PHIL TAYLOR'S defence of the PartyPoker.net European Championship title will begin on Thursday July 29 amongst eight matches on the opening night of this year's event in Dinslaken, Germany.
The four-day, £200,000 tournament will be shown live on Bravo in the UK and on Sport1 in Germany as 32 stars battle for the title at the StadtHalle in Dinslaken.
The tournament will kick off with the clash between Paul Nicholson, January's totesport.com Players Championship winner, and Andy Smith, a recent PDC ProTour winner in Holland.
Mark Walsh takes on Spanish debutant Antonio Alcinas in the opening night's second game, before Germany's Andree Welge faces Terry Jenkins.
World Championship runner-up Simon Whitlock meets Dennis Priestley in the fourth game, while Gary Anderson and Jamie Caven clash before Taylor and Stompe battle it out in a repeat of the 2008 German Darts Championship final, which was won by the Dutchman.
The all-Dutch clash between Jelle Klaasen and Vincent van der Voort continues the action, before Mervyn King plays Barrie Bates in the opening night's final game.
The first round will conclude with eight further games on Friday July 30, opening with Germany's debutant Bernd Roith facing Denis Ovens.
Mark Dudbridge takes on Robert Thornton in the second game, while 2008 European Championship finalist Adrian Lewis meets Wayne Jones before another German, Tomas Seyler, faces Michael van Gerwen.
The high-profile clashes involving James Wade against Colin Lloyd and Raymond van Barneveld against Andy Hamilton will then be followed by Colin Osborne facing Wes Newton and Ronnie Baxter taking on Alan Tabern as the first round draws to a close.
The second round will be played across two sessions on Saturday July 31, before the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final are held on Sunday August 1.
PartyPoker.net European Championship
Schedule of Play
Thursday July 29
First Round
Play commences 8pm German time (7pm UK time)
8.00pm Paul Nicholson v Andy Smith
8.30pm Mark Walsh v Antonio Alcinas
9.00pm Terry Jenkins v Andree Welge
9.30pm Simon Whitlock v Dennis Priestley
10.00pm Gary Anderson v Jamie Caven
10.30pm Phil Taylor v Co Stompe
11.00pm Jelle Klaasen v Vincent van der Voort
11.30pm Mervyn King v Barrie Bates
Friday July 30
First Round
Play commences 8pm German time (7pm UK time)
8.00pm Bernd Roith v Denis Ovens
8.30pm Mark Dudbridge v Robert Thornton
9.00pm Adrian Lewis v Wayne Jones
9.30pm Tomas Seyler v Michael van Gerwen
10.00pm James Wade v Colin Lloyd
10.30pm Raymond van Barneveld v Andy Hamilton
11.00pm Colin Osborne v Wes Newton
11.30pm Ronnie Baxter v Alan Tabern
Saturday July 31
Second Round
Afternoon Session
Play commences 2pm German time (1pm UK time)
2.00pm Walsh/Alcinas v Klaasen/van der Voort
3.00pm Jenkins/Welge v Whitlock/Priestley
4.00pm Baxter/Tabern v Osborne/Newton
5.00pm Lewis/Jones v Dudbridge/Thornton
Evening Session
Play Commences 8pm German time (7pm UK time)
8.00pm King/Bates v Anderson/Caven
9.00pm van Barneveld/Hamilton v Roith/Ovens
10.00pm Taylor/Stompe v Nicholson/Smith
11.00pm Wade/Lloyd v Seyler/van Gerwen
Sunday August 1
Afternoon Session
Quarter-Finals
Play commences 2pm German time (1pm UK time)
2.00pm Jenkins/Welge/Whitlock/Priestley v King/Bates/Anderson/Caven
3.00pm Wade/Lloyd/Seyler/van Gerwen v Baxter/Tabern/Osborne/Newton
4.00pm Taylor/Stompe/Nicholson/Smith v Walsh/Alcinas/Klaasen/van der Voort
5.00pm van Barneveld/Hamilton/Roith/Ovens v Lewis/Jones/Dudbridge/Thornton
Evening Session
Play commences 8pm German time (7pm UK time)
Semi-Finals
8.00pm
9.15pm
Final
11.00pm
Format
First Round - Best of 11 legs
Second Round - Best of 19 legs
Quarter-Finals - Best of 19 legs
Semi-Finals - Best of 21 legs
Final - Best of 21 legs