Unfortunately Shuchi is unable to join us today so here is a substitute analysis. A fairly straightforward puzzle in the main but I have to admit that I had never heard of 12ac or 19ac before today and 27ac was only a very dim memory.
Across
1 WHITE CHRISTMAS WHITE (chess player) CH (check) *(IS SMART) – defn. ‘a standard’
10 CADET *(ACTED)
11 REPROBATE RE (about) PROBATE (proving of will)
12 ROBARDS BAR (pub) in RODS (struts) – Jason Robards Sr, Jason Robards or Sam Robards, take your pick
13 DISMISS DI’S (Diana’s) MISS (escape)
14 BLUNT dd
16 ANCHORMAN CH (church) in A NORMA (girl) N (new)
19 RED PEPPER RED (embarrassed) PEPPER (sergeant, of Beatles fame) – a UK magazine apparently
20 MERIT *(TIMER)
22 CATSUIT A T[o-do] in C (Conservative) SUIT (clubs, say)
25 LIGNITE [mil]L IGNITE (burn)
27 EAST LYNNE LYNN (girl) in EASTE[r] (festival shortened) – a novel by Ellen Wood
28 NERVE hidden in ‘opeNER VErsatile’
29 SHERWOOD FOREST *(HOOD FREES WORST)
Down
2 HIDEBOUND HIDE (cloak) BOUND (spring)
3 TUTOR [augus]T in ROUT (decisive defeat) reversed
4 CARDSHARP CARD (character) SHARP (cutting)
5 RAPID P (power) in RAID (attack)
6 SNOWSTORM NOW (present) in S (small) STORM (controversy)
7 MIAMI M (miles) I *(AIM)
8 STETSON S (sun) in STET (put back) ON
9 SCARAB SCAR[e] (a good deal of alarm) A B (black)
15 THE OUTLAW OUT (in the shops) in *(WEALTH)
17 CORAL REEF ORAL (said) in CREE (Indian) F (fellow)
18 MARDI GRAS MAR (spoil) RA (artist) in DIGS (lodgings)
19 RICKETS [c]RICKETS (insects not initially)
21 THEBES HEBE (goddess) in T[hi]S
23 TASTE S[ecurity] in TATE (gallery)
24 TANGO TAN (beat) G (good) O (disc)
26 GONER GONE (used up) [wate]R
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