Who is fighting for their future at snooker Q School? Format explained for 2023 event at Leicester’s Morningside Arena

The 2023/24 snooker season begins in earnest on Friday morning with the latest edition of Q School at the Morningside Arena in Leicester.

It is the 13th time the pressurised event has been staged with 208 players competing for only eight World Snooker Tour cards that will earn them playing rights for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons, respectively.

There are two tournaments with the four semi-finalists from each earning coveted spots on the professional circuit.

Snooker

‘They don’t cue straight’ – Holt makes fascinating revelation about iconic world champion duo

19/05/2023 AT 19:51

Event One runs from Friday 26 May until Wednesday 31 May with the second competition starting on Thursday 1 June until Tuesday 6 June.

A player entering in round one will have to win six matches to earn their card with those coming in at the second stage needing five wins from the best-of-seven frame contests.

Former Shoot Out winner Michael Holt saw his 26-year stay on the circuit come to an end after finishing 65th in the rankings at the conclusion of the 2021/22 season before failing to regain his card at Q School a year ago.

‘Shoot Out specialist’ Holt stuns Lisowski with stunning break

“It was a disaster dropping off, but the analogy I would use is having a stone in your shoe. It feels really big at the time, but when you stop and take your shoe off you realise it is only small,” he said.

“I’m sure if I was a single 25-year-old it would have been a bigger thing, snooker was all my life was at that point. Now it is a part of my life that I want to get back. I have a wife and kids now.

“It has given me time to explore stuff I simply wouldn’t have done if I was on the tour. If I can get back on then it could turn out to be one of the best things to ever happen to me.”

1980s favourite Tony Knowles, recent World Seniors finalist Alfie Burden and ‘Federer of the Baize’ Alexander Ursenbacher, a man who curiously boasts a 3-1 winning record against Ronnie O’Sullivan, are among those bidding to recapture former glories at Q School.

An Order of Merit is also established at Q School which will see players earning one point for each frame won.

The highest players on the Q School Order of Merit without a tour card will be invited to compete at World Snooker Tour events where there is a need to top up the number of entrants beyond wildcards and commercial agreements.

‘Maybe he should go out there and pretend he’s playing me’ – O’Sullivan on Ursenbacher

Four more tour cards are available from the 128-player Asia and Oceania Q School events which run between 1-12 June and is open to citizens of the regions.

The Championship League is the first official ranking event of the new campaign, with Leicester also hosting the various groups of the competition between June 26-July 21.

World champion Luca Brecel will be among the favourites with world No. 1 O’Sullivan, Mark Selby and Judd Trump among the leading men who competed in last year’s event.