European 6-Red Gold for Brown

England’s Wayne Brown defeated compatriot Harvey Chandler 5-3 in the final at the Perunika Hall in Albena, Bulgaria to win the 2023 EBSA European 6-Red Snooker Championship. 

Over 100 entries from 25 different nations took part in this year’s Championship which was organised by the European Billiards and Snooker Association (EBSA) and hosts the Bulgarian Snooker Federation (BSF).

Experienced 53-year-old Brown finished top of his group to qualify for the knockout rounds. He then eliminated teenager Artemijs Žižins (Lativa) 4-2 before seeing off fellow ex-professionals Eden Sharav (Israel) 4-0 and Alex Borg (Malta) 4-3. In the semi-finals Brown defeated 20-year-old Frenchman Nicolas Mortreux 4-1.

Chandler made his way to the professional circuit in 2018 after winning the EBSA European Amateur Championship, and the 28-year-old was on course for a unique career continental double as he too advanced to the title match with a 100% record. 

Brown began the final well, establishing a 2-0 lead and later going to within a frame of the trophy at 4-1 up. Chandler rallied, registering rapid breaks of 44 and 61 as he pulled it back to 4-3. 

However, Brown – the runner-up in this tournament in 2017 – was not to be denied, fluking the final pink in frame eight for the top prize.

The images above are courtesy of the EBSA