Straightforward and well defined
Across
1 GRANDMASTER (top chess player) grand (magnificent) master (teacher)
7 ORB (round object) hidden in [convey]OR B[elt]
9 METRO (subway) T (time) in (ROME)*
10 HERCULEAN (colossal) her (that woman) cu (copper) Lean (director)
11 CANDIDATE (applicant) AT in Candide (Voltaire character)
12 DRESS (clothing) A D (daughter) from address (home)
13 LAST OUT (survive) la (the French) stout (determined)
15 TURN dd
18 ITEM (piece of news) I MET< (came across)
20 BAPTIST person who immerses child
23 AMIGO (friend) am (American) I go (correspond)
24 SHATTERED (done) (THEATRES)* D[ecember]
26 RIGMAROLE (complicated procedure)
M (millions) in Riga (capital) role (function)
27 OMEGA (the end) (A GEM O)< (a diamond ring backwards)
28 LIT dd
29 HAPPY MEDIUM (compromise) happy (pleased) medium (spiritualist)
Down
1 GAME CALL (bid in bridge) game (willing) call (telephone)
2 ASTONISH (shock) (A HOSTS IN)*
3 DHOTI (loincloth) hot (in word for fashionable) in D[elh]I
4 AT HEART (really) hear (try) in a TT (Isle of Man race)
5 TORMENT (suffering) men (soldiers) in tort (wrong)
6 ROUND TRIP (tour) trip (set off) after round (cycle)
7 OPENER (key) first batsman in cricket
8 BANISH (expel) NI (Ulster) in bash (party)
14 OSTEOPATH (practitioner) (TO THE OAPS)*
16 DISRAELI (prime minister) L (Liberal) in ( DIARIES)*
17 STUD FARM (where horses bred) stud (boss) f (female) arm (member)
19 MRS MOPP cleaning lady
20 BRAVERY (courage) bra (underwear) very (extremely)
21 BARREL (cask) bar (save) re (about) L (litre)
22 WIDGET (gizmo) midget with M (mass) changed to W (wife)
25 T-BONE (steak) B (British) in tone (character)
( )* = anagram [ ] = omit < = reverse dd = double definition
Thanks Falcon for a pleasantly straightforward puzzle and Jed for the blog. To me this is an excellent example of the sort of puzzle where clues do not have to be difficult to be enjoyable.
My usual minor gripe about this grid: when I had solved half the clues, I only had two letters to take me forward. In this case, the straightforward nature of the clues (and in particular 14dn given the initial O) was sufficient compensation.
20dn: I originally wrote BRAVEST here. This would really only be the answer if the clue said “Pieces of underwear …”, in which case “extremely daring” would be the definition. I wondered if there might be a piece of underwear called a bra-vest, combining the functions of the separate items, but it is not in Chambers. Anyway, the correct answer fits the clue better than the wrong answer, so all is right in the world.
Thanks Jed and Falcon.
As Pelham says, it doesn’t have to be hard to be enjoyable (or is that what the bishop said?). I was another one who entered “bravest” until 29a set me right. And you can get one at M&S, cf http://www.marksandspencer.com/M-S-Woman-Secret-Support/dp/B000M5F5EO