Red Applause by Crash

Puzzle explanation

The puzzle commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Fischer v Spassky World Chess Championship held in Reykjavik between 11 July and 31 August 1972. Corrections to the clue misprints gave “all but names and letters in circles erased; clue ends”. The last letters of clues spelt out “colour pieces appropriately; make final move wQ to f4”. The filled grid after entering all the answers is shown here. The result of erasing everything except SPASSKY in the top row, FISCHER at the bottom and the letters for chess pieces in the circled cells was the position in game 6 of the championship, just before Fischer’s final move of his queen to f4. The Q was then moved from cell 26 to cell 27, to show the end position at which Spassky resigned and joined in the audience’s applause of his opponent. Any clear distinguishing of the white and black pieces was accepted.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Misprint Answer Explanation
Across
1 p(A)st SAPSAGO SAPS + AGO
6 (L)ob SKYER R after SKYE
11 I(L)ler QUEASIER QU + EASIER
13 (B)read YEN (arm)Y EN(ds)
14 gen(U)s CERCIS SIC < after ECR(u) *
15 was(T)ing QUAKES QUA + KESH − H
16 Mea(N)s STAR TRAP START + RAP
17 le(A)d RUGOSE (h)OSE after RUG
20 (M)ove PROPEL PROPER with L for R
21 D(E)meter EPOPTS (POET’S + P(aeonic)) *
22 (S)ome ÉTAPE (mark)ET A PE(ak)
24 s(A)mple BEPAT (wanna)BE PAT(hfinders)
26 Quee(N) QUIPOS QU + IPO’S
28 Fol(D) RIMPLE MP in RILE
30 (L)ake UNCAPS UNCLASP * − L
31 Cap(E) CUP CORAL C + UP + C + ORAL
34 (T)witch TETANY (YET ANT) *
36 ho(T) TAKAHE (A + H) in TAKE
37 stat(E) SIR SIRCAR − CAR
38 (R)efined CASSINOS (SANS SOUCI) * − U
39 fi(S)ts SIFTS FISTS *
40 s(I)mple CHERUPS PURE < in CHS
Down
1 Pla(N)s ORCHESTRATES OR + CHESTS around RATE
2 Ni(C)e’s GEES GÊ(n)ES
3 Tr(I)ad AIRT TRIA(d) <
4 (R)um PAIR UP PAIR UP + TALENT = (PRENUPTIAL AT) *
5 ba(C)k SUQ US < + Q
6 A(L)ter SQUARE SUQ * + ARE; ref. 5dn
7 c(E)rt KNAP homophone of NAP
8 (S)low POKEY homophone of POKIE
9 (E)s POPE’S EYE ES in POPEYE
10 Un(R)est RESTLESSNESS (LESSER NESTS) * + S
12 Tr(A)sh ESTREPE LEST + RE + PE − L
18 bu(S)ting STAIDEST DISTASTE *
19 s(E)t GOE EGO with top letter moved to bottom
20 si(D)e PEQUOTS PS around QUOTE *
23 (C)hiv TIC IT < + C(hiv)
25 fil(L)ed BLANCS BANCS around L
27 (U)ndress UNCASE (CUE AS + N) *
29 Fin(E) MOTIF (MOT + F) around I(Q)
31 sp(E)cial LARI (SPIRAL − SP) <
32 U(N) UNAU (UN + U) around A
33 (D)ice CHOP C + HO + P(ayoff)
35 I(S)let CAY GAY with C for G
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