Crossword Centre July 2024 Special

 Mate in Two by the Badger

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Clues are in standard grid order of the square of the first letter of their solutions, from a8 in the NW corner to h1 in the SE corner.  They contain an extra letter in the definition which must be ignored.  Punctuation may mislead. Solutions which begin in an empty square are entered normally, across or down.  Solutions which begin in a square occupied by a chess piece (including pawns) have their first letter placed in that square and the remaining letters, in any order, placed in all squares to which that piece could legally move, including captures.  All 22 pieces on the board are clued (four are abbreviations). Squares with WHITE or BLACK letters contain pieces of the respective colour; otherwise, they contain no piece. In the resulting position it appears either player can immediately deliver mate in two.  Solvers must determine who is next to move (determinable from the grid fill) and write under the grid the mate in two.  The extra letters spell out a quotation and the author’s initials.  Submissions must include the 64 letters but need not show the chess pieces

a8. Bug-hunter repeatedly on vacation eats unknown piece of Zambian Insecta (6)

b8. Law indigenous music is in part jazzy immediately before decolonisation (6)

c8. Power to banish saint from Rosslyn Chapel’s dusty source of roods (7)

d8. Clio and Urania initially muse this metal in alloys… (2)

e8…completes fillings to curb Mnemosyne’s caries (4)

e8. Short report doesn’t need to interfere with aged Asian bints (4)

f8. Without whelp, one plays roughly, clubs mother bear after dispatching her mangled last cub (5)

g8. Straight away, Bungay posse almost beheaded calif in Norfolk (4)

h8. Larne’s muted historic beginning over after ferry’s closure (5)

c7. When docked, short-tailed waterfowl produces bleak sound (3)

d7. After run, colossal judge lost paunch (5)

g7.Lely’s address book initially omitted Rembrandt (3)

b6. Two sentence dirty old man to time away inside (4)

f6. Staffa’s old biscuits, originally butter-bakes, becoming hard at last (8)

g6. Sandman’s head and torso lost in fast tides around Fairy Isle (6)

b5. Bread in Parsi’s rite finally used, half discarded, half roti eaten (5)

e5. Aston of Fen Ditton last after you finally lead in Audi following finish to Ely (4)

f5. Return of cockchafer raiding crop (3)

a4. Proclamation Alloa grandchild lost book in cot (2)

b4. Chef obviously hurried starters without beginning to sear salmon (4)

c4. Waiter holds these colonists of Australia on return for manifold evil confinement (8)

f4. Here in Boston, unplanned, fops are seconds to Beau Brummel (2)

c3. Oils found in Titian’s lakes mixed by ors and a lot of ochre (12)

d3. Not listed in menu, wild garlic beats chard (4)

e3. Paddington Bear is so confused with no addled bad gin, spots it measures bears without liquids (7)

h3. To make hat, ease top and middle of crown, reassemble centre (4)

a2. Hammer-toe and rheumatism initially lead to issues for toe order (8)

d2. Tirana protects land near Roman border (4)

f2. Study orison, say it with mate’s first sermon disrupted (11)

g2. Comms code for ET’s ordinary calls not quite following Elliott’s tip (4)

h2. Again, revolutionary clan destroy this memory (4)

a1. Fan organization’s workforce hire regularly (2)

b1. Award two soldiers press then coin once (9, 2 words)

d1. Sold Scandinavian gates in Tyneside (5)

h1.Exam in utter silence could result in teen cruelties (1) 

To enter this competition, send your entry as an image to to ccpuzzles@talktalk.net before 8^th August 2024. The first correct entry drawn from the hat will receive a copy of The Apex Letters signed by the author.