German Darts Championship 2025: Full schedule and start times in Hildesheim
Scottish hero Peter Wright defends his title as elite stars aim to land Euro Tour triumph and reach Dortmund.
Peter Wright begins his defence of the German Darts Championship against Ricardo Pietreczko or Radek Szaganski as the 2025 European Tour season reaches its climax in Hildesheim.
The top 32 players on the rankings following this weekend will qualify for this year’s showpiece in Dortmund with Krzysztof Ratajski currently occupying the final qualification spot.
Wright, also a former European Champion, headlines this weekend’s action having produced a heroic display to topple World Champion Luke Littler and triumph in Hildesheim 12 months ago.
Snakebite also succumbed to Pietreczko in the 2023 decider and the pair could renew their rivalry in Round Two on Saturday afternoon.
Round One will feature 16 matches across two sessions on Friday as Pietreczko faces Polish star Szaganski, while home favourite Gabriel Clemens takes on Croatia’s Tomislav Rosandic.
European Championship runner-up Jermaine Wattimena, fresh from his ProTour victory on Tuesday, meets Irish star Keane Barry, with Dirk van Duijvenbode pitted against Czech number one Karel Sedlacek.
Nathan Aspinall currently occupies top spot on the European Tour rankings and the Stockport star opens his bid for a third European Tour title of the year against Germany’s Maximilian Czerwinski.
Five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld also faces German opposition in the form of qualifier Kevin Troppmann, as the Dutchman bids to confirm his European Championship qualification.
Joe Cullen must reach the last 16 to have any chance of booking his place in Dortmund and the former Masters champion has been handed an opening round assignment against Ricky Evans.
The top 16 players on the PDC Werner Rankings Ladder will enter the tournament in Round Two on Saturday with top seed Stephen Bunting set to play either Ryan Joyce or Justin Hood.
James Wade faces a tough test against Wattimena or Barry, with Van Barneveld and Troppmann battling it out for the right to meet an in-form Jonny Clayton.
Chris Dobey awaits the winner of the tie between Van Duijvenbode and Sedlacek, while Gerwyn Price could take on Daryl Gurney, if the Northern Irishman overcomes Christian Kist on Friday.
Two-time European Champion Rob Cross and six-time TV finalist Dave Chisnall are yet to confirm their spots in next week’s European Championship, with both entering this weekend’s event on Saturday.
Cross faces Cameron Menzies or Wesley Plaisier, while Chisnall faces a must-win clash against Clemens or Rosandic.
Following Saturday’s action, the last 16 will take place on Sunday afternoon, before the tournament concludes with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final in a blockbuster evening session.
SCHEDULE OF PLAY
Friday October 17
First Round
Afternoon Session (12 noon UK)
Cameron Menzies v Wesley Plaisier
Niels Zonneveld v Darius Labanauskas
Jeffrey de Graaf v Steve Lennon
Wessel Nijman v Martin Kramer
Ryan Joyce v Justin Hood
Luke Woodhouse v Tom Bissell
Krzysztof Ratajski v Felix Springer
Andrew Gilding v William O’Connor
Evening Session (6pm UK)
Jermaine Wattimena v Keane Barry
Daryl Gurney v Christian Kist
Ricardo Pietreczko v Radek Szaganski
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Karel Sedlacek
Raymond van Barneveld v Kevin Troppmann
Ricky Evans v Joe Cullen
Gabriel Clemens v Tomislav Rosandic
Nathan Aspinall v Maximilian Czerwinski
Saturday October 18
Second Round
Afternoon Session (12 noon UK0
Gian van Veen v Zonneveld/Labanauskas
Damon Heta v De Graaf/Lennon
Danny Noppert v Woodhouse/Bissell
Ryan Searle v Ratajski/Springer
Mike De Decker v Nijman/Kramer
Rob Cross v Menzies/Plaisier
Peter Wright v Pietreczko/Szaganski
Dave Chisnall v Clemens/Rosandic
Evening Session (6pm UK)
Ross Smith v Aspinall/Czerwinski
Jonny Clayton v Van Barneveld/Troppmann
Gerwyn Price v Gurney/Kist
James Wade v Wattimena/Barry
Chris Dobey v Van Duijvenbode/Sedlacek
Martin Schindler v Gilding/O’Connor
Josh Rock v Evans/Cullen
Stephen Bunting v Joyce/Hood
Sunday October 19
Afternoon Session (12 noon UK)
Third Round
Evening Session (6pm UK)
Quarter-Finals
Semi-Finals
Final
Where to watch
German Darts Championship will be streamed through Viaplay, and through DAZN for viewers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Coverage will also be shown on PDCTV and through bookmakers’ worldwide.