First round

Sydney Lee withdrew, granting Kingsley Kennerley a walkover into the quarter-finals.^[18] Jackie Rea defeated Jim Lees 33–28 in their match from 12 to 17 November 1951,^[19] Albert Brown scored a 33–28 win over John Pulman when they met from 27 November to 1 December,^[20] and in a match from 17 to 22 December, Alec Brown achieved a winning margin at 33–17 before his last day's play against Rex Williams, finishing at 39–22.^[21] Williams had turned professional in 1951, becoming the first player to make the transition from being an amateur since Pulman and Brown had done so in 1946. Snooker historian Clive Everton wrote that Williams was "hammered" by Brown, and that this demonstrated the gulf in ability between the top amateurs and the professionals of the time.^[8]: 60

Quarter-finals

In the first quarter final, held from 7 to 11 January 1952, Kennerley took a 4–1 lead over Rea, who had won the first frame. At the end of the first day they were tied at 6–6.^[22] Rea then took ten of the next day's twelve frames to lead 16–8,^[23] and on subsequent days was 23–13, 25–17 and 29–19 ahead,^[24] eventually finishing the match at 35–26.^[25]

In the other quarter-final match, Albert Brown won six of the nine frames against Alec Brown on the first day of their match which lasted from 14 to 18 January.^[26] He won the opening six frames on the second day, and finished that day 18–6 ahead,^[27] maintaining a six frame lead at the end of the next day, which ended with him leading 24–12.^[28] Alec Brown reduced the deficit on the fourth day by winning eight of the twelve frames played, meaning Albert Brown led 28–20 going in to the last day.^[29] Albert Brown achieved a certain win at 31–22, and after the remaining scheduled frames were played, he was 36–25 ahead.^[30]

Semi-finals

The first semi-final, between Walter Donaldson and Albert Brown, was played in Scunthorpe from 21 to 25 January 1952. Donaldson held a 21–15 lead after three days.^[31] However, Brown reduced Donaldson's lead to two frames on the fourth day and the match ended 31–30.^[32]

The second semi-final, between Fred Davis and Jackie Rea, was played at Wellington, Shropshire from 4 to 9 February 1952. After four days Davis led 29–11.^[33] Davis took a winning 34–16 lead on the fifth day and eventually won 38–23.^[34]

Final

The final started on 10 March 1952 and continued until 15 March.^[35][36] In advance of the match, Davis and Donaldson issued a challenge to Horace Lindrum, who had effectively won the BACC-recognised 1952 World Snooker Championship by taking an insurmountable lead on 6 March, that the winner of their match would play him for £500 and gate receipts.^[37] Lindrum wrote in his 1974 book that he never received the challenge in writing, and that if he had, the principle that the title should be contested in an official tournament, apart from his existing commitments at the time which made it impractical, meant that he would not have agreed.^[38]

In the World Professional Match-play final, Davis won six of the eight frames in their first session, and each player won four frames in the second session, leaving the score at 7–5 to Davis after the first day. Donaldson had compiled a break of 104.^[35] Donaldson recorded another century break, 106, in the twentieth frame, but Davis increased his lead over Donaldson to 14–10 by the end of the second day.^[39] On the third day, Davis achieved a break of 140, a new world championship record, and Donaldson made a 111. Davis finished the day 21–15 ahead.^[40][41] After another day's play, Davis was 29–19 ahead,^[42] Donaldson won eight of the next twelve frames to reduce his arrears to six frames at 27–33.^[43] Davis won the title, finishing the last day at 38–35 after achieving a winning margin at 37–30. Davis was trailing by 8 points to 66 in the 67th frame, but compiled a clearance of 67 to take the frame and secure victory.^[36][44]