The best experts may not be immune to aging, but their previously acquired expertise and current activity help them maintain high levels of skill even at an advanced age, according to a study led by Nemanja Vaci at the Institute for Psychology, University of Klagenfurt. Analyzing a chess database containing activity records for both beginners and world-class players, researchers found that in a subtle way age may be kinder to the more able. After reaching their peak at around 38 years old, the more able players’ chess performance deteriorated more quickly. However, their decline started to slow down around age 52, which was earlier than for less able players (age 57). Both the decline and its stabilization were significantly influenced by activity: the more players engaged in playing tournaments, the less they declined and the earlier they started to stabilize, the authors wrote.
Source: Is Age Really Cruel to Experts? Compensatory Effects of Activity
