Huge opening night ahead at Machineseeker European Championship

The schedule of play for the 2023 Machineseeker European Championship first round has been confirmed, with five PDC World Champions in action on the opening night next Thursday.

The £500,000 tournament, featuring the top 32 players from the European Tour Order of Merit following this year's 13 events held on the continent, will take place from October 26-29 at the Westfalenhalle in Dortmund.

With the first round split across Thursday and Friday nights, the opening session will feature a bumper line-up of matches from the top half of the draw.

World Champion Michael Smith will take on Raymond van Barneveld, while top seed Dave Chisnall - who has won three European Tour events this year - faces Masters champion Chris Dobey.

Two-time European Champion Rob Cross plays Premier League star Dimitri Van den Bergh, Gerwyn Price takes on Irish prospect Keane Barry and 2020 winner Peter Wright plays German star Gabriel Clemens.

Martin Schindler will be the other German in action on the opening night as he takes on Stephen Bunting, while the 2022 and 2023 UK Open champions, Danny Noppert and Andrew Gilding, open the tournament before World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall clashes with Ryan Searle.

Ross Smith will begin his title defence on Friday night with a tasty tie against German debutant Ricardo Pietreczko, who won Sunday's German Darts Championship in amazing fashion.

Four-time European Champion Michael van Gerwen begins his bid to win back the title against Latvia's Madars Razma on Friday, while 2018 winner James Wade meets Dirk van Duijvenbode.

New World Grand Prix champion Luke Humphries faces off against Brendan Dolan, Austrian Darts Open winner Jonny Clayton plays Jose de Sousa meet and German Darts Open champion Krzysztof Ratajski plays Joe Cullen.

Friday's action opens as former World Cup winner Damon Heta plays Dutch prospect Gian van Veen, while an all-Northern Irish tie sees former World Youth Champion Josh Rock take on two-time TV title winner Daryl Gurney.

Saturday October 28 will see the second round take place across two sessions, with the quarter-finals on Sunday afternoon ahead of the decisive semi-finals and final on Sunday evening.

Tickets for the Machineseeker European Championship are available from PDC Europe via www.pdc-europe.tv/tickets.

2023 Machineseeker European Championship

Thursday October 26 (1845-2300 CEST, 1745-2200 BST)

First Round x8

Danny Noppert v Andrew Gilding

Nathan Aspinall v Ryan Searle

Dave Chisnall v Chris Dobey

Rob Cross v Dimitri Van den Bergh

Gerwyn Price v Keane Barry

Peter Wright v Gabriel Clemens

Michael Smith v Raymond van Barneveld

Martin Schindler v Stephen Bunting

Friday October 27 (1845-2300 CEST, 1745-2200 BST)

First Round x8

Damon Heta v Gian van Veen

Krzysztof Ratajski v Joe Cullen

Josh Rock v Daryl Gurney

Jonny Clayton v Jose De Sousa

Dirk van Duijvenbode v James Wade

Luke Humphries v Brendan Dolan

Michael van Gerwen v Madars Razma

Ricardo Pietreczko v Ross Smith

Saturday October 28

Afternoon Session (1300-1700 CEST, 1200-1600 BST)

Second Round x4

Evening Session (1900-2300 CEST, 1800-2200 BST)

Second Round x4

Sunday October 29

Afternoon Session (1300-1700 CET, 1200-1600 GMT)

Quarter-Finals

Evening Session (1900-2300 CET, 1800-2200 GMT)

Semi-Finals

Final

Format

First Round - Best of 11 legs

Second Round - Best of 19 legs

Quarter-Finals - Best of 19 legs

Semi-Finals - Best of 21 legs

Final - Best of 21 legs