No 11763, Thursday 28 Jul 2016, Arden

ACROSS
9   Go across river to Japan (7) VARNISH {VA{R}NISH}  
10 Another name over our entrance (7) ENAMOUR {NAME}*{OUR}
11 Model will copy – take no note (7) REPLICA REPLICAte
12 Calm and clear about one (7) PATIENT {PAT{1}ENT}
13 No top positions? utter nonsense to start acting funny and causing hold up (9) OBSTRUENT {jOBS}{UTTER+No...e}*
15 They may be celebrities, the scribe ignored (5) ELITE cELebriTIEs*
16 Naked without a shred of clothing facing fire (7) BARRAGE {BAR{RAG}E}
19 Royalty given protection – reliable in centre of country (7) CROATIA {C{R}OAT}{relIAble}

20 Deposit hundred Yen (5) CACHE {C}{ACHE}
21 Dealt with precious metal – lost soul to curse (9) IMPRECATE {PRECIous+METAl}*
25 Said to be not for minors – full of gas (7) AERATED (~ a rated)
26 Stop briefly to see hen clutching most of the eggs (7) LAYOVER {LAY{OVa}ER}
28 A European assumes saint would mean one among the original twelve (7) APOSTLE {A}{PO{ST}LE}
29 Cops not involved in persecution, may be those who followed (7) RETINUE pERsEcUTIoN*

DOWN
1   Exaggerate about work (6) OVERDO {OVER}{DO}
2   Religious type covering up for an examination (6) TRIPOS {SO{PI}RT}<=
3   Fruit bird (4) KIWI [DD]

4   The short people in ancient kingdom (6) THRACE {THe}{RACE}

5   In a month, notice one has become autocratic (8) DESPOTIC {SPOT}{1} in {DEC}
6   Struggle to work on the game (10) BATTLEDORE {BATTLE}{DO}{RE}
7   He stirs up controversy on European roads (8) POLEMIST {POLE}{M1}{ST}
8   It may rhyme with tea but you go all red (8) ERYTHEMA {RHYME+TEA}*
14 Property – actual value not one million (4,6) REAL ESTATE {REAL} {ESTimATE}
16 Climbing vehicle given weightage in game (8) BACCARAT {CAB<=}{CARAT}
17 Run to Olympic venue, time to face unrest (4,4) RACE RIOT {RACE} {RIO}{T}
18 Villain will make lover die (8) EVILDOER*
22 Mean to go with friend (6) PALTRY {PAL}{TRY}
23 A day for escape is coming (6) ADVENT {A}{D}{VENT}
24 Those highly educated lost money... made money (6) EARNED lEARNED
27 It evokes still some interest (4) YETI {YET}{In...t} &lit

GRID