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A chewy offering from Brendan about which I had better say very little for fear of spoilers. I enjoyed the challenge, and am intrigued to know what others made of it.
FOI 11, LOI 17, which could only be one thing but which it took me too long to parse.
Lots of competition for COD, but I’m going for the clever and tricksy 15.
Thanks, Brendan!

Thanks to Brendan for a tricky but rewarding Prize challenge this week.

Felt extremely difficult while working on the puzzle, but on finishing the watch read about normal Prize solving time. I still consider it a tough one.

Many disguised definitions. Guessed more than a few solutions and only parsed (sometimes much) later, with enjoyable PDMs. Obvious theme, but cleverly woven into the grid.

FOI 11, LOI 5d.

No single COD. Not much to separate the excellent 10, 5a, 2, 16 and 15. Also liked 13 and 18.

rog, I also struggled with 17.

geeker - I agree with all your competitors for COD, and on reflection would add the ingenious 9.

I think I've finished this, but have no idea how 15d works. Not going to let it bother me - it's past my bedtime!

I initially found this very difficult, but then I solved a particular clue in the SW and things started to click in to place.

Geeker, I did wonder if you might struggle, as I know you don't have a copy of Chambers, but then I realised what a ridiculous notion that was given the myriad of other resources available. I think this cruciverbalist's malady of ROC (reliance on Chambers) is at risk of reaching epidemic proportions!

A couple of parsing issues:-

12a - I can see a "flight" (not 'flights' plural) followed by an "author" but can't see a definition and am at a loss to explain "they cover" and "in a flurry".

16d - I can't help but feel this should begin with either "signal agreement" or "sign of an agreement" rather than "sign agreement", which just looks and sounds wrong.

Now, in 99% of cases where I think something is amiss the error is mine, so I look forward to some more erudite solver showing me the error of my ways:-)

Thanks to Brendan for a very clever and well constructed puzzle and one which pays back the solver's perseverance back in spades.

How did you all get on - did you find it as tricky as me or was it more the proverbial walk in the park?

Leave a post letting us know how you fared and, as always, if you do run into difficulties, just post your query on here.

Stay safe:-)

Hi JuanDango,

15d - the first 5 letters are "a pre 1957 (since then a letterr has been added) then the first 3 letters of 4 letter "car" - definition is "member of legendary crew"

juandango (when you wake up again): all I can say about 15 is that I had a hunch which I confirmed using a search engine (which I don’t think counts as cheating as I’d worked out the definition and the only possible parsing). And I thereby learnt something which no doubt i will have forgotten by this time tomorrow, if my form is anything to go by. It’s a very clever clue with a rather good surface, I think.

Not absolutely certain, but the first 5 letters are a very old car manufacturer, the last 3 a truncated word for a vehicle, and the definition is the last few words.

Hi brendan
Re 12, flights is part of the definition not the fodder. It parses as an insertion of 1 in 4, followed by the 5 which you have.
I didn’t have a problem with 16: ‘sign’ is I think an acceptable synonym of ‘signal’ and it makes for a smooth and somewhat misdirectional surface.

Hi BUzzybee,

15d - I think you've gone a bit astray there - if you Google the first 5 letters followed by1957 all should become clear:-)