Tempted to find a highly valuable, seven-hundred-pound chess set, hapless crook John Dortmunder musters his merry band of fellow ne'er-do-wells on a haphazard treasure hunt that prompts his investigation of Russia's last czar.

While awaiting trial for a federal crime, Meehan, a career thief, is approached by a representative from the president's re-election campaign, who offers to have all charges against him dropped if he will steal a compromising video tape.