The
World Snooker Championship is the leading
snooker tournament both in terms of prestige and prize money. The first championship was held in
1927 and was won by
Joe Davis. Davis won the first 15 championships before retiring from the event, undefeated, after his
1946 success. In the 1950s snooker went into a period of decline and the championship was not held after 1952, although an unofficial championship was held until 1957. In 1964 the championship was revived on a challenge basis and in
1969 the championship became a knock-out event again. Since
1977 it has been played at the
Crucible Theatre in
Sheffield,
England. The tournament is currently played over 17 days and ends on the first Monday in May. In the modern era (since 1969), the best record is that of
Stephen Hendry, who won the title seven times.
Steve Davis and
Ray Reardon both won six times while
Ronnie O'Sullivan has won five titles. The current champion is
Stuart Bingham, who won the tournament for the first time in
2015.