Special, Sunday 12 Jan 2020, IXL-19 Prelim 1

Three answers per commenter as usual till 6 PM. (Annotations compulsory)
Please submit all your answers in one comment.

ACROSS
1   Do some spelling work? (7)
5   Deviants but they keep queen out of terrible disasters (7)
9   Yes! Exercise is about the one who gets money (5)
10 Put in more effort if 2 doesn't yield (3,6)
11 Work is not troublesome - you've choices! (7)
12 Consider taking a bit of lemonade in glass (7)
14 Lazy learner's kept out - to face dismissal (4)
15 Fascinated by x? (4)
16 Go back lest time should be lost in glances (5)
18 Where husband is involved in idle loitering (5)
19 Behind, President's late in starting! (4)
20 Racket the rogue doesn't complete (4)
23 Portuguese finds a Scot harbouring member of a Punjabi clan (7)
24 Spite poured out with glee regularly in letter (7)
25 Make small fire for holy man (9)
27 Insect finished gathering last drop of nectar (5)
28 Former copper spews odd pretexts (7)
29 Tried deploying new-technology weapon (7)

DOWN
1   Uses half of those people for tricks (7)
2   What's here brings Luce (7,4)
3   Where imitators rule? (6)
4   Bird (American) with boy (American) smothering in-charge in tragedy (5,10)
5   Maya's top fortune put away in packaging material (9,6)
6   Stop help put up by father and child (8)
7   Reported: "One left dejected" (3)
8 Cries hiker let out when hauled up by secret service (7)
13 Yet the affair can lead to legal marriage (7,4)
17 Perhaps Lara is eating Indian rice dishes (8)
18 Get less shortchange with daughter replacing son (7)
21 Superlatively gentle convention is about keeps at odds (7)
22 Beauty spot found by boy in Delhi with the Spanish gone (6)
26 American fellow's British raincoat (3)

Across Lite version can be accessed at IXL-19 PRELIM 1

Enjoy.

Special, Sunday 05 Jan 2020, IXL-19 Onstage Final 2

Three answers per commenter as usual till 6 PM (Annotations compulsory)
Please submit all your answers in one comment.

ACROSS
1   Heartily flirt with female in sophisticated group (8)
5   Troubles given by unionist groups grabbing power (6)
10 Really adroit to tackle a Conservative starting to oppose (2, 5)
11 Dangers crossing one ridge at eastern border in trek (7)
12 Gambolled right after spilling a drink (5)
13 Money can possibly lead to immorality in end (9)
14 Locate fellow involved in kickback and corruption (12)
18 Behave inappropriately! It's what marathon runners want to do? (5, 3, 4)
21 Faints in destitution, overwhelmed by struggles (9)
23 One on cocaine in trip recollects experience (5)
24 Old, largely inflexible husband is someone who refuses to face reality (7)
25 Plain sandwiches, a slice of cheese and ham (7)
26 Farmer's tool is small and unreliable, not fine (6)
27 Perfectly clean, unlike leopards (8)

DOWN
1   Hug for maiden caught in mess (6)
2   A hint to tackle strong fellow in fight (6)
3   They ease cuts, used around parks essentially (9)
4   Struggled to retain authority at Centre with party backing out - something to ponder (4, 3, 7)
6   Prince gets rid of leading scribe - assassinated undeniably (5)
7   Uncensored clip shot in retreat (8)
8   Preparing deceptive operation to trap slippery character (8)
9   Pay for manipulating polls! Foe starting to win outright (2, 3, 4, 5)
15 Fearless criminal right outside hideout (9)
16 Indecent model knocked out in terribly crass bout (8)
17 Reclusive male on wine gets a little chatty (8)
19 Remove rubbish put in ocean endlessly (6)
20 Without new evidence, revolting scoundrel arrested is free (6)
22 Shrimplike creatures from river kept in ice (5)

Across Lite version can be accessed at IXL-19 FINAL 2

Enjoy.

Special, Sunday 29 Dec 2019, IXL-19 Onstage Final 1

Three answers per commenter as usual till 6 PM (Annotations compulsory)
Please submit all your answers in one comment.

ACROSS
1   Slogan, essentially Russian, about initiation of transparency (8)
5   Wants good husband, reliable and sound (6)
10 Rumours of gangster concealed in lodge going around (5)
11 Splashing rum, one scoundrel interrupts - it's over the line (9)
12 Image in phone card, easy to store (9)
13 Give cry of pain after result (5)
14 Love website taking new shape (6)
15 No energy? Eat sushi perhaps - it’s Japanese therapy (7)
18 French officer in flat, consuming ecstasy with endless excitement (7)
20 Precious safe contains a bit of treasure and money (6)
22 Runner smuggling ecstasy by ferry ultimately becomes rich (5)
24 Cricket stroke lacks a bit of control - work very hard (9)
25 Start to evaluate a boy crushed by defeat and come to a logical conclusion (6, 3)
26 Soldiers complain about device (5)
27 Risk accepting petition for case (6)
28 Uses no strong ointments (8)

DOWN
1   Escape punishment say, backed by upper class person (3, 3)
2   Avoid hot greeting on line - can be distributed (9)
3   I don't want a rhinoplasty! Doesn’t bother me (2, 4, 3, 2, 4)
4   Vice supremo is going downhill (7)
6   Retired group abroad gets ransacked (6, 6, 3)
7   Worried about cold, daughter took measures (5)
8   One laid on the floor in hard fight right aboard boat (5, 3)
9   Forces brats to take English and Latin (6)
16 Student stops liking lecture (7-2)
17 One becoming First Lady, originally sultry barmaid perhaps (5, 3)
19 Lad consumes marijuana? That's right (4-2)
20 Be unfaithful to husband and wear away, overwhelmed by deception (5, 2)
21 Craves to be around fashionable persons (6)
23 Nursemaids start to act embarrassed about concealing a little accident (5)

Across Lite version can be accessed at IXL-19 FINAL 1

Enjoy.