CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1. Drawer closed, fighting to grab book (6)

4. International team’s way to win, holding firm (8)

10. Romantic and tender, disturbed by one kiss (7)

11. Champion after bronze, failing (7) 12. Artist encountered in street, typically (4) 13. Handle nothing but risqué plays (10) 15. Ordinary fellow’s English journal commandeered by Trots (3,6)

16. Bit of a bloomer, being as far as possible from NW China? (5) 18. Separate set of countries with private code (5)

19. Lad in trouble with censor that’s pardoned slave (9) 21. Servants emerging from shadows with forms (10)

23. Prejudice from another time restricting author initially (4)

26. Not exactly promising more staff (7)

27. Second buffoon given gold watch (7) 28. No longer have desire to score points (4,4) 29. Army commanders, with informal agreement, are ingratiating (4,2)

DOWN

1. Sending up of books in French that is old hat (5)

2. A wide step, moving up to the middle (5-4) 3. Confess to a vice — at first it hurts (4) 5. German city’s constant public transport curbing excessive (7)

6. She’s into wandering about in French sportswear (6,4)

7. I’m going to pass on gold rings (5)

8. Enjoy everything, almost, connected with one’s plant (9) 9. Take some time to get fit (6)

14. Flash twin waffling, suffering from loss of memory (5-5)

15. German we agree not cut up but resentful

(9)

17. Mean to retain notes for future reading (9) 19. Small nation not forgetting ordinary men in military academy (7)

20. Fancied a small drink around start of extra time (6)

22. I like that treacly stuff, cook! (4-1)

24. Pet that barber keeps (5)

25. News concerning most of Ulster sent up (4)