| 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 |
| Winners share | £8,000 |
| Champion(s) | |
| Keith Deller | |
The 1983 Embassy World Darts Championship was staged at Jollees Cabaret Club in Stoke-on-Trent from 1–8 January 1983.
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.
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.
(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!
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.
| First Round | Second Round | Quarter-Finals | Semi-Finals | |||||||||||
| Best of 3 sets | Best of 5 sets | Best of 7 sets | Best of 9 sets | |||||||||||
| Dave Lee | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Tony Holyoake | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Dave Lee | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Eric Bristow | 3 | |||||||||||||
| Eric Bristow | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Peter Masson | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Eric Bristow | 4 | |||||||||||||
| Dave Whitcombe | 3 | |||||||||||||
| Tony Ridler | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Finn Jensen | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Tony Ridler | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Dave Whitcombe | 3 | |||||||||||||
| Dave Whitcombe | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Andy Green | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Eric Bristow | 5 | |||||||||||||
| Tony Brown | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Jerry Umberger | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Alan Glazier | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Jerry Umberger | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Tony Brown | 3 | |||||||||||||
| Tony Brown | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Bobby George | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Tony Brown | 4 | |||||||||||||
| Stefan Lord | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Luc Marreel | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Ceri Morgan | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Luc Marreel | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Stefan Lord | 3 | |||||||||||||
| Stefan Lord | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Kevin Mullaney | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Terry O'Dea | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Peter Locke | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Terry O'Dea | 2 | |||||||||||||
| John Lowe | 3 | |||||||||||||
| John Lowe | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Alan Evans | 0 | |||||||||||||
| John Lowe | 3 | |||||||||||||
| Keith Deller | 4 | |||||||||||||
| Les Capewell | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Stuart Holden | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Les Capewell | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Keith Deller | 3 | |||||||||||||
| Keith Deller | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Nicky Virachkul | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Keith Deller | 5 | |||||||||||||
| Jocky Wilson | 3 | |||||||||||||
| Paul Lim | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Tony Skuse | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Paul Lim | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Cliff Lazarenko | 3 | |||||||||||||
| Cliff Lazarenko | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Leighton Rees | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Cliff Lazarenko | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Jocky Wilson | 4 | |||||||||||||
| Kevin White | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Rab Smith | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Kevin White | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Jocky Wilson | 3 | |||||||||||||
| Jocky Wilson | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Steve Brennan | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Final (Best of 11 sets) Saturday January 8th | ||
| Eric Bristow | 5-6 | Keith Deller |
| Highest Checkout: | Highest Checkout: | |
| Keith Deller wins the 1983 Embassy World Darts Championship | ||
THIRD PLACE MATCH (Best of 3 sets)
Jocky Wilson beat Tony Brown 2-0
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