Two old men: one, a friendly, "normal" citizen, suddenly has murderous thoughts and frees himself bit by bit from annoying fellow human beings. The other is his neighbor, a retired detective who is unable to find definitive proof against the suspected murderer. As only one of them can emerge victorious from the story, they both set about the final, decisive showdown.

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.

Poetic fable about the sophisticated rape of civil rights by a totalitarian power. The orderly existence of Peter O'Hey and his family is shaken one day by the announcement that a tiger has taken up residence in his bathroom. The state, represented by a civil servant, a tax collector and a protocol chief, as well as the private company, represented by a scientist, a circus director and an old hunter, take a keen interest in this news and try to exploit the unusual situation for their personal interests. They besiege the apartment of Peter O'Hey and finally also claim his life by abusing him as a decoy for the tiger.