Dave Chisnall’s World Matchplay chase has reached the point where every leg in Wigan feels loaded, even if his own answer is to pretend otherwise. The St Helens man heads into Players Championship 22 on Wednesday, then the debut Slovak Darts Open in Bratislava from 19-21 June, knowing the Blackpool race is no longer background noise. Oche180 reported on 16 June 2026 that Chisnall was £6,250 outside the qualification places before this week’s ProTour double-header, a narrow but awkward gap with the cut-off coming on 8 July.
The qualification picture is defined by the top 16 on the PDC Order of Merit and the next 16 from the ProTour rankings. According to the DartsRankings World Matchplay race after Players Championship 21, Chisnall sat 28th in the main Order of Merit on £346,000, between Dirk van Duijvenbode in 27th on £349,500 and Cameron Menzies in 29th on £340,000. That underlines the squeeze: he is not drifting, but neither is he safe.
Chisnall must park the Matchplay maths
The more interesting part is Chisnall’s mood. In comments carried by Oche180 after his European Tour weekend in Kiel, he admitted a pre-match meal had contributed to him feeling “bloated” before losing to Ryan Joyce. Chisnall said it was good to get over the line against Gian van Veen, but described it as “a bit of stupidity” to go for food before facing Joyce. It was a disarmingly honest explanation, and one that will resonate with anyone who has watched rhythm disappear from a player who normally thrives on it.
There was at least a positive edge. Chisnall also said two quarter-final finishes had given him a “kick up the arse” and that he was looking forward to showing people over the next few weeks. For a player who has made a career out of heavy scoring bursts and unfussy resilience, that matters. Chizzy rarely needs theatre; he needs volume, confidence and a run of matches where the treble 20 starts looking oversized again.
Wigan is not a bad place for that reset. Chisnall called the Wigan ProTours his favourites because they are only a short train journey from where he is based. The setting is familiar, the format is brutally honest, and the reward is immediate. Players Championship 21 was staged on Tuesday 16 June, with Players Championship 22 following on Wednesday 17 June on PDCTV, as outlined in the DartsNews Players Championship guide. Our preview of Players Championship 21-22 in Wigan sets out why these floor events can turn the Matchplay race quickly.
Bratislava offers one more timely chance
Chisnall’s own framing is sensible. He said a good result could secure a World Matchplay place, but that he would ignore the consequences and just play darts. That is easier said than done when Blackpool is on the line. He also acknowledged pressure can weigh heavy, while confidence and momentum can change everything. In this particular race, both statements feel true. The table is tight enough to punish one flat day, yet open enough to reward one deep run.
There is wider context too. On the Players Championship Order of Merit after Event 21, DartsNews listed Chisnall 29th on £32,000, with Wessel Nijman leading on £130,500 and Chris Dobey second on £79,000. Those numbers are not the whole Matchplay equation, but they show the standard around him. Others in the same conversation have already felt the heat, as Ross Smith’s recent World Matchplay warning showed. This is not a sentimental scrap; it is a ranking fight with very little room for reputation.
Then comes Bratislava. The Slovak Darts Open makes its European Tour debut from 19-21 June, with a field headed by Gian van Veen and Michael van Gerwen. Jonny Clayton, Gerwyn Price, Stephen Bunting, James Wade, Gary Anderson and Nathan Aspinall are also among the entries, while Luke Littler and Luke Humphries are absent, according to the DartsNews Slovak Darts Open watch guide. For Chisnall, that means opportunity without comfort. The draw will still bite.
If Chisnall turns familiar Wigan comfort into one proper surge, the Dave Chisnall World Matchplay conversation changes before Bratislava even begins.