No 9477, Wednesday, 11 Mar 09, M. Manna

Another okay outing, though it takes a little time when the compiler changes and one has to get used to his/her style, like reinventing the wheel. Have a feeling this compiler prefers American spellings

ACROSS

1 - Old friend involved in deadlock (9) - STALE{MATE}
6 - Not an outstanding occupational protest (3,2) - SIT IN [CD]
9 - Delicate ornamental fabric made to scale (5) - LACES*
10 - Offering Her Majesty an MC (9) - PRESENT{ER}
11 - With which a ship avoids rocks at sea (10) - STABILISER [CD]
12 - A play by Shakespeare, she concludes (4) – BETH [CD]
14 - Silver in pods found in temples (7) – P{AG}ODAS
15 - Ran on time to sit in a conveyance across a distance (7) - T{RAN}SI<-T
17 - Logs fee generated for having sung to notes of the scale (7) - SOLFEGE*
19 - Part of gun used by one attempting to capture a horse (7) - TRIGGER [2]
20 - I get embraced by the woman’s successor (4) – HE{I}R
22 - Have a lower opinion of, anyway (10) - REGARD{LESS}
25 - Firm offering place with all speed (9) - STEAD{FAST}
26 - Appeal to a poor player over in Nebraska (5) - O{MAH<-}A
27 - Set up before going to Connecticut (5) – ERE{CT}
28 - Bond, given in welcome, set about the guys! (9) - AGREE{MEN}T

DOWN

1 - Offer on board ship, alcoholic drink at reduced prices (5) - S{ALE}S
2 - Russian port for a godly servant (9) - ARCHANGEL [2] Spelt as Archangelsk in Russian
3 - Where Sadie Stein comes from (4,6) – EAST INDIES*
4 - Offers oneself as candidate (7) - APPLIES [CD]
5 - Men on square get around General to explain the first principle (7) - ELE<-MEN{T}
6 - Stock check? (4) - STEM [2]
7 - It maybe the tenth part of stock taken as tax (5) – TITHE [CD]
8 - Polaris calls for colonel Ollie’s seaman (5,4) – {NORTH S}TAR Ollie held my rank in the US army
13 - A reviver, or tot, would be (10) - PALINDROME [CD]
14 - Quickly get past those dithering (9) – POSTHASTE*
16 - Set apart for Easter egg making (9) – SEGREGATE*
18 - Tea made to correct unhealthy mass of swollen tissues (7) - EDEMATA*
19 - Fields, or what may be used to cultivate them (7) - TRACT{OR}
21 - You may find her when in dire need (5) – IRENE*
23 - Seem surprised, to begin with (5) – START [2]
24 - Tied up to prepare text for publication (4) – EDIT*