2023 IDF World Darts Championship
| 2023 IDF World Darts Championship | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Tournament information | |||
| Dates | 10 December 2022 – 7 January 2023 | ||
| Venue | Winter Gardens | ||
| Location | Blackpool, England | ||
| Organisation(s) | International Darts Federation (IDF) | ||
| Format | Sets | ||
| Prize fund | £2,500,000 | ||
| Winner's share | £500,000 | ||
| High checkout | 170: Max Mad x2, Luke Littler x1 | ||
| Champion(s) | |||
| Max Mad | |||
| |||
The 2023 IDF World Darts Championship was a professional darts tournament that was held from 10 December 2022 to 7 January 2023 at the Alexandra Palace in London, England. It was the inaugural IDF World Darts Championship organised by the International Darts Federation (IDF). The winner received £500,000 from a total prize fund of £2,500,000.
The tournament featured 96 players, with the top 32 highest ranked players on the IDF Order of Merit being seeded into the second round. As the first edition, there was no defending champion.
In the final, Max Mad defeated second seed Luke Littler 7–4 to claim his first World Championship title. Littler produced a dominant run to the final, but Mad’s superior finishing and consistency in the latter stages proved decisive.
Format
All matches were played in sets:
- First & Second round: Best of 5 sets
- Third & Fourth round: Best of 7 sets
- Quarter-finals: Best of 9 sets
- Semi-finals: Best of 11 sets
- Final: Best of 13 sets
Prize money
| Position | Prize money |
|---|---|
| Winner | £500,000 |
| Runner-up | £200,000 |
| Semi-finalists | £100,000 |
| Quarter-finalists | £50,000 |
| Fourth round | £35,000 |
| Third round | £25,000 |
| Second round | £15,000 |
| First round | £7,500 |
Summary
Tournament overview
The inaugural championship introduced a new global structure for darts under the IDF. The expanded 96-player format created a highly competitive field, with emerging players competing alongside established names.
Luke Littler was the breakout star of the tournament. As the number two seed, he dominated his section of the draw with high averages and clinical finishing, often exceeding the 100 mark across multiple matches.
Max Mad displayed remarkable composure and consistency throughout the tournament. His ability to maintain scoring pressure over long-format matches proved to be the defining factor in his run to the title.
Final
The final saw Max Mad face Luke Littler in a best-of-13 sets match. Littler matched Mad early, but missed doubles at key moments allowed Mad to build a lead.
Mad capitalised on these opportunities, taking control of the match in the middle stages. Littler remained competitive but was unable to recover, as Mad secured a 7–4 victory to become the inaugural IDF World Champion.
Draw
Finals
| Quarter-finals (best of 9 sets) 1 January | Semi-finals (best of 11 sets) 3 January | Final (best of 13 sets) 7 January | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Max Mad 104.82 | 5 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Ryan Thomas 99.41 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Max Mad 105.91 | 6 | ||||||||||||
| 12 | Theo Bartlett 101.04 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Blake Carter 101.77 | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 12 | Theo Bartlett 100.92 | 5 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Max Mad 106.44 | 7 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Luke Littler 104.97 | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Mason Owens 98.33 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Lukas Parker 102.45 | 5 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Lukas Parker 102.88 | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Luke Littler 106.12 | 6 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Kai Mitchell 99.88 | 2 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Luke Littler 105.63 | 5 | ||||||||||||
Statistics
Highest averages
| Player | Average |
|---|---|
| Luke Littler | 106.12 |
| Max Mad | 106.44 |
| Lukas Parker | 102.88 |
| Blake Carter | 101.77 |
| Theo Bartlett | 101.04 |
| Ryan Thomas | 99.41 |
| Kai Mitchell | 99.88 |
100+ averages
- Max Mad (6)
- Luke Littler (7)
- Lukas Parker (4)
- Blake Carter (3)
Broadcasting
The tournament was broadcast globally through the IDF’s official streaming platforms, marking the first worldwide broadcast under the organisation.