The 1947 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 20 January to 25 October 1947. The final was held at the Leicester Square Hall in London, England, from 13 to 25 October. The semi-finals were completed in March, but the final was delayed due to building works at the venue, which had been bombed in October 1940. Walter Donaldson won the title by defeating Fred Davis by 82 frames to 63 in the final, although he reached the winning margin earlier, at 73–49. Davis made the highest break of the tournament with a 135 clearance in frame 86 of the final.

The 1947 event was the first to be played since the retirement of Joe Davis who had won all 15 of the previous Championships since it was inaugurated in 1927. Davis had announced in October 1946 that he would no longer play in the competition. A qualifying competition for thirteen entrants at Burroughes Hall in London from 2 January to 8 February 1947 was won by Albert Brown, who then joined seven other players in the main competition. The quarter-finals and semi-finals took place from 20 January to 15 March at various venues in England.

Background

The World Snooker Championship is a professional tournament and the official world championship of the game of snooker. The sport was developed in the late 19th century by British Army soldiers stationed in India. Professional English billiards player and billiard hall manager Joe Davis noticed the increasing popularity of snooker compared to billiards in the 1920s, and with Birmingham-based billiards equipment manager Bill Camkin, persuaded the Billiards Association and Control Council (BACC) to recognise an official professional snooker championship in the 1926–27 season. In 1927, the final of the first professional snooker championship was held at Camkin's Hall; Davis won the tournament by beating Tom Dennis in the final. The annual competition was not titled the World Championship until the 1935 tournament, but the 1927 tournament is now referred to as the first World Snooker Championship. Davis had also won the title every year from 1928 to 1940, after which the tournament was not held again until 1946 due to World War II. The World Championship was the first to be played since the retirement from the competition of Joe Davis who had won all 15 of the previous Championships. He had announced in October 1946 that he would no longer play in the World Championship.

Format

The closing date for entries for the 1947 championship was 23 November 1946. The entry fee was five guineas per player, with five per cent of gate receipts to be paid to the BACC. This was reduced to two guineas, and the same percentage of gate receipts, after representations to the BACC by the Professional Billiard Players Association. Twenty players entered; thirteen of them were placed in "Section B", which was to produce one qualifier to join the other seven players in "Section A", the main competition. The "Section B" matches were held at Burroughes Hall in London from 2 January to 8 February 1947, all played across 35 frames. The quarter finals and semi finals were played at different venues in England, across 71 frames, except for two of the quarter-finals which were across 73 frames. The final was played over 145 frames from 13 to 25 October 1947 at Leicester Square Hall.

Dates and venues of matches

Match	Dates	Venue, city	Ref.
Fred Davis v Clark McConachy	20–25 January 1947	Clifton Hotel, Blackpool
Sidney Smith v Alec Brown	27 January–1 February 1947	Burroughes Hall, Newcastle
Horace Lindrum v Albert Brown	10–15 February 1947	Burroughes Hall, London
Walter Donaldson v Stanley Newman	10–15 February 1947	Palais de Danse, Wellington, Shropshire
Fred Davis v Sidney Smith	17–22 February 1947	Houldsworth Hall, Manchester
Walter Donaldson v Horace Lindrum	10–15 March 1947	St George's Hall, Liverpool
Walter Donaldson v Fred Davis	13–18, 20–25 October 1947	Leicester Square Hall, London

Tournament summary

Quarter-finals and semi-finals

Fred Davis took a 6–0 lead in the first session of his match against Clark McConachy. McConachy only won the 15th frame during the first three sessions, and Davis led 17–1 as they started the fourth session, during which McConachy took the 22nd fame. Davis finished the second day 22–2 ahead. Each player won three frames in the fifth session; McConachy recorded an 85 break, the highest of the match to that point. Davis secured his progress to the next round at 37–7, with two days of the match still remaining. During the dead frames, McConachy compiled a break of 132; the final score was 53–20 to Davis. Sidney Smith achieved a 106 break in the fifth session against Alec Brown; by taking five of that sessions six frames, Smith led 23–7, and he increased his advantage to 27–9 during the following session. After reaching a winning margin at 37–22, Smith won 44–29 following dead frames.

After Horace Lindrum built a 5–1 lead in their first session, Albert Brown won four successive frames in the next session and finished the first day at 5–7. Brown took the lead by adding the first three frames of the third session, but was four frames behind at 10–14 by the close of the second day's play. The eventual score was 39–34 to Lindrum. Donaldson practised intensively in preparation for the Championship, using a billiard table in a neighbour's attic. He won both of the first two sessions by a 4–2 margin against Stanley Newman, and despite losing both sessions on the third day, was 21–15 ahead afterwards. From 25–19 ahead, he took the next eight frames, and went on to win 46–25.

In the first semi-final, Davis held a 9–3 lead against Smith. During the sixth session, Davis made a century break, which was followed in the next frame by an 83 break from Smith. Davis won 39–32 after securing a win at 36–28. Donaldson whitewashed Lindrum 6–0 in their first session. In the next session, each player won three frames. On day three, Donaldson moved ten frames ahead at 20–10, but Lindrum reduced the margin to six frames, at 20–15, by the end of the day. Going into the last day, Donaldson was 32–28 up; he secured a place in the final at 36–30. With dead frames, the final score was 39–32.

Final

The final, at Leicester Square Hall, was postponed for several weeks due to building works. The hall, previously known as Thurston's Hall, had been bombed during The Blitz, in October 1940, and only re-opened on 3 October 1947. Meanwhile, Donaldson continued practising. The match was played over 145 frames. Donaldson led Davis 4–2 and 7–5 after the initial two sessions. Later, from 19–35 behind, Davis won six consecutive frames to reduce his deficit to ten frames at 35–25. Donaldson secured victory at 73–49 and finished the match at 82–63. Donaldson's tactics during the championship involved compiling breaks of around 30 to 50 points, and playing safety rather than attempting difficult pots. Davis became frustrated with the lack of scoring chances Donaldson left for him, and missed a number of difficult pot attempts, thus allowing Donaldson opportunities to score and win frames. Donaldson won the title by defeating Davis 82–63, although he already reached the winning margin at 73–49. The championship trophy was presented by John C. Bissett, chairman of the BACC. After the final, Donaldson celebrated at the Albany Club, where he had won the 1946 Albany Club Professional Snooker Tournament the previous year.

Davis made the highest break of the tournament with a 135 clearance in frame 86 of the final, just one short of the championship record. Donaldson's break of 98 against Newman in the 20th frame of the quarter-final was his highest at the championship. There were three century breaks during the final, all by Davis. Joe Davis commented after the match that, "Donaldson's long potting at present is the equal of anything seen in snooker history"; his brother Fred Davis said "[Donaldson] is playing the best snooker I have ever seen". In his book Talking Snooker, first published in 1979, Fred Davis reflected that he had probably been "perhaps overconfident" and also had not expected Donaldson's standard to have improved so much as a result of his many hours of practice. This was the first of eight consecutive finals, from 1947 to 1954, featuring the two players.

Two wins by Joe Davis in challenge matches against Donaldson after the 1947 championship reinforced the public perception that the 15-time champion Davis was still the best player.

Main draw

The results for the main draw are shown below. Match winners are denoted in bold.

	Quarter-finals 71/73 frames					Semi-finals 71 frames					Final 145 frames
	Fred Davis (ENG)		53
	Clark McConachy (NZL)		20
						Fred Davis		39
						Sidney Smith		32
	Sidney Smith (ENG)		43
	Alec Brown (ENG)		28
											Fred Davis		63
											Walter Donaldson		82
	Walter Donaldson (SCO)		46
	Stanley Newman (ENG)		25
						Walter Donaldson		39
						Horace Lindrum		32
	Horace Lindrum (AUS)		39
	Albert Brown (ENG)		34

Final

Final: 145 frames. Leicester Square Hall, London, 13–18, 20–25 October 1947.
Walter Donaldson  Scotland	82–63	Fred Davis  England
Day 1: 42–88, 65–49, 77–29, 23–91, 65–51, 70–21, 26–72, 62–43, 13–113, 66–60, 40–86, 85–36 Day 2: 88–31, 84–22, 33–50, 71–32, 49–71, 65–35, 63–65, 80–36, 73–56, 32–86, 87–48, 34–96 Day 3: 73–44, 95–14, 64–50, 89–31, 79–23, 28–63, 70–38, 59–40, 30–55, 62–47, 28–82 (55), 38–86 Day 4: 80–20, 52–82, 83–43, 13–144 (73), 65–36, 69–24, 99–24 (97), 100–24, 112–5, 78–45, 47–77, 62–61 Day 5: 65–53, 12–112, 84–33, 77–24, 83–37, 25–94, 31–84, 50–71, 56–82, 37–64, 22–89, 32–80 Day 6: 85–18, 72–45, 21–88, 60–46, 94–38, 70–39, 72–31, 90–11, 87–28, 46–70, 29–79, 74–51 Day 7: 63–41, 116–8, 96–24, 8–111 (103), 65–59, 68–61, 16–106, 26–85, 19–119 (107), 56–69, 89–42, 97–12 Day 8: 53–44, 0–139 (135), 97–32, 51–63, 67–37, 39–96, 57–36, 90–28, 32–75, 103–6, 65–73, 22–103 Day 9: 40–67, 67–55, 30–94, 72–59, 82–21, 20–86, 95–51, 119–31, 51–93, 14–94, 55–64, 12–120 Day 10: 51–56, 111–20, 95–31, 88–23, 91–6, 86–36, 28–80, 57–55, 73–53, 24–86, 65–55, 101–26 Day 11: 68–66, 95–48, 77–38, 66–67, 68–23, 76–50, 72–53, 74–40, 44–82, 43–79, 4–114, 31–78 Day 12: (one frame score is unknown) 55–65, 18–92, 77–47, 23–96, 26–75, 93–21, 18–93, 26–84, 6–112, 46–82, 104–33, 96–20
"Dead" frames were played. Donaldson won the match at 73–49.

Qualifying

Herbert Holt had withdrawn from the qualifying in early December. The first match, between John Pulman and Albert Brown was a repeat of the final of the 1946 English Amateur Championship which Pulman had won. Brown led 14–9 after two days and took a winning 18–9 lead on the final day. Herbert Francis led Willie Leigh 14–10 after two days. Leigh levelled the score at 15–15 after the final afternoon session and eventually won 19–16. Sydney Lee beat Jim Lees 19–16 in the third match. In the last first-round match Kingsley Kennerley won easily against Conrad Stanbury, taking an 18–4 lead on the second evening.

Willie Leigh won all six frames of the first session, and all but frame nine in the second session, to establish an 11–1 lead against Sydney Lee. On the second day, he confirmed a win by taking the 19th frame with a break of 63, for a winning margin of 17–2. Kennerley reached a decisive margin of victory at 18–10 against Mann. In the semi-finals, Albert Brown secured his place in the last frame of the second day of his match against Barrie, at 18–6, and Kennerley prevailed 18–9 against Leigh. Brown won the contest of the Birmingham-based players at 18–10, which meant he was scheduled to play Lindrum in the quarter-finals of the main competition.

Qualifying results

Results of the qualifying competition were as follows:

	Round 1 35 frames					Round 2 35 frames					Round 3 35 frames					Round 4 35 frames
	Albert Brown (ENG)		21
	John Pulman (ENG)		14			Albert Brown		28
	Eric Newman (ENG)		w/o			Eric Newman		7
	Herbert Holt (ENG)		w/d								Albert Brown		24
											John Barrie		11
						John Barrie		25
						Fred Lawrence		10
																Albert Brown		21
	Kingsley Kennerley (ENG)		23													Kingsley Kennerley		14
	Conrad Stanbury (CAN)		12			Kingsley Kennerley		23
						Alec Mann		12
											Kingsley Kennerley		21
	Jim Lees (ENG)		16								Willie Leigh		14
	Sydney Lee (ENG)		19			Sydney Lee		10
	Willie Leigh (ENG)		19			Willie Leigh		25
	Herbert Francis (ENG)		16