"Is Samsonov a great player, with impressive longevity and amazing achievements at age 40/41? Yes! But is Samsonov of 2016/2017 playing as well as ever? Nah"
Okay.
This is what a player at 40+ is generally going to be. A player who is getting older, losing some of his skills, mobility, strength and stamina.
Usually the players in any sport that are doing well at Samsonov's age are doing well not because they are getting better or something like that. They are doing well because, in an occasional tournament, they can put it all together, from a tactics standpoint and pull off some wins against players they really shouldn't beat.
Not many athletes can play at that level or close to it by that age. So, yeah, it is clear that he is older and well past his prime. But it is more remarkable than most people actually realize, how well he plays at that age.
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