In a remarkable display of precocious talent, 12-year-old Ben Schneider claimed the MyDartCoach Championship 2026 title in Bad Salzuflen on Saturday, defeating 16-year-old Elias Jahn 6-3 in a final that featured a combined age of just 28. The German youngster, already signed with Target, navigated a field of 488 entrants—including PDC Tour Card holders Maximilian Czerwinski and Leon Weber—and dropped only eleven legs across the entire tournament.
Schneider's path to glory was nothing short of sensational. After topping his group with wins over Daniel Kemper (3-0), Jan Malte Peitzmeier (3-2), and Alexander Rekowski (3-0), he stormed through the knockout rounds. He whitewashed David Isaak and Luca Wolff 4-0, then defeated Lukas Klein 4-1, Jordy van de Weerd 5-1, and Marvin Koch 5-0 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, he averaged 87 with an 11-darter to beat Marc Spalt 5-2, setting up the historic final.
The final itself was a tense affair. Schneider took the opening leg in 21 darts, but Jahn leveled with a 16-darter. The 12-year-old then seized control, winning three consecutive legs in 18, 18, and 15 darts to lead 4-1. Jahn fought back to 3-5, but Schneider sealed the title with a 17-darter, pocketing €2,500 and the biggest title of his young career.
The tournament saw several upsets along the way. Next Gen number one Jaimy van de Weerd exited in the last 64, losing 2-4 to Leon Remde despite a 92 average. Remde had earlier beaten Tour Card holder Leon Weber 4-1 in the last 128. Tour Card holder Maximilian Czerwinski reached the last 16 before falling 2-5 to Marcel Hausotter, who then lost 3-5 to Elias Jahn in the quarterfinals. Remde's run also ended in the quarterfinals, losing 3-5 to Marc Spalt, while Rene Steinhauer beat Kilian Hohnstedt 5-1. Jan Schmidt departed in the last 64, losing 1-4 to Oliver Keßler, who averaged 94.5.
Schneider's victory caps a stunning day for the young German, who beat 487 rivals, including seasoned professionals, to etch his name into the tournament's history. With such a commanding performance, the darting world will surely be watching this prodigy's next moves closely.
