Cryptic crossword No 1,718

Haha, I found two of the "not quite so obscure" entries very obscure but that's my deficiency not yours! And to my eternal shame I didn't twig the theme despite it being blindingly obvious in hindsight 🙃 but overall I found it at the gentler end of your oeuvre. And I did find the 10th! 💪 Liked 12a, 26a, 1d, 5d, 10d 32a and 24d. Thanks!

This was an asbolute pearler. But ye gods, even your special instructions made my head hurt. And (spoilers) …

Wow. Lots of fun, managed to identify the 9+1, and even managed to solve (or at least work out what they must be) some seriously obscure words elsewhere. Hard work at times, but very rewarding. Thanks!

This was great fun Fez, though I was defeated by some of the obscurities. And (I think!) I’ve managed to find the 10th, which might be the first time I’ve ever managed to find anything in a grid ever 😭

Blimey, that was tough going Fez! Not too much cheating, though, you’ll be pleased to know although a bit of Googling required to confirm a few things. Too many great clues so I’ll stick to a podium: 12a, 33a and 4d (although I could easily have nominated 3 others). Spoilers …

Thanks Fez. Much of this -- 6a,25d; 9a; 27a,31d; 33a; and 20d -- was way beyond my orbit but nonetheless I admire a theme that successfully occupies so much of a grid. I did have some fun with 18a,11d; 5d; 8d; and 13d being my favourites.

On the one hand, Fez, I am not in the camp of those who found this 'gentle' but on the other, I ended up with everything solved and parsed without help other than the odd Google to confirm things. I did not make the connection underpinning the theme but that's just my GK. I did find the tenth, though, as soon as I started your Annotations. Too many faves so I'll list a podium of 6a/25d, 14a, 1d and 4d. Thanks. PM

Ticklish! I needed some Google help for the sports references, but that's all in the fun of it: I accept I'll always be useless in that pub quiz round. I thought the kinder clueing balanced the entry trickiness well. 29a is very finely put together, and I liked the angle for 21. 2d was so smooth it was easy to miss the ease of it,; likewise 22d. One and only one quibble in the reply.

Lovely stuff Fez, a little bit above my current pay grade but I enjoyed getting as far as I did. A nice range of devices and another impressive construction full of satisfying clues like 1a (great surface), 9a (very clean), 16a (lovely extended def), 23a (very neat), 29a (clean), 1d (really neat), 7d/8d (fun linked surfaces), 13d (neat), 21d (smooth) and 24d (cute) - thanks for the puzzle :)

Nice one Fez - I enjoyed this, it was tricky but on the right side of gettable for me. I did not spot the theme, but there was more than enough to occupy me! I liked 9a, if only because I dragged the answer out of my memory!

Thanks Fez. It was a long slog for me, but I did finish, albeit with a fair few unparsed, and it took an age to find the 10th, even with your message to Coot! Favourites: 12a, 14a, 23a, 29a, 10d 32a, 19d. Cheers!

Another brilliant theme