This crossword No. 23660 clues and answers were published on Wed 11 Jan 2006 and the puzzle can be visited by following The Guardian Cryptic Crossword No. 23660 link.
All Across Clues and Answers:
1-across – The Hallelujah girls? : CHORUS
5-across – A lot of pain keeping a chair for an unwanted guest : TAPEWORM
9-across – Scam no different when royalty is caught : SKINGAME
10-across – High class umpire’s decision : RULING
11-across – XAM UOY HTIW – Journalist author of Jabberwocky? : MIRRORWRITER
13-across – Forbid to check 22 : VETO
14-across – Wood bird finds where to fight one who doesn’t want to : RINGDOVE
17-across – Money only wool? : CASHMERE
18-across – Companion? Not quite sure : CHUM
20-across – Coat with a twist could be sat on : CHESTERFIELD
23-across – Earth like coffee? : GROUND
24-across – Take home relative of castaway as christened : ROBINSON
25-across – It’s cold around the Arctic where I travel, say : ICELEDGE
26-across – Songs the first person sung? : LIEDER
All Down Clues and Answers:
2-down – Shakespeare’s fish : HAKE
3-down – See 5 : RUNSMOOTH
4-down – Second wait for optimist’s eyes : STARRY
5-down – Venus hot – erred – no future – divorce – home lost: maybe Lysander wasn’t quite so pessimistic : THECOURSEOFTRUE
6-down – It is put down to a piece of paper or string : PORTWINE
7-down – On good terms with composer held by journalist? You amaze me! : WELLI
8-down – Maybe nervous about the last letter turning up with date and place : RENDEZVOUS
12-down – Figurative way to omit chapter where model disappears : METAPHORIC
15-down – Rotten state taking some years to nurture confident effective openings : DECADENCE
16-down – See 5 and 7 : NEVERDID
19-down – Abuse received by retiring scientist parson? : VERBAL
21-down – Sound of blade in head : SKULL
22-down – See 5 : LOVE
This crossword has in total 27 where 14 are across and 13 are down.