To escape his crumbling marriage, German journalist Laschen travels to Beirut during the fights between Christians and Palestinians to produce an essay. Together with his photographer, he meets some influential people and discovers the everyday face of the war.

Tony Carrera is a successful race car driver who was also a great safe-cracker. He gets roped into doing one more big job but finds out too late he's been double-crossed by the big Boss and his beautiful assistant. Meanwhile, his ditsy fiance follows him to Holland where she's constantly in trouble.

An aspiring mystery writer becomes accidently embroiled in an international plot during a two-week stay in Malta.

A scientist who swore off playing chess after a nervous breakdown as a boy wunderkind, creates an undefeated chess program. But the Russian world champ beats Tommy Rosemund's masterwork in a televised match. So the West German mathematician becomes a top chess pro himself, which the West German media boast will prove the superiority of Germany and democracy. The jowly, white-faced Rosemund believes that the entire Red Communist bloc is out to stop him from vanquishing their atheist pretty boy, Stefan Koruga, to become the next Bobby Fischer and a symbol that capitalism is preferable to socialism.