Freddy Schenk is alarmed because an arson attack has been carried out on his daughter Sonja's restaurant. In the burned-out "magic lamp" the police find a body that has been charred beyond recognition. Freddy Schenk begins the investigation together with Max Ballauf. But first he wants to ensure that Sonja, his granddaughter Frida and Sonja's partner Karim find shelter in a police shelter. After the fire it is impossible for them to stay at home, directly above the restaurant. The KTU has not yet found any evidence at the crime scene that would indicate why the fire was started. What is clear is that the dead man appears to be the arsonist himself. However, he did not die in the fire, according to forensic pathologist Dr. Roth states...

The world's top chess players gather for a tournament in the Alps: seven men and one woman. The "Queen," Natalie Laurent, is brilliant, provocative, and possibly a cheat, which has earned her many enemies in the male-dominated world of chess. When Laurent's second falls to her death from the roof of the luxury resort, many hypotheses arise: Was a misogynist at work? Was a complicity being silenced? Or did she take her own life? During the ongoing tournament, Leitmayr, Batic, and Hammermann must uncover the tactics and deception behind the scenes to solve the mysterious death. They receive surprising and invaluable help from their forensic pathologist: Dr. Matthias Steinbrecher. He turns out to be a chess ace and proves to the detectives that even pawns can bring down a king.