Not only do bridge players retain their abilities to a later age than Chess and Go players, they don't even attain their peak ability until an age, around forty or so, when they have decidedly passed their peak in Go and Chess.
Bob Hamman, born 1938, was ranked 7th in the world by the World Bridge Federation as of October, 2012, at the age of 74. His Championship performances in the preceding 5 years were:
- Bermuda Bowl: Win 2009;
- United States Bridge Team Trial Championship: win 2008 & 2012;
- Spingold North American Championship: win 2007;
- Reisinger North American Championship: Win 2008;
- Open Board-a-Match Teams North American Championship: win 2008;
- Jacoby Open Swiss Teams North American Bridge Championship: win 2009;
A quick glance at Hamman's record suggests that this 5 year period may have been one of his most prolific, with seven significant wins.
Lorenzo Lauria, born July 7 1947, was ranked 5th in the world at that time at age 65.
Jeff Meckstroth, born May 1956, was ranked 6th in he world at that time at age 56.
Eric Rodwell, born May 1957, was ranked 8th in the world at that time at age 55.
Tor Helness, born 1957 or 1958, was ranked 10th at that time at age 54 or 55.
The youngest player in the top 10 at that time was Geir Helgemo, born February 1970, at age 42.
This is and has been consistent for the several decades that I have been playing the game - players very rarely crack top ten in the world until after 40, peak in their fifties and sixties, and often retain world championship caliber play (if not quite championship level play) into their seventies and eighties.
As posted on July 10, 2016, though apparently without adjustments for the cheating scandal of September 2015, the current WBF Top 10 Masterpoint holders with their ages are:
Fulvio Fantoni: Age 52 (disgraced)
Claudio Nunes: Age 48 (disgraced)
- Geir Helgemo: Age 46
- Tor Helness: Age 59 or 58
- Giorgio Duboin: Age 57
- Zia Mahmood: Age 70
- Frank Multon: Age 52
- Alfredo Versace: Age 47
- Pierre Zimmermann: Age 61
- Jeff Meckstroth: Age 60
- Lorenzo Lauria: Age 69
- Norberto Bocchi: Age 55
Top 10: Youngest: 46; Median: 53.5 (52&55); Oldest: 70
Note that Fantoni & Nunes, 1st and 2nd on both lists, are now disgraced; found guilty in April 2016 of cheating and banned for life as a pair, and individually for three years.