The 1983 Embassy World Darts Championship was staged at Jollees Cabaret Club in Stoke-on-Trent from 1–8 January 1983.
| Embassy World Darts Championship | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Tournament information | |||
| Dates | 1–8 January 1983 | ||
| Venue | Jollees Cabaret Club | ||
| Location | Stoke-on-Trent | ||
| Country |  England | ||
| Organisation(s) | BDO | ||
| Format | Sets Final – best of 11 | ||
| Prize fund | £33,050 | ||
| Winner's share | £8,000 | ||
| High checkout | 161  Jocky Wilson | ||
| Champion(s) | |||
| Keith Deller | |||
| |||
The tournament saw one of the World Darts Championship's biggest upsets, when Keith Deller defeated Eric Bristow, by 6 sets to 5 in the final, to become the youngest ever World Darts Champion and the first qualifier to win the World Championship.[1]
Deller also beat world number 3, John Lowe in the quarter-finals and defending champion and world number 2, Jocky Wilson in the semi-finals, making him the only player in history to defeat the world's top three ranked players in the World Championship.
The final featured one of darts' most memorable moments, when Bristow was left on 121. Having hit single 17 and then treble 18, Bristow decided against hitting the bullseye. Instead he hit a single 18 to leave double 16, whilst Deller was on 138. Deller had already missed seven darts at a double to win the title in the ninth set, when leading 5-3 and Bristow believed his opponent would not check out the high finish. However, Deller hit treble 20, followed by treble 18 and finally finished on double 12 to win the title. To this day commentators often refer to 138 as the "Deller checkout" if a player is left with that score.
Seeds edit
Prize money edit
The prize fund was £32,300.
- Champion: £8,000
- Runner-Up: £3,500
- 3rd Place: £500
- Semi-Finalists (2): £1,750
- Quarter-Finalists (4): £1,200
- Last 16 (8): £700
- Last 32 (16): £400
There was also a 9-Dart Checkout prize of £30,000, along with a High Checkout prize of £750. In the semi-final, Jocky Wilson missed double 18 for the 9-dart finish.
The results edit
Preliminary round edit
A best of three sets preliminary round match took place between Alan Evans of Wales and Brent Bartholomew of New Zealand as they were tied on the rankings.
| Player | Score | Player |
|---|---|---|
 Alan Evans | 2 – 1 | Brent Bartholomew  |
Last 32 edit
Third-place match edit
Jocky Wilson 90.30 (3) 2–0 Tony Brown 
79.95
(Bristow) played the percentage shot. Living dangerous, Bristow – he's banking on Deller not doing this. But the shot's on for the title. Double 12 for the title..... I am telling ya, I'm telling ya, I've seen nothing like it in my life. Keith Deller of Ipswich, 23 years old, he had to qualify to get here. Bristow did a percentage shot, Deller did the business. He's now the World Champion!
BBC commentator Sid Waddell describes the 138 finish that gave Keith Deller the 1983 World Title
References edit
- ^ Powell, Matt. "Suffolk darts legend Keith Deller shares impact of overnight stardom in new book". eadt.co.uk. Retrieved 21 April 2024.