CHINA will play host to the eighth ranking tournament of the season with the world’s best players heading to Nanjing this weekend.
The International Championship 2024 is one of the richest events on the snooker tour and the world’s top players will be desperate to take home the top prize next Sunday.
There remain question marks over whether Ronnie O’Sullivan will play – although at the time of writing he has not pulled out.
Zhang Anda took home the top prize last season, scoring a 147 in the final against Tom Ford to win his first ranking title.
Kyren Wilson, fresh off his dominant win in the Northern Ireland Open, is in action, as is losing finalist Judd Trump.
The tournament is usually a good marker of a player’s form heading into the UK Championship in York, considered the second biggest on the calendar after the World Championships.
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THE aim of snooker is to clear the table of all balls - and achieving it in an incredible 147 break is the ultimate goal.
The rectangular table features green baize, a baulk line and semi-circle, known as the D.
It has six pockets, four in each corner and two midway down both long sides.
There are 15 red balls which are arranged in a triangular shape.
There are also six colour balls, and the white cue ball.
Each colour sits on its own designated spot at the start of the game.
While red balls are worth one point when potted, the colours all have a different value.
In ascending order these are:
The first player will cue off and must hit at least one of the red balls in the triangle.
If they pot a red, they can then continue by potting a colour.
However, if no red is potted then their opponent will play the next shot – going for a red first.
Each player must first pot a red ball when it’s their turn to play. If nothing is pocketed it is the other player’s turn at the table.
After each red is potted they must then follow with a colour, then a red, then a colour, and so on.
Whilst there are still red balls on the table, the potted colour balls are returned to their designated spot.
Once all the red balls are pocketed, the player at the table must pot the colours in the order as outlined above.
If they miss then their opponent will have the opportunity to clear the table.
A 147 is a maximum break when all reds are potted by one player in one stint at the table.
In order to achieve 147, the player must pot all 15 reds with 15 blacks for 120 points.
They must then clear all the colours, concluding with the black for 27 points.
During play the rules state that the cue must only touch the white cue ball.
The cue ball also must hit the correct colour ball – reds or colours in order.
If it hits the incorrect colour then a foul is called.
If the cue ball fails to hit any ball or is pocketed it is also a foul.
The player’s turn at the table ends if they play a foul shot.
Players are also penalised if they touch any ball on the table with their person.
A full schedule of matches and the latest results, as well as the latest information on the tournament.
The tournament in China is one of the richest events on the circuit, with with the winner taking home £175,000 and the total prize fund sitting at £825,000.
The breakdown is as follows:
