International Championship 2026: Nanjing draw, Malaysia times and Murphy, Hawkins, Brecel withdrawals
Wu Yize defends his title in Nanjing from 31 Oct to 7 Nov. Murphy, Hawkins and Brecel withdraw, and sessions start at 09:30, 14:00 and 19:30 Malaysia time.
The 2026 International Championship gets under way in Nanjing, China, on Saturday, 31 October, with defending champion Wu Yize leading a strong Chinese contingent and three big names pulling out on the eve of the event. The ranking tournament runs until Saturday, 7 November at the South New City National Fitness Center, and because China shares Malaysia's time zone (UTC+8), every session is played at convenient hours for fans in Malaysia.
Late withdrawals reshape the draw
The World Snooker Tour announced on 29 October that Shaun Murphy, Barry Hawkins and Luca Brecel had withdrawn, with SnookerHQ reporting that all three cited medical reasons. Their first-round opponents receive walkovers: Mitchell Mann goes through in place of Murphy, Ricky Walden against Hawkins, and Thailand's Thepchaiya Un-Nooh against Brecel.
They join an already depleted list of absentees. Ronnie O'Sullivan and Mark Allen withdrew before the qualifying rounds, while Jack Lisowski, Ali Carter and Xiao Guodong lost in qualifying.
Format and prize money
All matches from the last 64 to the quarter-finals are best of 11 frames. The semi-finals are best of 17 and the final, on 7 November, is best of 19. The total prize fund is £825,000, with £175,000 for the champion and £75,000 for the runner-up. There is also £5,000 for the highest break.
The International Championship is the eighth ranking event of the 2026/27 season. Two-time winners Ding Junhui, Mark Selby and Judd Trump are all in the field, along with former champions John Higgins and Zhang Anda.
Home hopes led by Wu Yize
Wu Yize won his first International Championship last year, beating John Higgins 10-6 in the final, and starts his defence against Robbie Williams on Sunday. World number one Zhao Xintong, who arrives on a run of four straight defeats according to SnookerHQ, faces David Lilley in a held-over match, and Ding Junhui plays Gao Yang.
Other ties to watch include Mark Selby against snooker veteran Jimmy White on the opening morning, Northern Ireland Open champion Kyren Wilson against Liam Highfield, Jak Jones against Wang Xinbo, and John Higgins against Lyu Haotian. Hong Kong's Marco Fu, a fan favourite across Southeast Asia, meets Stuart Bingham on Sunday.
Malaysia time schedule
The tournament publishes session times in UK time (currently GMT, after British clocks went back on 25 October). Converted to Malaysia time (MYT, UTC+8), the daily sessions start at:
- 09:30 MYT (01:30 UK)
- 14:00 MYT (06:00 UK)
- 19:30 MYT (11:30 UK)
Saturday's opening session includes White v Selby, Zhou Yuelong v Liam Davies and Liu Hongyu v Louis Heathcote. Neil Robertson plays Jiang Jun at 14:00 MYT, and Jak Jones v Wang Xinbo is in the 19:30 MYT session.
In Malaysia, the event is shown on Astro SuperSport. Thailand's coverage is on True Sport, and viewers in territories without a broadcaster can watch on WST Play.
UK Championship seedings at stake
Nanjing is the final event before the cut-off for automatic places in the UK Championship in York, where the top 16 in the world rankings are seeded straight into the venue. SnookerHQ's race analysis has Jak Jones provisionally 16th and Zhang Anda 21st, separated by less than £30,000. Ding Junhui is also at risk of dropping out of the top 16. Ali Carter, provisionally 15th, can only watch after failing to qualify, so his place depends on others' results this week.
Key takeaways
- The 2026 International Championship runs 31 October to 7 November in Nanjing, China.
- Shaun Murphy, Barry Hawkins and Luca Brecel withdrew on medical grounds, while O'Sullivan and Allen were already out.
- The winner takes £175,000 from a total prize fund of £825,000.
- Sessions start at 09:30, 14:00 and 19:30 Malaysia time, and Astro SuperSport is showing it in Malaysia.
- It is the last event to decide the top-16 seeds for the UK Championship.
FAQ
Q: Who is the defending champion? A: Wu Yize, who beat John Higgins 10-6 in the 2025 final for his first International Championship title.
Q: What time are matches in Malaysia? A: China and Malaysia share UTC+8, so sessions start at 09:30, 14:00 and 19:30 MYT each day.
Q: Why did Shaun Murphy withdraw? A: Murphy, Barry Hawkins and Luca Brecel all pulled out shortly before the event for medical reasons, and their opponents receive walkovers.
Sources: World Snooker Tour, SnookerHQ, snooker.org