Chisnall defeated Mark Dudbridge 3–0 to make the perfect start to his first PDC World Championship in the 2012 playing of the event. He played 15-time World Champion Phil Taylor in the second round and produced a stunning performance to win 4–1 and set up a last 16 meeting with Andy Hamilton. The only other players to have beaten Taylor in the PDC World Championship outside of the final, Wayne Mardle and Mark Webster, both went on to lose their following matches, and Chisnall joined this club as he was whitewashed 4–0 by Hamilton.