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Hello again Barretter. I have Gawain and Tristram for the two answers. The internet makes it too easy these days because just searching with a couple of these names together gives the theme.

Yes, I had both of those. I was just trying to give hints without being too obvious. As soon as I had solved the anagram of 4down and the rather straightforward 9 down I knew we were in Arthurian territory which made guessing the title rather easy, which in turn led to the solution of the Playfair square and to a full grid. Just a question now of tracking the names of the 14 27s provided by the spare letters in the down clues across the grid. I've played chess since I was ten so it shouldn't be impossible.

Demeter - have you got the theme yet? Perhaps it should have been a round grid.

Yes, thanks inclued (and barreter). I'm such a fool - I hadn't read the preamble properly, and didn't realise that the asterisked clues were wordplay only.

I hope I've finished and have carried out the final instruction correctly, but can anyone explain the wordplay for 11dn. I have a strange word D-H-S-E- which means "burst" the same way that "plopped" can but I have no idea how the clue works.

It's popped the l isn't used

It's disced (to use a harrow)

Around eh or what!

Thanks very much for that : I would never have guessed that disc could be a verb meaning to work with a (disc) harrow ; and "eh" for what is a bit devious too!
I meant to write "popped" as it provides the first letter of the digraph that translates the "AL" of the first name to be traced in the grid but it's a while since I finished. Thanks again.

I've completed the puzzle without too much difficulty but I don't understand the logic behind the clue to 3dn. Why should 'Little suit to attend' = CAL? And who is Bertie?

I've completed the puzzle without too much difficulty but I don't understand the logic behind the clue to 3dn. Why should 'Little suit to attend' = CAL? And who is Bertie?

I've completed the puzzle without too much difficulty but I don't understand the logic behind the clue to 3dn. Why should 'Little suit to attend' = CAL? And who is Bertie?