CROSSWORDS AND GAMES

ACROSS

1 Implemented with determination, in the end (8) 5 Opposing players long to change hands (6) 9 Good man, in short, led an inexperienced fellow to one with no integrity (two words) 10 Mobilise support to the Spanish (6) 12 At the end, arranges for Rene to sign off (9) 13 A master painter started to picture return to Italian city (5) 14 Guidance offered to a leading diplomat with a bad habit (6) 17 Cancel a yearbook published without authority, initially (5) 20 Has to redo some solemn promises (5) 21 Proposed good health to round off, having sampled the food 6) 24 Brought up to a Dutch city (5) 25 Criticise players, at some stage, with only one point of entry (9) 28 Only a small number cross the steppes, initially. They move from place to place (6) 29 Is sensitive to subtle choice, in particular (8) 30 Laughed at something dried up, at the end (6) 31 Follow good boy, up to a point. It’s a pleasure (8)

DOWN

1 The very last flower of the festival (6) 2 Do without a warning, of course, and have to leave (6) 3 Argue over a new type of mountain ash (5) 4 Get rid of something in order, as expected (5) 6 Could Labour identify an office, factory, etc ? (9) 7 Record phone call gradually petering out (8) 8 Keeps everything inside backpacks (8) 11 Escorts sprinters who run back from first to fifth (6) 15 Record growth of adder that has to be disposed of (9) 16 A new form of diplomacy on the whole (6) 18 Joined forces and worked together in cornfields, for instance (8) 19 Ocean-going vessel had right standard flowing in the wind (8) 22 Had to deal with a day inside, putting up a false front (6) 23 About to get a salad plant right away in the holiday period (6) 26 Odds on the Spanish, on line, will take turns (5) 27 I left one, at short notice, with an ancient epic poem (5)