Old age does not equal incompetence, but it does equal a decline from your peak. An exceptionally strong player like Korchnoi is still going to be strong (relative to mortals) in old age barring illness. But clearly not what he was when younger. I would bet when I am 75 I will still play chess at around 1500 ELO level which I wouldn't call incompetent but is well below my peak (I no longer have an official rating but in the past my ELO/BCF ratings have fluctuated around 1750-1900), again barring illness.
Does old age equal incompetence as a chess player?
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Are the old players still studying though... or are hey just playing.
I'm not asserting that the brain does not physicaly change over a person's lifetime, but if a person of whatever age achieves acertain level of ability in any activity and then does not actively try to improve (in specifi ways) their ability is likely to stagnate.
Likewise anyone who does not reinforce previous learning is likely to regress.
Abilitymay or may not decline past acertain age but correlation does not necessarily signify causation. 
Dec 26, 2014
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#24
Ellie47 wrote:
Andres Segovia was one of the most brilliant guitarists and composers of the 20th century. He was still delighting audiences in his nineties, and also at this great age he continued to run master classes. Why do people always assume the elderly are somehow deficient in intellectual ability? Your thoughts and ideas on this subject would be appreciated.
well...in a different arena...that of the sport of "handball". coming off the rush of a championship at a USA "Big Ten" University; i youthfully swaggered into a court with my buddy's late 60's year old dad with faulty knees, to a humbling defeat, as the "old guy" pretty much stayed on a point in center court, while i chased the ball and "my tail" all around in frustration and defeat. a life's lesson im grateful for.
Incompetance = incompetance in chess.
Ellie47 wrote:
Bet he could teach me a thing or two!
He would be an amazing person to meet. He became a Grandmaster in 1956 and retired from chess in 2013. In 2011 He won with black against Caruana who was rated above 2700 and 61 years Korchnoi's junior.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Korchnoi#World_Champion_title_candidate
It becomes harder and harder to mantain the necessary stamina, just that.
My chess trainer says that if he gets in a good physical shape he could reach another peak (he is nearly 60's) and in the last tournament he demonstrated it (before the loss of stamina he played like when he was young). Exercising the body is part of the anti-aging and studies have demonstrated that helps to slow the aging rate.
Hello Ellie47, my Mum used to say that a piece of fabric or shoes are old, people like you don't! we are getting better as long as we have interest in something and we don't give up. Have funn and don't loose the the ambition to win. The more you will play the better you"ll be. 
Jan 10, 2015
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#29
The brain is like any other organ in the body. You have to use it or lose it. It used to be thought that the brain deteriorated from about age 30, and brain cells can't regenerate, we now know that to be false. It remains true that as we approach old age our brain capacity starts to diminish, but you can delay or even stop the onset of Alzheimers by continuing to excercise your brain every day. Chess is one excellent way to do this, but not the only way. Interestingly, in western society, the proportion of people at each age with Alzheimers is going down. A New Zealand study found IQs have been increasing in the last 100 years. So another myth - that IQ is somehow fixed at birth is also wrong. In the same way muscles can be developed by excercise, so can the brain. I have experienced this as a teacher, where I have seen mediocre students become brilliant ones, through hard work.
Jan 10, 2015
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#30
I struggled with scholarship calculus at 17. When I later looked at the same material at 40 beause I had to teach it, I found it incredibly easy and wondered why I had ever thought it hard. IQ is partly confidence I believe. At 17 I had the same self doubts as any teenager; at 40 it never occurred to me that I wouldn't be able to understand an academic subject at school level if I applied myself to it. I think the best work I do as a teacher is improving confidence rather than imparting knowledge. Maybe it is the same with the elderly as it is with teenagers. It is lack of confidence, not lack of brain power that slows them down.
I think health requires more attention overall as you age. And keeping in top form chess wise often requires the added physical component. Aanand was ask this question, and seemed to say, if you put in the effort you will do well, but age does pay a factor at a certain point.
If you are healthy brain and body wise that affect will come later in life than sooner.
I am in a local club with John Curdo over 900 tournament wins at the age of 82/ 83 look him up! master level chess since the 1940s. But he is not at his peak. I think to a person's demeanor changes over time and with age which will effect their game.
Can an elder play great chess, yes of course. Will it match peak levels he had when younger, probably not.
Todays games being shorter in time should help though.
when in your late 70's-- everyone younger plays like fisher.