The qualifying section was held at
Leicester Square Hall from 25 August to 6 September 1952. 66-year-old
Willie Smith met
Jim Lees from 25 to 27 August. Smith led 16–8 after two days and won 21–14. The match between
Kingsley Kennerley and
Rex Williams was played from 28 to 30 August. Kennerley led 16–8 after two days and won 25–12. Smith and Kennerley met from 1 to 6 September in the six-day final. Kennerley led 27–21 after four days and took a winning 36–24 lead after the fifth day, winning all six of the evening session frames. The final score was 42–29.
Albert Brown and
Alec Brown met in the first quarter-final, played in
Slough, played over 6 days. Albert Brown took a 7–3 lead on the first day but Alec Brown had levelled the match at 15–15 after day 3. Albert Brown won all 5 frames on the fourth afternoon session and led 23–17 after four days. Alec Brown reduced Albert Brown's lead to 26–24 after day 5 but won only 2 frames on the last day as Albert secured a 35–26 win. Defending champion
Fred Davis played
John Barrie at the Mechanics Institute in
Derby. Davis led 20–16 after three days, making a break of 121 on day 3, but Barrie levelled the match at 24–24 on the fourth day, where he made a
century break. On the final day, Davis led 28–26 after the afternoon session, despite a break of 125 by Barrie, and Davis eventually won 32–29.
John Pulman met
Jackie Rea in the five-day match played at the RAOB Hall,
Belfast. This was the first World Championship match to be played in Ireland. Pulman had the best of the first four days and led 29–19, needing just two frames on the final day for victory. but Donaldson took a winning lead of 31–14 after the fifth afternoon. The match ended with Donaldson 42–19 ahead. Fred Davis met John Pulman in the first semi-final played at the Wrekin Hall in
Wellington, Shropshire. Davis took a winning 31–17 lead after the fourth day. The final score was 36–25. In the final afternoon session Davis made a break of 101 while Pulman made a 105 break and the highest break of the championship - a 133 - in the evening, and finished 36–25. Albert Brown withdrew from his semi-final match against Walter Donaldson in
Liverpool before the second day's play, on medical advice, but was trailing 1–9 after the first day. The final was held at
Leicester Square Hall for the first time since 1949, the last time the final was held there and was held over 71 frames. Donaldson led 20–16 after day 3 but Davis tied the match at 24–24 after the fourth day which included another Davis century, this time of 102. David led 28–26 after the fifth afternoon session but Donaldson took a 31–29 lead at the end of the fifth day. The match was again level at 33–33 after the final afternoon session but Davis crept ahead in the evening session to win 37–34. ==Main draw==