# 2023 European Championship (darts)

The 2023 Machineseeker European Championship was the sixteenth edition of the Professional Darts Corporation's European Championship tournament, which sees the top players from the thirteen European tour events compete against each other. The tournament took place from 26 to 29 October 2023 at the Westfalenhallen in Dortmund, Germany.
Ross Smith was the defending champion, having beaten Michael Smith in the 2022 final. He became the fifth consecutive defending champion to lose in the first round after a 6–3 defeat to Ricardo Pietreczko.
Peter Wright won the tournament for the second time after beating James Wade 11–6 in the final.

## Prize money

The 2023 European Championship had a total prize fund of £600,000, up from £500,000 in 2022.
The following is the breakdown of the fund:
| Position (no. of players) | Position (no. of players) | Prize Money (Total: £600,000) |
| Winner | (1) | £120,000 |
| Runner-Up | (1) | £60,000 |
| Semi-finalists | (2) | £40,000 |
| Quarter-finalists | (4) | £25,000 |
| Last 16 (second round) | (8) | £15,000 |
| Last 32 (first round) | (16) | £7,500 |

## Qualification

The 2023 tournament continued the established qualification system whereby the top 32 players from the European Tour Order of Merit qualified for the tournament. The Order of Merit is solely based on prize money won in the thirteen European tour events during the season.
As with the previous editions, players were drawn in a fixed bracket by their seeded order with the top qualifier playing the 32nd, the second playing the 31st and so on.
The following players qualified for the tournament:
* Dave Chisnall (first round)
* Luke Humphries (quarter-finals)
* Michael van Gerwen (quarter-finals)
* Gerwyn Price (quarter-finals)
* Rob Cross (second round)
* Damon Heta (first round)
* Dirk van Duijvenbode (first round)
* Michael Smith (second round)
* Peter Wright (champion)
* Jonny Clayton (first round)
* Josh Rock (first round)
* Danny Noppert (semi-finals)
* Nathan Aspinall (second round)
* Ricardo Pietreczko (second round)
* Krzysztof Ratajski (second round)
* Martin Schindler (first round)
* Stephen Bunting (second round)
* Joe Cullen (first round)
* Ross Smith (first round)
* Ryan Searle (first round)
* Andrew Gilding (first round)
* Daryl Gurney (second round)
* José de Sousa (second round)
* Gabriel Clemens (first round)
* Raymond van Barneveld (first round)
* James Wade (runner-up)
* Gian van Veen (semi-finals)
* Dimitri Van den Bergh (first round)
* Keane Barry (first round)
* Madars Razma (first round)
* Brendan Dolan (first round)
* Chris Dobey (quarter-finals)

## Draw

| First round (best of 11 legs) 26–27 October | First round (best of 11 legs) 26–27 October | First round (best of 11 legs) 26–27 October | Second round (best of 19 legs) 28 October | Second round (best of 19 legs) 28 October | Second round (best of 19 legs) 28 October | Quarter-finals (best of 19 legs) 29 October | Quarter-finals (best of 19 legs) 29 October | Quarter-finals (best of 19 legs) 29 October | | Semi-finals (best of 21 legs) 29 October | Semi-finals (best of 21 legs) 29 October | Semi-finals (best of 21 legs) 29 October | | Final (best of 21 legs) 29 October | Final (best of 21 legs) 29 October | Final (best of 21 legs) 29 October |
| 1 | Dave Chisnall 94.91 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 32 | Chris Dobey 95.27 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 32 | Chris Dobey 95.27 | 6 | 32 | Chris Dobey 97.64 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 17 | Stephen Bunting 96.05 | 8 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Martin Schindler 95.87 | 1 | 17 | Stephen Bunting 96.05 | 8 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 17 | Stephen Bunting 101.42 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 17 | Stephen Bunting 101.42 | 6 | | | | 32 | Chris Dobey 99.17 | 8 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 9 | Peter Wright 99.61 | 10 | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Michael Smith 98.80 | 6 | | | | | | | 9 | Peter Wright 99.61 | 10 | | | | | | | | |
| 25 | Raymond van Barneveld 90.17 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 25 | Raymond van Barneveld 90.17 | 1 | 8 | Michael Smith 92.32 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 9 | Peter Wright 96.47 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Peter Wright 94.83 | 6 | 9 | Peter Wright 96.47 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 24 | Gabriel Clemens 97.94 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 24 | Gabriel Clemens 97.94 | 5 | | | | | | | | 9 | Peter Wright 100.42 | 11 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | 12 | Danny Noppert 97.01 | 8 | | | | |
| 4 | Gerwyn Price 91.66 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 12 | Danny Noppert 97.01 | 8 | | | | |
| 29 | Keane Barry 84.13 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 29 | Keane Barry 84.13 | 1 | 4 | Gerwyn Price 102.27 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 13 | Nathan Aspinall 93.89 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Nathan Aspinall 98.47 | 6 | 13 | Nathan Aspinall 93.89 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 20 | Ryan Searle 95.80 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 20 | Ryan Searle 95.80 | 3 | | | | 4 | Gerwyn Price 96.92 | 8 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 12 | Danny Noppert 101.03 | 10 | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | Rob Cross 99.87 | 6 | | | | | | | 12 | Danny Noppert 101.03 | 10 | | | | | | | | |
| 28 | Dimitri Van den Bergh 92.47 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 28 | Dimitri Van den Bergh 92.47 | 2 | 5 | Rob Cross 92.86 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 12 | Danny Noppert 93.54 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Danny Noppert 106.09 | 6 | 12 | Danny Noppert 93.54 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 21 | Andrew Gilding 89.31 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 21 | Andrew Gilding 89.31 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | 9 | Peter Wright 97.39 | 11 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 26 | James Wade 92.09 | 6 |
| 2 | Luke Humphries 97.10 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 26 | James Wade 92.09 | 6 |
| 31 | Brendan Dolan 90.91 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 31 | Brendan Dolan 90.91 | 1 | 2 | Luke Humphries 96.96 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 15 | Krzysztof Ratajski 94.83 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Krzysztof Ratajski 94.21 | 6 | 15 | Krzysztof Ratajski 94.83 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 18 | Joe Cullen 98.81 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 18 | Joe Cullen 98.81 | 3 | | | | 2 | Luke Humphries 95.06 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 26 | James Wade 98.41 | 10 | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Dirk van Duijvenbode 75.71 | 3 | | | | | | | 26 | James Wade 98.41 | 10 | | | | | | | | |
| 26 | James Wade 80.06 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 26 | James Wade 80.06 | 6 | 26 | James Wade 95.53 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 23 | José de Sousa 82.58 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Jonny Clayton 91.00 | 4 | 23 | José de Sousa 82.58 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 23 | José de Sousa 89.22 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 23 | José de Sousa 89.22 | 6 | | | | | | | | 26 | James Wade 93.63 | 11 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | 27 | Gian van Veen 89.69 | 9 | | | | |
| 3 | Michael van Gerwen 97.86 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 27 | Gian van Veen 89.69 | 9 | | | | |
| 30 | Madars Razma 104.92 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 30 | Madars Razma 104.92 | 5 | 3 | Michael van Gerwen 104.12 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 14 | Ricardo Pietreczko 95.19 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Ricardo Pietreczko 104.28 | 6 | 14 | Ricardo Pietreczko 95.19 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 19 | Ross Smith 98.59 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 19 | Ross Smith 98.59 | 3 | | | | 3 | Michael van Gerwen 93.75 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 27 | Gian van Veen 93.67 | 10 | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Damon Heta 98.47 | 1 | | | | | | | 27 | Gian van Veen 93.67 | 10 | | | | | | | | |
| 27 | Gian van Veen 107.34 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 27 | Gian van Veen 107.34 | 6 | 27 | Gian van Veen 93.61 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 22 | Daryl Gurney 88.41 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Josh Rock 100.15 | 2 | 22 | Daryl Gurney 88.41 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 22 | Daryl Gurney 98.62 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |