| PIERCES | Probes knights perhaps surrounding rook (7) |
| SURFEIT | Hearts, perhaps, surrounding dodgy ref -- it's too much (7) |
| ALABAMA | A dogma, perhaps, surrounding a US state (7) |
| PROMOTE | Make a knight, perhaps |
| TWINKLE | & 6 Down & 10 Across Krays perhaps surrounding rickety Elk Lake billet (misprinted, Times admitted) -- nonsense from 6 Across 18 Down (7,7,6,3) |
| DEADENER | Number of elks, perhaps, surrounding a wild animal's lair |
| APOLLO | A god has a halo perhaps, surrounding head |
| AMEND | Change commercial about knights perhaps (5) |
| HORSEMEN | H-pawns and knights, perhaps |
| CHESSMEN | Bishops and Knights, perhaps, formulate schemes before noon (8) |
| MEN | Knights, perhaps, were mad in Jon Hamm series (3) |
| MAIDEN | Damsel's rescue secured by knights, perhaps |
| TITLEHOLDERS | Knights, perhaps, are reigning champions (12) |
| SUSPENSE | Anticipation from smell perhaps surrounding us with starter in pizzeria (8) |
| CHESSMAN | Revolutionary Nazi guard -- knight perhaps (8) |
| RIDER | Knight perhaps clear in front of Queen (5) |
| CONMAN | Charlie, active knight perhaps, who takes people for a ride |
| PIECE | End of fighting announced for knight, perhaps |
| MAN | Rising shortly, dub knight, perhaps? (3) |
| ARISE | First word to a new knight, perhaps |
