According to this method for splitting a panel of a brittle material, firstly, a tiny origin mark (16) is formed on a planned split line (2) on a first principal surface (1a) of a panel (1), while meanwhile holding down the principal surface (1a) of the panel (9) along a pair of lines. Meanwhile, e.g., a splitting member (11) for contact-heating a second principal surface (1b) of the panel (1) is brought into contact with the second principal surface (1b) of the panel (1), producing tensile/thermal stress at the first principal surface (1a), as well as imparting bending force in the panel thickness direction to the second principal surface (1a) of the panel (9), producing overlapping tensile/thermal stress and tensile stress due to the bending force. In so doing, the panel (1) can be split along the planned split line (2).