Taylor claimed an unrivalled 14th World Championship with a 7-1 victory over Raymond van Barneveld in January, and has been unbeaten in the televised ranking events so far this year.
It has now been confirmed that he will open this year's £1 million event on Friday December 18, the opening night at Alexandra Palace in London.
The move repeats last year's opening night, when defending champion John Part took on Bill Davis at Alexandra Palace.
"Phil's achievements in the sport are unrivalled and there is huge anticipation over whether he can win a 15th title at the 2010 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship," said PDC Chairman Barry Hearn.
"He will enter the tournament as the number one seed and it is fitting that he will open proceedings at Alexandra Palace in December."
The first round will be played over six days from December 18-23, with each session also featuring one preliminary round match.
This year, the preliminary round winner will also play their first round game later in the same session.
Following the first round, the tournament breaks for Christmas before resuming on Sunday December 27, with the final and third-fourth place play-off being played on Sunday January 3.
The 2010 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship will offer the largest first prize in the history of darts, with £200,000 to the winner from the first ever £1 million prize fund.
Tickets for the 2010 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship are now on general sale, with prices starting at £15.
To book or for further information, call 0871 220 0260 or visit www.seetickets.com/darts. For VIP Hospitality Packages, call 08712 501 180.
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