner received $1,000,000 from a record total prize fund of $7,500,000, making it the richest darts tournament in history.
The championship featured 96 players, with the top 32 players on the IDF Order of Merit seeded into the second round. Elias Storm entered the tournament as the defending champion, having defeated Marco Flynn 6–4 in the 2029 final to claim his second world title. Storm reached the final once again, becoming the first player in IDF history to appear in four consecutive world finals. However, he was defeated by American star Dante Voss, who won the title 6–5 to become the first non-European world champion in the IDF era.
Voss averaged 102.9 across the final and produced two 100+ finishes in the deciding set, completing a comeback from 5–3 down. Storm hit the only nine-dart finish of the tournament during his semi-final against Henry Cobb but missed two darts to win the final in the tenth set.
The 2030 tournament was widely praised for its competitive quality and international diversity, with players from twelve nations reaching the last 32. Reza Aslani of Iran reached the quarter-finals for the first time in his career and hit the tournament’s highest checkout with a 170 finish in the third round. Zane Holloway also returned to form, reaching the semi-finals after three consecutive second-round exits.
Format[edit | edit source]
The format remained unchanged from previous editions. Each match was played as a series of sets, with each set being the best of five legs. The number of sets required to win increased with each round: best of 5 sets in the first and second rounds, best of 7 in the third round and quarter-finals, best of 9 in the semi-finals, and best of 11 in the final.
Prize money[edit | edit source]
The prize fund for the 2030 edition was increased to $7,500,000. The winner received $1,000,000 and a gold-plated IDF trophy. A nine-dart finish bonus of $100,000 was awarded for any perfect leg during the tournament.
| Position | Prize money |
|---|---|
| Winner | $1,000,000 |
| Runner-up | $500,000 |
| Semi-finalists | $300,000 |
| Quarter-finalists | $150,000 |
| Last 16 | $75,000 |
| Last 32 | $40,000 |
| Last 64 | $25,000 |
| First round | $12,500 |
| Nine-dart bonus | $100,000 |
Tournament summary[edit | edit source]
First round[edit | edit source]
The tournament opened with a record number of debutants. Scottish teenager Lewis Kavanagh, aged 19, stunned 2028 quarter-finalist Darrel Stone in a five-set classic. Egypt’s Youssef Marei became the first African player to win a match at the IDF World Championship, defeating Tomas Lindström 3–1. Zane Holloway cruised past German qualifier Lukas Berger 3–0 with a 96.1 average and 64% checkout rate.
Former semi-finalist Marco Flynn struggled in his opening match but recovered from 2–1 down to beat Koji Nakamura in five sets. Adrian Weber, now seeded, overcame American debutant Jordan Hale 3–1 in a fiery contest.
Second round[edit | edit source]
Elias Storm began his campaign in ruthless fashion, defeating France’s Alain Mourier 3–0 while averaging 108.2 and finishing 50% of his doubles. Reza Aslani came through a thriller against Henry Pratt, winning 3–2 with a 170 checkout in the deciding leg. Matthew Keane was eliminated 3–1 by Holloway, who appeared rejuvenated with a 99.7 average and clean finishing.
Dante Voss survived a scare against Pieter van Gaalen, trailing 2–1 before reeling off six straight legs. Brooks and Cobb both advanced in four sets, while Nico Vance fell to Canadian left-hander Ryan Iversen.
Third round[edit | edit source]
Storm breezed past Marco Flynn in four sets in a rematch of the 2029 final. Voss defeated Tyler Brooks 4–2 in a clash of power scoring, hitting ten 180s and a 157 finish. Holloway edged past Ryan Iversen 4–3 in the tightest match of the round, while Aslani upset Bentley Quade 4–1, averaging 101.5 and taking out 116, 170 and 160 across three sets.
Adrian Weber produced the shock of the round, knocking out Henry Cobb 4–2 in a composed display.
Quarter-finals[edit | edit source]
Storm defeated Adrian Weber 4–1, dropping just four legs and averaging 105.3. Voss overcame Matthew Keane 4–2 in a match full of clutch finishes, including a 132 checkout in the sixth set. Holloway held off Hayden Beck 4–3, taking the final set 3–0 after trailing 3–2. Reza Aslani defeated Alex Brow 4–2 to reach his first career semi-final.
Semi-finals[edit | edit source]
Elias Storm faced Henry Cobb in the first semi-final and delivered a masterclass, including a **nine-dart finish** in the third set. Cobb fought back to 3–3, but Storm stormed ahead with a 12-darter and 136 finish to win 5–3.
The second semi-final saw Dante Voss and Zane Holloway go the distance. Voss led 3–1, but Holloway battled back to 4–4. In the final set, Voss held throw with an 11-darter, broke with a 161 checkout, and sealed it with double 18 to reach his first world final.
Final[edit | edit source]
The final between Elias Storm and Dante Voss was described by commentators as one of the most anticipated matches in IDF history. Storm opened with a 13-darter and took a 2–0 lead. Voss levelled the match with sets of 3–1 and 3–0, then broke Storm’s throw in the fifth to go ahead 3–2. The two traded sets until Storm edged back ahead 5–4 and missed two match darts in the tenth.
Voss forced a decider with a 14-darter, then hit back-to-back 140s to set up a 121 finish in the opening leg of set eleven. Storm missed tops for a break in the second leg, and Voss held throw. On his next visit, he hit 140, 140, 131 and then checked out 90 to win the title.
Statistics[edit | edit source]
- Highest average: 108.2 – Elias Storm (Second round)
- Most 180s: Dante Voss – 62
- Highest checkout: 170 – Reza Aslani (Third round)
- Nine-dart finish: Elias Storm (Semi-final)
- Most legs won: Elias Storm – 88
- Most sets dropped by champion: 11
- Checkout percentage (Voss): 49.6%
Legacy[edit | edit source]
Dante Voss became the first non-European player to win the IDF World Championship, breaking one of the sport’s final barriers. His steady rise over the previous four seasons culminated in a composed and clinical title run, winning three final-set matches and posting the highest tournament 180 count.
Elias Storm, despite defeat, became the first player to reach four consecutive IDF World Finals and added a nine-darter to his growing legacy. With two titles and two runner-up finishes, he remains the top-ranked player in the world.
Zane Holloway’s semi-final appearance marked a major career revival, while Reza Aslani’s quarter-final proved a new high for darts in the Middle East.