Wrong Column by Deuce

Puzzle explanation

The answers clued by wordplay only were related to “bridge”: SPAN (meaning “to bridge”), CAM(bridge city), FRANK (Bridge, English composer). The initials of clues needing alteration spelt “Jacoby”, a bridge bidding convention in which a partner “transfers” from one suit to the next highest (eg D to H); these clues needed a letter to be changed in that way. The four symmetrically placed 4×1 rectangles enclosed a bidding sequence, clockwise from East, {ONE NT, NO BID, TWO H, NO BID}, and the expected Jacoby response TWO S was highlighted. The extra letters in down clues’ wordplay spelt “sixteen points from AKQJ”. Using the conventional points {Ace = 4, King = 3, Queen = 2, Jack = 1}, only the top row of the grid contained letters scoring 16 (KAJAA = 3 + 4 + 1 + 4 + 4) so that row was highlighted.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Changed letter Answer Explanation [extra letter]
Across
1   KSARS (SR + ASK) <
6   JABALPUR JAB + ALP + (t)UR(f)
12 (H)ive APIAN (JAPAN − J) around I
13 (H)ot IDEATE HIDE − H + ATE
14   SAN JOSE S + A + NOSE around J; ref. Dionne Warwick song Do You Know the Way to San Jose
15   SIDDHA (HIS DAD) *
17   INEBRIATE IN + (A BEER IT) *
19   QUESTER SEQUESTER − S(om)E
21   SPRUE 2 meanings
22   SPY (ring)S (u)P (m)Y
24   ACROLEIN A + C + ROLE + IN
27 la(H) HALATION (INTO A LAH) *
29   EASY GAME E(xtr)A S(alar)Y G(randp)A M(ad)E
31 (S)eed WOS SOW <
32   ARMED (R + MADE) *
33   SNAFFLE (ELF + FANS) <
36   SINISTRAL (MISTRAL − M) after SIN
38   CHOSEN C(ano)N around HOSE
39   OXIDASE O + (X + A + SIDE) *
41 oat(S) AQUINO QUINOA with last letter moved to the start
42 (H)ead DANIO DA + NO around I(gor)
43   RASCASSE (AS + S) in RACES *
44   AKKAS (y)AKKA’S
Down
2   SPAN NAPS <
3   AÎNÉE ([S]EE IN A) *
4   RAJ JA[I]R <
5   SNORTS (u)S(i)N(g) O(u)R (e)[X](i)T(s) S(o)
6   JOSIE JO[T]S + IE
7   ABEAR A + (BE[E]R around A)
8   BISTORT BIS + TORT[E]
9   ADIE DIA[N]E *
10   PAD-TREE TRAP[P]ED * + (hors)E
11   REAGENTS (N[O]TES GEAR) *
16   DIPLONT DIP + LOST with N for S
18   QUINOL QU + IN + O[I]L
20   UPWARD (DRAW + PU[N]) <
22   STEAM CAR SCAR[T] around TEAM
23   SHYERS SHY[S]TERS − T
25   CAM C + AM; ref. Hebrew calendar years “AM 5786” etc
26   OSMIOUS (m)OS(s) (e)MI(t) (s)O[F](t) (m)US(h)
28   LATINOS [R]ELATIONS * − E
30   QASIDA (ADI[O]S + A + Q) <
33   SNOBS S + NO[M] + BS
34   NIXIE N + IXI[A] + E
35   FRANK F + RANK
36   SENA SNEA[K] *
37   ASIA AS + I[Q] + A
40   DAK D[J] around (A + (hac)K)
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