Crucible curse

The first-time world champions listed below all experienced the "Crucible curse", as they did not successfully defend their title at the following year's World Championship. In the years that are not listed, the "curse" was not applicable because the previous year's championship was won by a player who had held the world title previously.

Year[5][6]	Defending champion[5][6]	Progress	Result	Opponent	Ref
1980	Terry Griffiths	Second round[lower-alpha 1]	10–13	Steve Davis	[7]
1981	Cliff Thorburn	Semi-finals	10–16	Steve Davis	[8]
1982	Steve Davis	First round	1–10	Tony Knowles	[9]
1986	Dennis Taylor	First round	6–10	Mike Hallett	[10]
1987	Joe Johnson	Final	14–18	Steve Davis	[11]
1991	Stephen Hendry	Quarter-finals	11–13	Steve James	[12]
1992	John Parrott	Quarter-finals	12–13	Alan McManus	[13]
1998	Ken Doherty	Final	12–18	John Higgins	[14]
1999	John Higgins	Semi-finals	10–17	Mark Williams	[15]
2001	Mark Williams	Second round	12–13	Joe Swail	[16]
2002	Ronnie O'Sullivan	Semi-finals	13–17	Stephen Hendry	[17]
2003	Peter Ebdon	Quarter-finals	12–13	Paul Hunter	[18]
2006	Shaun Murphy	Quarter-finals	7–13	Peter Ebdon	[19]
2007	Graeme Dott	First round	7–10	Ian McCulloch	[20]
2011	Neil Robertson	First round	8–10	Judd Trump	[21]
2015	Mark Selby	Second round	9–13	Anthony McGill	[22]
2016	Stuart Bingham	First round	9–10	Ali Carter	[23]
2020	Judd Trump	Quarter-finals	9–13	Kyren Wilson	[24]

Of the eighteen players to have won their first world title at the Crucible Theatre, six lost in their first match as defending champion: Terry Griffiths in 1980, Steve Davis in 1982, Dennis Taylor in 1986, Graeme Dott in 2007, Neil Robertson in 2011, and Stuart Bingham in 2016. Most recently, Judd Trump fell to the curse at the quarter-final stage. Only two of the eighteen were able to reach the final as defending champions: Joe Johnson in 1987 and Ken Doherty in 1998.

Four players have won consecutive world titles at the Crucible (having already won the championship previously): Steve Davis (1983–1984 and 1987–1989), Stephen Hendry (1992–1996), Ronnie O'Sullivan (2012–2013), and Mark Selby (2016–2017). All of these players had already experienced the "Crucible curse" after winning their first world title.[5][25]

Of all first-time world snooker champions, only three have retained their title at the next World Championship: Joe Davis in 1928, his brother Fred Davis in 1949, and John Pulman at his first challenge match in 1964. No player in the modern game (post-1969) has successfully defended a first world title, even before the tournament was staged at the Crucible Theatre.

John Spencer, Ray Reardon and Alex Higgins won the World Championship for the first time before the event was moved to the Crucible in 1977, and failed to retain the title the following year (although this could not be attributed to the "Crucible curse"). All three players subsequently won the championship at the Crucible for the first time, but then fell to the "curse" when they failed to successfully defend the title the following year.

Year[5][6]	Defending champion[5][6]	Progress	Result	Opponent	Ref
Defending first world title:
1970	John Spencer	Semi-finals	33–37	Ray Reardon	[26]
1971	Ray Reardon	Semi-finals	15–34	John Spencer	[27]
1973	Alex Higgins	Semi-finals	9–23	Eddie Charlton	[28]
Defending first world title at Crucible Theatre:
1978	John Spencer	Last 16	8–13	Perrie Mans	[29]
1979	Ray Reardon	Quarter-finals	8–13	Dennis Taylor	[30]
1983	Alex Higgins	Semi-finals	5–16	Steve Davis	[31]