Peter Wright produced a terrific comeback to edge out Gabriel Clemens in a deciding leg on the opening night of the 2023 European Championship in Dortmund.
Wright, the 2020 European Champion, found himself 4-1 down to the German number one, but staged a superb recovery – aided by a mid-game change of darts.
The Scot sparked into life in leg six and followed up with a 116 checkout in the seventh, before hauling himself back on level terms.
Clemens converted double 16 to regain the lead, but Wright held throw to force a decider, before firing in back-to-back 180s and an 81 checkout to prevail with an 11-dart break.
“I was chasing Gabriel all the way through the game,” admitted Wright. “Michael’s [Van Gerwen] darts work alright under pressure! I had to dig as deep as I have in a long time, but I’m starting to believe in my own ability again.
“I’m not rolling over anymore, and if you want to beat me, you’ve got to play really well, because I can still play this game.”
Wright will now face Michael Smith in the Last 16 after the reigning World Champion demolished the returning Raymond van Barneveld 6-1 with finishes of 107 and 86 along the way.
In-form Stephen Bunting also progressed by the same score-line, sweeping aside home hopeful Martin Schindler with a 101 average.
Bunting delivered a stellar display to avenge his defeat to Schindler at the recent World Grand Prix, landing three 180s, plus checkouts of 121 and 104 and pinning six of his eight attempts at a double.
Top seed Dave Chisnall was sent packing in Round One as Masters champion Chris Dobey reeled off six straight legs from 2-0 down to claim victory.
Chisnall squandered four darts for a 3-0 lead and was ruthlessly punished by Dobey, who produced 138 and 116 checkouts either side of a 12-darter in the latter stages.
“Once the first double went in I settled down but I seem to start slowly in best of 11 games,” said Dobey, a semi-finalist here 12 months ago.
“Dave’s a power scorer but he gave me too many chances and I took them. It’s nice when the big finishes go in like tonight and I’m happy to get that win.”
Danny Noppert produced the performance of the night as he averaged 106 in whitewashing Andrew Gilding 6-0 in a battle between the two most recent UK Open champions.
The Dutchman delivered a masterclass in combination finishing to book his place in Round Two, converting 90, 138, 81, 98, 89 and 64 checkouts to cap off a clinical display.
Two-time European Champion Rob Cross brushed aside Belgium’s Dimitri Van den Bergh in emphatic style, averaging 99 and powering in a 127 finish on his way to a 6-2 success.
World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall also impressed in his 6-3 victory over Ryan Searle, conjuring up 120 and 145 finishes to set up a Last 16 show-down with Gerwyn Price.
“I needed that – it’s a massive win for me,” insisted Aspinall, who had lost his last six competitive games.
“I have been struggling of late and my confidence had gone, and I knew I had a tough game against Ryan, so I’m very happy to get the win.
“I felt in control of that match from start to finish and my finishing was fantastic tonight. I’m relishing the next round against Gezzy now.”
Price, a winner of two European Tour titles this season, breezed past a wasteful Keane Barry inside 12 minutes, pinning six of his 11 darts at double to celebrate a 6-1 rout over the young Irishman – who squandered nine darts at doubles.
WATCH ALL EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES STREAMED LIVE
18+ | Geo Restrictions may apply | Gamble Aware
European Championship 2023 – Day One Results
Thursday October 26
First Round
Danny Noppert 6-0 Andrew Gilding
Nathan Aspinall 6-3 Ryan Searle
Dave Chisnall 2-6 Chris Dobey
Rob Cross 6-2 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Gerwyn Price 6-1 Keane Barry
Peter Wright 6-5 Gabriel Clemens
Michael Smith 6-1 Raymond van Barneveld
Martin Schindler 1-6 Stephen Bunting
Latest Darts Free Bet Offers
#AD 18+ New Customers Only. Bet £10 and get £10 in free bets. Register an account, opt in to the promotion, using the code "LD10" in the promotional code box and place a £10 qualifying bet at min odds of evens (2.0). Your free bet will be credited after your qualifying bet has settled. Free bets are non-withdrawable and expire after 30 days. Max offer one per customer. Qualifying bets cannot be placed on a price boost. Full T&Cs apply
#AD 18+. New customers only. Min 1st dep £10. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Bet £1 single on England v Croatia: Harry Kane to have a shot on target (£1 Max/Min). Prior to the final at 66/1 for 13x £5 Free Bets (valid 4 days). Original price 1/2. Stake & winnings returned at original odds as cash on settlement. Restrictions + T&Cs apply.
#AD. 18+ New customers only. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration Required.
18+. Play Safe. Online only. Ends 31.12.26. New UK customers only, registering with promo code R30. Make your first deposit of £10+, then place a £10 single bet from main balance at odds of 1/2+ on any sports market (excluding Virtuals). Get £30 in Free Bets (3x£10) after settlement. Free Bets valid on any sports market excl. Virtuals, expire in 7 days, non-withdrawable and must be used in full (£10 each). Deposits via PayPal, Neosurf, Paysafe, Apple Pay, NETELLER, Skrill, ecoPayz, Kalibra/Postpay and WH PLUS Card excluded. One per customer. Full T&Cs apply. #ad
BOYLE Sports UK Sports Sign Up Offers will not be available from 10/04/26 10:00 PM to 11/04/26 5:00 PM UK time. 18+. New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Min Deposit £10. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Account & Payment method restrictions apply. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. T&Cs Apply. 18+.
#AD 18+. New customers only. 9am 15/06/26 – 11pm 24/06/26. Min 1st dep £/€10. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Bet £/€1 single on Scotland v Brazil- 2+ goals to be scored, pre kick off at 66/1 for 13x £/€5 Free Bets (valid 4 days). Original price Evs. Stake & winnings returned at original odds as cash on settlement. Restrictions + T&Cs apply.
New customers only. Reg with ENG66 by 21:00 17/06/26. Deposit via Debit Card & bet £1 Pre-Match on England to wear white vs Croatia. 66/1 paid out at max £66 in Bet Builder Free Bets if England wear white, otherwise £40 in Bet Builder Free Bets. Credited within 24 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. Full T&Cs apply.
#AD 18+ New customer offer. Place a max £1 bet on the Match odds market on Scotland to beat Haiti, Sunday, June 14th. Winnings paid in cash at normal odds and are topped up to the enhanced price in Free Bet Builders. Free bets are valid for 30 days. Deposits must be made using Pay by Bank, Apple Pay or Debit card. Excludes multiples & in-play bets. T&C's apply. Please Gamble Responsibly.
#AD 18+ New customers only. Register and enter promo code ALLABOARD10 via My Bonuses within 7 days. Place a first qualifying £10 bet at EVS (2.0) or greater using cash balance. Void/cashed out bets excluded. After settlement, receive: £5 Sports Free Bet – min odds EVS (2.0) +£5 Acca Free Bet 4+ legs, min odds 2/5 (1.4) per leg. Full T&Cs apply.
New customers only. £5 minimum deposit. Place a max £1 qualifying bet on 'Scotland (Home) - Over 0.5 Goals' market only. First £1 single bet only. 5 x £10 bet tokens. Free bets for football BuildABets only. Free bet stakes not included in returns. Free bets are non-withdrawable. 14 Day free bet expiry. Eligibility restrictions. Further T&Cs apply.
New Players Only. Free bet – one-time stake of £50, min odds 1.5, stake not returned. 1X wager the winnings. Wager from real balance first. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Max conversion: £200. Free bets and Bonuses are valid for 7 days. Limited to 1 sport & 5 casino brand/s within the network. Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Excluded Skrill and Neteller deposits. Full Terms apply.
#AD 18+ New Customers Only. Place any £10 bet to qualify, min 2.0 (1/1) odds. Qualifying bet must settle, excluding cash outs. Bonus credited with 24hrs of settlement. 4 x £5 free bets. Free bets min 3 selections and 3.0 odds. Returns exclude free bet stake. Expiry applies .Full T&Cs apply.
18+. New customers only. Opt in required. Minimum bet of £20 on any selections. Min odds of evens (2.00). Pre-game only. Free bet awarded upon settlement. Free bet split into 4 x £5. Free bet on accumulators only. Free bet expiry 24 hours. Other free bet terms apply. Maximum pay-outs apply. GamCare.org.uk | UK only. Full T&Cs apply. #ad
#AD 18+ New UK customers. Min £10 first deposit. Place a bet of £20 at min odds of 3.0 and get £40 in Free Bets within 48 hours. Restrictions apply. Full T&Cs apply, 18+. GambleAware.org
#AD 18+ *New customers only. Bet £5+ in a single real-money bet within 7 days of registration to receive £20 in Free Bets and 2 Rocket Odds Boosts, credited within 24 hours of qualifying bet settlement. Free Bets and Rocket Odds Boosts expire 7 days after credit. Stake not returned. Promotional Terms Apply. 18+. Gambleaware.org
18+ New customers only. Place a £10+ bet at min odds 1/1 (2.0) within 14 days of sign-up. Get £30 in Free Bets, valid for 7 days on selected bets only. Free stake not returned with winnings. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org
18+ | Play Responsibly | Begambleaware.Org | 1st Deposit | Min £20 Stake | £20 Free Bet | Min Odds 2.0 | Max Winnings £100 | 5-Day Expiry | Bonus T&Cs Apply
#AD 18+ New Customers Only. For sports bets placed with real money and the Odds Boost Token, up to a maximum £10 stake (£5 each way). PayPal deposits do not qualify, and unused portions of the token are forfeited. “Double the odds” applies to fractional odds profits only, with extra winnings paid in cash on settlement. Token must be used in 60 days, offer is limited to one per person/household. Full T&Cs apply, and Grosvenor Casinos reserves the right to withhold bonuses or exclude customers in cases of abuse, multiple accounts, or failure to verify identity.
#AD 18+ New customers only (excludes BetTom casino). Get 50% of first-day losses refunded as a free bet up to £/€25, credited within 24 hours. To qualify, place at least 3 bets of £/€10+ on separate events with odds of 2.0 (evens) or higher. First-day losses are all settled stakes minus returns before 23:59. Free bets must be used fully within 7 days; stakes are not returned and free bets are non-withdrawable. Limited to one free bet per person, household, email, IP, phone, payment method, and shared locations. Abuse, fraud, or multiple accounts will lead to disqualification. Full T&Cs apply
#AD 18+ New customers only. Place a min £10 pre-event bet at min odds of 2.0. £40 worth of Free Bet Tokens awarded on bet settlement. 4 x £10 each with betting restrictions. 7 day expiry. Debit Card deposits only (exclusions apply). 18+ GambleAware.org. Bet The Responsible Way Full Terms apply
18+ New Customers. Opt in, deposit and bet £10 on any sports market within 7 days of sign up. Get 2x£20 Free Bets for set markets. Bonuses expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org. Please gamble responsibly.
New customers only. To qualify for free bets, the new user must place and settle £20 on easyBet markets. The user must bet on at least 2 different events to qualify. The user must place and settle bets at odds of 2.0 or more. An event is classed as two different sporting events. Bets can be placed on singles, multiples and Bet Builders. The user must place and settle bets before the closing date of the promotion to qualify. Users making their first deposit by Skrill, Neteller or PaySafe card will not qualify for this promotion. T's and C's Apply. Be Gamble Aware. 18+
#AD 18+ Use WELCOME15 under My Bonuses within 7 days of registering. To qualify, place a min £10 bet from your cash balance at odds of EVS or higher—only your first bet counts, and it must not be voided or cashed out. Once settled, receive 3 £5 free bets: one for an accumulator (min 4 legs at 2/5 odds per leg), one for any sportsbook market at EVS or higher, and one for a Sub Cover market, also at EVS or higher. Full T&Cs apply.
18+ Opt in, deposit & bet £10+ (odds 2.00+) on selected markets within 7 days of registration. Get £40 in Free Bets on selected events. Free Bets expire in 7 days. Click for T&Cs. gambleaware.org
18+| GambleAware.org. New GB customers only. Opt in. Deposit and Bet £10+ on sports at min odds of 2.0+ (1/1) for £30 in Free Bets within 7 days. Debit cards or instant bank transfers only. Free bets expire within 7 days of issue. Geographical restrictions and T&C’s apply.
If your first bet is a Treble or Up on Any Sport (minimum 3 selections) AK Bets will boost the profit gained on that initial bet by 25% in the form of a Free Bet up to a value of £100. Applies to new customers who sign up to AK BETS with the promo code AKACCA100. 18+ GambleAware.org
#AD | 18+ | T&Cs apply | Gambleaware.org
Fairplay Sign-Up Offer: Bet £10 Get £10 in Free Bets 
Ladbrokes Sign-Up Offer: Bet £10 Get £50 in Free Bets 
Bet365 Sign-Up Offer | Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets 
William Hill Sign-Up Offer: Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets 
BOYLE Sports Sign-Up Offer | Bet £10 Get £40 in Free Bets 
Coral Sign-Up Offer: Bet £10 Get £50 in Free Bets 
Betfred Sign-up Offer | Bet £10 & Get £50 in Free Bets 
Paddy Power Sign-Up Offer: Bet £10 Get £50 in Free Bets 
Bet Ahoy Sign-Up Offer: Bet £10 Get £10 in Free Bets 
Sky Bet Sign-up Offer | Bet 5p Get £30 in Free Bets 
Betsuna Sign-Up Offer: Bet £10 Get £50 in Free Bets 
Stakemate Sign-Up Offer: Bet £10 Get £20 in Free Bets 
PricedUp Bet Sign-Up Offer: Bet £20 Get £20 in Free Bets Bet £20 Get £20 in Free Bets
SBK Sign-Up Offer | Bet £20 Get £40 in Free Bets 
Dabble Sign-Up Offer | Bet £5 Get £20 in Free Bets 
Midnite Sign-Up Offer: Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets 
BetCrown Sign-Up Offer | Bet £20 Get £20 Free Bet Bet £20 Get £20 Free Bet
Grosvenor Sport Sign-Up Offer: Double the odds on your first bet 
BetTom Sign-Up Offer: Get 50% back as a Free Bet up to £25 
Betway Sign-Up Offer: Bet £10 Get £40 in Free Bets 
talkSPORT BET sign-up offer | Bet £10 on Darts and Get £40 in Free Bets 
EasyBet Sign-Up Offer: Bet £20 Get £20 in Free Bets 
BetGoodwin Sign-Up Offer | Bet £10 Get £15 in Free Bets 
BetVictor Sign-Up Offer | Bet £10 Get £40 in Free Bets 
Unibet Sign-Up Offer | Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets 
AK Bets Sign-Up Offer | 25% boost on any sport accumulator 25% boost on any sport accumulator
London Bet Sign-Up Offer: Claim exclusive offers and rewards 
