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The International Championship reaches its critical juncture on Friday, November 6, as John Higgins faces Chang Bingyu in the second semi-final. The best-of-17 frame contest, staged at the South New City National Fitness Center in Nanjing, China, will be played over two sessions.
By the end of the day, the finalists for the 12th edition of the tournament will be known. Higgins, seeded sixth, advanced to the semi-finals with a 6-3 win over Marco Fu in the third round. His opponent, Chang Bingyu, is the tournament’s surprise package, having defeated Zhao Xintong in the quarter-finals 6-3. The first session of their match begins at 6am UK time, with the second session starting at 11.30am. Wu Yize, the defending champion, was eliminated in the third round by Stephen Maguire. Neil Robertson, Mark Selby, John Higgins and Mark Williams all won their qualifying matches at the Mattioli Arena, while top 16 players Xiao Guodong and Ali Carter did not.
International Championship finalist in 2025… ✅ Just how far can John Higgins go in Nanjing this week? 👀 He faces Chang Bingyu on Friday for a spot in the final.#InternationalChampionship pic.twitter.com/UOjA69bkoA
Tournament Details and Format
The International Championship is the eighth ranking event of the 2026/27 snooker season and is being held from Saturday, October 31, to Saturday, November 7. Matches up to and including the quarter-finals are the best of 11 frames. The semi-finals are the best of 17 frames, played over two sessions, with one semi-final completed each day. The final will be a best-of-19 frames match. Unlike other Chinese-based ranking events, the International Championship uses a ‘flat draw’ system, meaning all players start in the opening round, with the exception of three preliminary matches involving local wildcards. The majority of round one matches were played as qualifiers in Leicester on September 17-19, with the winners progressing to the last 64 in China.
Prize Money Distribution
A total of £825,000 is up for grabs in the tournament. The prize money is distributed as follows: the winner will receive £175,000, the runner-up £75,000, semi-finalists £33,000, quarter-finalists £22,000, players reaching the last 16 £14,000, last 32 £9,000, and last 64 £5,000. The highest break of the tournament earns a £5,000 bonus. Ding Junhui, Mark Selby and Judd Trump have each claimed this title twice; the last three editions have been won by Chinese players.
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How to Watch
Live coverage of the International Championship is available on TNT Sports, which UK viewers can stream through HBO Max.
'It would be good to try and carry it on.' Time is running out for the Class of 92 to keep their epic winning run alive. John Higgins will be trying his best to do so this week but faces a huge test in Chang Bingyu tomorrow.https://t.co/OHtE9IVAV6
