Chris Dobey Grand Slam of Darts 2026: Group N Guide
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The chris dobey grand slam of darts 2026 campaign begins in the evening session on Saturday 14 November, when the Englishman opens his Group N programme against Jan Schmidt at WV Active Aldersley in Wolverhampton. It is the final match of the opening day, and a match Dobey will be expected to win. Yet nothing in this new format can be taken for granted. The field has grown to 48 players, split into 16 groups of three, and only the winner of each group reaches the last 16. There is no second place to fall back on and no room for a poor performance. For Dobey, in superb form on the floor but still searching for a second major title on television, the Grand Slam is both an opportunity and a test.
Dobey is known as Hollywood, a nickname given to him early in his career because of his blond hair and confident presence on stage. He is from Bedlington in Northumberland. His breakthrough came in January 2023, when he won the Masters, beating Rob Cross 11-7 in the final to claim his first major title. That victory earned him a place in the Premier League. Since then, he has reached the semi-finals of the World Championship and established himself as one of the most consistent winners on the Players Championship circuit, even if a second televised title has stayed out of reach. The 2026 Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts runs from 14 to 22 November 2026. Group matches are best of nine legs. The last 16 is best of 19 legs on 18 and 19 November, the quarter-finals are best of 31 legs on 20 and 21 November, and the semi-finals and final are both best of 31 legs on Sunday 22 November. The prize fund is £1 million, with £200,000 for the winner, £100,000 for the runner-up, and £5,000 guaranteed for every player. The defending champion is Luke Littler, who has won all 14 of his Grand Slam matches and beat Luke Humphries 16-11 in the 2025 final.
Chris Dobey Grand Slam of Darts 2026: Group N at a Glance
Group N has a clear favourite and two dangerous challengers. Dobey is the seeded player, ranked world number 16 and seeded 14th. He shares the group with Martin Schindler, the German number one and runner-up at the European Championship in October, and Jan Schmidt, a German debutant who reached the final of the World Youth Championship in 2026. Dobey plays Schmidt first, on Saturday evening. Schindler then faces Schmidt, and the group finishes with Dobey against Schindler. That final group match is likely to decide who reaches the last 16. A comfortable win over Schmidt would set Dobey up perfectly for Schindler. For viewing plans, the Grand Slam of Darts 2026 opening day guide sets out the Saturday schedule, while the complete Grand Slam of Darts 2026 groups page lists every group and the full Grand Slam of Darts 2026 draw shows how the groups feed into the knockout bracket. The guide to watching the Grand Slam of Darts covers the broadcast options, with Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN and Viaplay internationally, alongside PDCTV.
| Group N player | Seeding | How he qualified |
|---|---|---|
| Chris Dobey | Seed 14 | Players Championship event winner in 2026 |
| Martin Schindler | Unseeded | European Championship runner-up in 2026 |
| Jan Schmidt | Unseeded | World Youth Championship finalist in 2026 |
Den Bosch Form: Three Titles in 2026
Dobey arrives in excellent form on the Players Championship circuit. On Thursday 29 October 2026, he won Players Championship 32 in Den Bosch, beating Tommy Morris 8-4 in the final at Maaspoort Den Bosch to claim the £15,000 top prize. It was his third ranking title of the season, following wins at Players Championship 3 and Players Championship 9, and the third year in a row in which he has won three Players Championship titles in a single season. That form is why the chris dobey grand slam of darts 2026 campaign carries such interest, even though his television record since the Masters has been mixed. The performance in Den Bosch was about quality as well as result: Dobey averaged 103.15 across his seven matches, producing five averages over 100. He beat Krzysztof Ratajski 6-1 in the quarter-finals with an average of 111.12, and William O’Connor 7-4 in the semi-finals with an average of 109.68. In the final, he averaged 103.01 and sealed the win with a 12-dart leg. The run moved him into second place on the Players Championship Order of Merit and confirmed his place at the Players Championship Finals in Minehead. The Players Championship Finals 2026 preview looks ahead to that event, which follows the Grand Slam.
Hollywood’s Career So Far: Masters Champion and World Semi-Finalist
Dobey’s career changed in January 2023, when he won the Masters in Milton Keynes. He reached his first televised final there, beating Joe Cullen, Luke Humphries, Dirk van Duijvenbode and reigning world champion Michael Smith on his way to the final, where he beat Rob Cross 11-7. The victory earned him a place in the Premier League for the first time. Since then, he has been a regular in the world’s top 16, reaching a career-high ranking of world number six in 2025. His best result at the World Championship came in 2025, when he reached the semi-finals, with wins over Josh Rock and Gerwyn Price. Yet he has won only one televised title. On the floor, he has won nine Players Championship titles from 13 finals since 2024. On television, he has reached only one major final, the Masters final he won. Floor events are played with no crowd and no cameras, while majors are played on stage in front of thousands of people. Dobey’s scoring is good enough to win on either stage. The question is whether he can maintain that level when the match is on the line in front of a crowd.
Group N Opponents: Schindler and Schmidt
Martin Schindler: The German Number One in Form
Schindler is the biggest threat to Dobey’s progress, and he arrives in the form of his life. He reached the final of the European Championship in Dortmund in October 2026, becoming the first German player to reach a televised PDC major final. He entered as the 31st seed, having qualified only through the final European Tour event of the year in Maastricht, and he beat Wessel Nijman, Jermaine Wattimena, Jonny Clayton and Krzysztof Ratajski on his way to the final. His quarter-final win over Clayton was particularly impressive: he won 10-1, averaging 103.16 and hitting a 167 checkout. In the final, he lost 11-8 to Ross Smith, but he had already made history for German darts. For Dobey, the meeting with Schindler is the key match in the group. The guide to the German players at the Grand Slam of Darts 2026 looks at Schindler’s chances in more detail.
Jan Schmidt: The Debutant with Nothing to Lose
Schmidt is the least experienced player in Group N, but one of the most interesting stories in the tournament. The German reached the final of the World Youth Championship in 2026, which earned him a place at the Grand Slam and a place at the World Championship. He will make his major-tournament debut in Wolverhampton against Dobey on Saturday evening. The Jan Schmidt Grand Slam of Darts 2026 guide looks at his rise in more detail. Schmidt reached the Super League final on Friday 13 November, losing 8-7 to Paul Krohne, and faces Dobey in Wolverhampton less than 24 hours later. For Dobey, that is an advantage, but not a guarantee: debutants have caused surprises before, and Schmidt will have nothing to lose.
What Dobey Must Do to Win Group N
First, Dobey must win his opening match against Schmidt, and win it well. A comfortable win would give him confidence and put pressure on Schindler. In a best-of-nine-leg match, a player who starts slowly can find himself 3-0 or 4-1 down before he has settled. Second, Dobey must handle Schindler, who is in the form of his life. He needs to score heavily in the early legs and take his chances at the doubles, so that Schindler has to chase the match. Third, he must manage the format. If he reaches the last 16, he will play a best-of-19-leg match, and if he reaches the quarter-finals, a best-of-31-leg match. Those longer formats should suit Dobey, because they give him time to settle, as his run to the World Championship semi-finals in 2025 showed.
The Road Beyond the Group
If the chris dobey grand slam of darts 2026 run reaches the last 16, the format changes in Dobey’s favour. The last 16 is best of 19 legs on 18 and 19 November, the quarter-finals are best of 31 legs on 20 and 21 November, and the semi-finals and final are both best of 31 legs on Sunday 22 November. The full Grand Slam of Darts 2026 prize money breakdown shows what is at stake, with the winner receiving £200,000 from a total fund of £1 million. The defending champion, Luke Littler, is the player everyone must beat, and the Luke Littler Grand Slam of Darts 2026 guide looks at his bid for a third straight title. The Grand Slam of Darts 2026 predictions page looks at the leading contenders, and Dobey features in that discussion if he can carry his floor form onto the stage. The World Darts Championship 2027 field guide will be updated as qualification is confirmed, but Dobey’s place at the World Championship is already secure through his ranking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who does Chris Dobey play first at the Grand Slam of Darts 2026?
Dobey opens against Jan Schmidt in the evening session on Saturday 14 November at WV Active Aldersley in Wolverhampton, over the best of nine legs.
What group is Chris Dobey in at the Grand Slam of Darts 2026?
Dobey is the 14th seed in Group N, alongside Martin Schindler and Jan Schmidt. Only the winner of the group reaches the last 16.
What did Chris Dobey win in October 2026?
Dobey won Players Championship 32 in Den Bosch on Thursday 29 October 2026, beating Tommy Morris 8-4 in the final to claim the £15,000 top prize. It was his third ranking title of the season, following wins at Players Championship 3 and Players Championship 9.
Has Chris Dobey won a major title before?
Yes. Dobey won the Masters in January 2023, beating Rob Cross 11-7 in the final to claim his first major title. He also reached the semi-finals of the World Championship in 2025.
Who is Martin Schindler, Dobey’s main rival in Group N?
Schindler is the German number one and runner-up at the European Championship in October 2026, where he lost 11-8 to Ross Smith in the final. He beat Jonny Clayton 10-1 in the quarter-finals in Dortmund, becoming the first German player to reach a televised PDC major final.
When is the Grand Slam of Darts 2026 final?
The final is played on Sunday 22 November 2026 at WV Active Aldersley in Wolverhampton. The semi-finals are in the afternoon and the final is in the evening, both over the best of 31 legs. The winner receives £200,000.
Conclusion
The chris dobey grand slam of darts 2026 campaign is a chance for Hollywood to show that his floor form can finally become stage form. Group N is winnable, but it is not easy. Schmidt is a debutant with nothing to lose, and Schindler is in the form of his life after reaching the European Championship final. Dobey must win his opener, get the better of Schindler, and carry his Den Bosch scoring into Wolverhampton. If he does that, he will reach the last 16 with confidence and momentum, and he will have a real chance of a deep run in the biggest Grand Slam ever staged.
