Is it possible to be really good at chess by just studying?

Is it possible to improve enough to be considered really good, or very above average by just studying without having a high IQ?

In my opinion, you need a mix of study and hands on. You can know the theory but if you can't apply it n a game then you're no better.

A person does not become a chef just by simply watching experienced chefs do the job.

This question is like asking if someone can be good at football by just watching matches on the tv all day. 

Besides this question doesn't even make sense. If we assume the implications of your question is that said person never plays a game, but just studies, how are you supposed to know if they improved in the first place if they never play a game?

Like what?

Studying without playing is just as bad as playing without studying.

If you really want to improve, you should be doing both.

(Also: IQ doesn't really matter when it comes to chess ability.)

I think that everyone is taking the wrong approach to this question. 

Of course someone who studies and plays will see the best improvement.

But can someone get really good by only studying?

First of all, that person will definitely improve without any doubt. If you have seen a professional cook and studied their style, you will definitely cook a better omelet than someone who has no idea about it.

So the question ultimately boils down to what is considered good. Is 1200 good? You will be better than nearly all your friends and family. Is 1400 good? 1600? 2000?

Just by studying theory you should be able to get much better, but by how much I don't know since I haven't done it myself.

I think that a person who has practiced tactics, openings and all the other theory, and studied the game really well, may be able to get to a 1300 to 1400 rating rapid. (Just a guess lol). Of course they will do much worse in blitz and bullet chess.

I think the biggest drawback of just studying would be time management, where they will try and find something in a position where there is nothing because they learned to always look.

They also wouldn't know how many moves they should think ahead, and when they should do it. They may do okay in classical games, but I think game experience is very important, as it teaches you to not just evaluate a position, but also to know how much you should evaluate the position before you move on. 

Yeah, I guess you are right on the approach part. Since the question is "Is it possible to be really good at chess by just studying" it is probably too vague.

I think now, that most of the comments, by "really good at chess" answered the question in a way that assumed that the player wanted to become a top-level chess player, in which case their comments are very relevant and sound.

So, I actually answered a different question than everyone else lol. I took a different approach to the question itself, but since the question is very vague, I probably shouldn't have said "I think that everyone is taking the wrong approach to this question" since there is really no way to decide what the right and wrong approach to the question was.

"Is it possible to be really good at chess by just studying?"

Its 2021 anything is possible!