No 13469, Wednesday 02 Feb 2022, Afterdark

Solution to 17D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular / novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.

ACROSS

1   Issue with one bar, fighting in a capital (6,5) BUENOS AIRES {ISSUE+ONE+BAR}*

9   Irritable about pub counter and floor (7) CRABBED {C}{BAR<=}{BED}

10 Married felon, criminal first kidnaps male members (7) MENFOLK {M}{FELON*}{Ki...s}

11 Missus hibernating inside with a dish (5) SUSHI [T]

12 Manage purse, essentially money distributed to second place holders (7-2) RUNNERS-UP {RUN}{PURSE+moNey}*

13 Cover the contents, it’s open (5) OVERT [T]

15 Watching almost diligently perhaps, a temporary camp (9) ADVERTENT {ADVERb}{TENT}

18 Isolate oracle without purpose (9) SEQUESTER {SE{QUEST}ER}

21 Indifferent gesture to a piece of clothing? (5) SHRUG [DD]

22 One featuring in Tom’s new programme is disregardable (9) OMITTABLE {OM{1}T*}{TABLE}

24 Everywhere veteran’s blocked by a wall, say (5) REVET [T]

26 Preadolescent or teen? Internally weak, that is to say (7) TWEENIE {T{W}EEN}{IE}

27 God! No one is retreating — destruction (7) EROSION {EROS}{NO 1<=}

28 Catch match (11) COUNTERPART [DD] (Addendum - {TRAP}<= - See comments)

DOWN

1   Watches baseball catchers (9) BACKSTOPS {SPOTS}<=

2   British archaeologist on electric vehicle with son (5) EVANS {E}{VAN}{S}

3   Dungeon? Yes in Paris, lawyer is trapped with setter essentially (9) OUBLIETTE {OU{BL}I}{sETTEr}

4   Country artists behind gates (7) ANDORRA {RA}<=>{AND}{OR}

5   Dynasty — perhaps Italian, very old — in ascendance (7) ROMANOV {ROMAN} and {V}{O}<=

6   As son’s home, hundred engagements primarily (5) SINCE {S}{IN}{C}{En...s}

7   Do without wafers or bananas... (8) FORSWEAR*

8   ... avoid sugar first and sleep (4) SKIP {Su..r}{KIP}

14 Starting late, nobleman is detained by English knight, king and interrogator (8) ENQUIRER {sQUIRE} in {E}{N}{R}

16 River rose alarmingly at bank (9) RESERVOIR*

17 Joined tense knight, one at battles essentially (5-4) T?G?T ?N?T (Addendum TIGHT KNIT {T+KNIGHT+1)*{batTles} - See comments)

19 Propose a high-class representation (7) TABLEAU {TABLE}{A}{U}

20 To choose again, roll dice (half of it) spin, half of it (2-5) RE-ELECT {REEL}{diCE<=}{iT}

22 Promise a way to give up power for nothing (4) OATH (-p+0)OATH

23 Boost? Hear it’s tea on item catalogue to begin with (5) TONIC {(~tea)T}{ON}{Item}{Ca...e}

25 Instrument to flip moon inside? Wow (5) VOILA V(IO<=}LA

Reference List

About = C, Married = M, Weak = W, Electric = E, Son = S, Yes in French = OUI, Artists = RA, Very = V, Old = O, Hundred = C, English = E, Knight = N, King = R, High class = U, Power = P