International Championship: A History of Snooker’s Premier Tournament
The International Championship is a significant ranking tournament on the World Snooker Tour, having crowned some of the sport’s biggest names as champions. This article details the history of the tournament, its winners, and notable achievements, providing a comprehensive overview for snooker enthusiasts.
Origins and Evolution
Established in 2012, the International Championship quickly became a prominent event on the snooker calendar. Initially conceived as the “first major overseas tournament,” it offered a high ranking status and substantial prize money outside of the United Kingdom. In 2025, the tournament boasted a prize pot of £825,000 .
Tournament History and Winners
The International Championship has been held eleven times, with cancellations occurring between 2020 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s a complete list of past champions:
- 2012: Judd Trump
- 2013: Ding Junhui
- 2014: Ricky Walden
- 2015: John Higgins
- 2016: Mark Selby
- 2017: Mark Selby
- 2018: Mark Allen
- 2019: Judd Trump
- 2023: Zhang Anda
- 2024: Ding Junhui
- 2025: Wu Yize
Judd Trump, Mark Selby, and Ding Junhui have each won the tournament twice, establishing themselves as dominant forces in the competition. Mark Selby is the only player to have successfully defended his title, achieving this feat in 2016 and 2017. His 2016 victory over Ding Junhui was particularly decisive, ending with a score of 10-1 .
Maximum Breaks
Alongside tournament victories, achieving a maximum break – a score of 147 – is considered a significant accomplishment in snooker. The International Championship has witnessed seven maximum breaks, including those made during qualifying rounds.
Kyren Wilson was the first player to achieve a maximum break in the tournament, doing so in 2017 during a round of 32 match against Martin Gould. Tom Ford followed in 2019 during a qualifying match against Fraser Patrick. Ryan Day achieved a maximum in 2023, and Zhang Anda accomplished the feat in the 2023 final against Tom Ford. Xu Si likewise recorded a 147 in 2024, and in 2025, both Gary Wilson and Zak Surety achieved maximum breaks in the qualifying and round of 16 stages, respectively .
Prize Fund Breakdown
The prize fund for the International Championship reflects its status as a major ranking event. The breakdown for recent years is as follows :
- Winner: £125,000
- Runner-up: £62,500
- Semi-final: £30,000
- Quarter-final: £17,500
- Last 16: £12,000
- Last 32: £7,000
- Last 48: £3,000
- Last 64: £1,500
- Non-televised highest break: £500
- Televised highest break: £2,000
- Total: £600,000