[1] In the modern era, which started in 1969 when the World Championship reverted to a knockout format,[3] it has become increasingly popular worldwide, especially in East and Southeast Asian nations such as China, Hong Kong and Thailand.

[4][5][6] Joe Davis won the first World Championship in 1927, organised by the Billiards Association and Control Council, the final match being held at Camkin's Hall in Birmingham, England.

These competitors in the main tournament were selected using a combination of the top players in the snooker world rankings and the winners of a pre-tournament qualification stage that took place at Preston Guild Hall from 22 March to 2 April 1988.

[11]: 200  American pool player Steve Mizerak made his professional snooker debut in the preliminary round, losing 3–10 to Anthony Harris.

[18] Alain Robidoux had walkovers against Frank Jonik, who withdrew due to problems with his back, and Robbie Grace, who was unable to travel from South Africa, which meant Robidoux earned a ranking merit point that enabled him to gain full professional status for the following season.

[23] Returning to snooker after a four-month absence during which he had been treated in a Canadian clinic for cocaine addiction, Kirk Stevens defeated Mark Bennett 10–7.

[24] Eight-time champion Fred Davis, aged 74, progressed past Jack Fitzmaurice, 10–8, and Jim Bear, 10–4, before losing 3–10 to John Campbell in the last qualifying round.

[25][11]: 26–27  John Spencer, three-times world champion, was eliminated 7–10 by Warren King at the same stage.

[23] Four players, Steve James, Bob Chaperon, Tony Drago and Peter Francisco, qualified for the main event for the first time.

[26] James received a walkover against Terry Whitthread in the first round, and eliminated Joe O'Boye, Paddy Browne and Eugene Hughes; Chaperon defeated Robert Marshall, Tommy Murphy and David Taylor; Drago won against Tony Chappel; and Francisco eliminated Robby Foldvari.

[11]: 26–27  Davis, who had won three of the five ranking events during the season leading up to the world championship, was Coral bookmakers' pre-tournament favourite to win, with odds of 5/4.

[27] Alex Higgins, who won the competition in 1972 and 1982, had been banned (in April 1987) from the first two ranking events of the season, as part of a punishment imposed by the WPBSA for behaviour including headbutting the tournament director at the 1986 UK Championship.

[32] After their second session the following morning was stopped due to over-running as a result of lengthy tactical exchanges and several delays while Werbeniuk visited the toilet during frames, eventually prevailed 10–8 when it was reconvened.

[34] Nine days after suffering a serious road traffic accident that wrote off his car, James compiled a break of 140, and another of 104, on his way to defeating Rex Williams 10–6.

[34] Cliff Thorburn, the champion in 1980 and the first player to make a maximum break in the championship, in 1983,[36] was only able to compete after his lawyers managed to postpone a disciplinary hearing relating to his failed drug test at the 1988 British Open.

[35][37] He eliminated Stevens, who had undergone voluntary treatment for cocaine addiction and fell from fourth place to outside the top 32 in the rankings during the season.

[34] Doug Mountjoy recorded a 10–6 win against Barry West, and Willie Thorne won by the same score against Peter Francisco.

This result matched the heaviest defeat ever recorded in the world snooker championship at the Crucible, Davis's 18–6 victory over Thorburn in the 1983 final.

[40] White finished the first session against Hendry 5–3 ahead, the pair both preferring attempts to pot balls rather than play safety shots.

In the deciding frame, White started a break of 86 by potting a long-range red ball, and prevailed 13–12 in the match.

[43] The match was re-shown on BBC Two on 23 April 2020 in a series called Crucible Classics shown in place of the 2020 World Snooker Championship which was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

[45] James, who the bookmakers had rated a 500/1 outsider to win the tournament at the start, was still level at 6–6 but lost 11–13.

[11]: 26–27  Thorburn won the first frame against Davis with a clearance of 32, but lost the second on a re-spotted black despite having made a break of 62.

[53] Davis missed some easy pots at the start of the third session,[55] but still won the first three frames to lead 11–8 as Griffiths made several errors.

[11]: 26–27 [51] Clive Everton, who played in the qualifying rounds of the tournament, wrote in The Guardian that, despite Griffiths equalising at 7–7 by winning four consecutive frames, "it was not a vintage final.

"[52] Griffiths, who was the oldest world snooker championship finalist since Reardon in 1982, said "My long potting got me to the final.

Steve's safety is so good that you have to make the long potting count and I didn't which was the most disappointing part of my performance in the final.

"[57] This was Davis's fifth world championship win, leaving him one behind Reardon's record total of six titles in the modern era.

All I know is I keep coming back to the World Championship, which is two and a half weeks of agony and turmoil and trauma.

[59][11]: 162  James's performance at the championship earned him the WPBSA's Most Memorable Performance of the Year award, and he shared the Association's Highest Televised Break of the Year award with Steve Davis, who had compiled a break of 140 at the 1987 International Open.