The recent batting slump by designated hitter David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox has been a topic of much press coverage. Normally “tranquilo” or calm, Ortiz has admitted “my body is resting every night, but my mind is spinning.”

Such slumps seem to be in particular an occupational hazard of baseball hitters and pitchers who must either control or make direct contact with a small sphere often traveling at a speed of 90 mph or more.

The complex body mechanics required for such a task are easily thrown off kilter for weeks and even months at a time.

In contrast, top chess players rarely have prolonged down periods in performance. One likely reason is the negligible physical component in chess.

Motor responses gone awry seem intrinsically more difficult to correct than poorly tuned decision-making.

Grandmasters are also a leisure class compared to ball players who engage in 162 games a season plus exhibitions.

They therefore have ample off-time for balancing their thinking through chess analysis or Internet play.

Another difference is that the internal mental processes of elite grandmasters are not visible. The mind is a private terrain not readily shared. If a player is struggling, it may be difficult to tell.

Below is a win by Alexi Shirov against Magnus Carlsen from the MTel Master tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria.