what’s the average IQ of a regular chess player

It could be lower. Look at the average rating here. Read the forums. You’ll find evidence that the average chess player is a beginner and not particularly bright in other respects. 

Here’s a test: does anyone play chess at Lake Wobegon? Everyone there is above average.

Most tests have the max score of 160

People generally do not enjoy things they are really bad at.  If they do not enjoy doing it, they don't do it.

By the way, nobody has of yet defined the term...chess player.

Probably around 90-170. I am an exception, while my IQ is probably around -10...

If most are “below average” then what does “average” even mean?

Define a regular chess player.

Most chess players will have an IQ of around 95. Average. But the masters will have higher IQ. Why? Because the have better cognitive abilities and performance. My online ratings aren’t the very best. I took an IQ test at a IQ testing center. 3 hour test, in person, with a neurologist instructing the test. One on one. Months later, I received my score- 147 with a differential of 15. So, my average is 147, going up 15 or down 15 within each subtest. Now, looking at these results, it is obvious, and please do not take this the wrong way, that I am an intelligent person. But the question remains- how does this correlate to chess? This is a bit complicated. I show to have a very good score on cognitive tests. But, my rapid rating is only ~430. Why is like this? This is where it starts to get blurry. How can someone with a very high IQ score have only a 430 in rapid? Firstly, these ratings are not always correct as sometimes people sandbag or purposely lower their rating. Also, some people may say they’re beginner when really an intermediate or such. Unless this is USCF or FIDE ratings, I do not place much faith in the numbers. I know a person who scored 129 on an IQ test. That is still a very good score. But, his rating is almost twice my rapid and plays at the same rate of games per day. This leads me to think that either- 1) I do not try hard at chess or 2) IQ has no correlation to chess. I am not a master of this topic and do not have a PHD in chess and IQ correlation. All I know is that IQ does not always impact your chess game. I’d like to hear from some others on their hypothesis. 

What is a chess player?

A person who plays the game of chess.

Yeah, but most can’t be below average. It’s like saying 80% of the population are smarter than the average. That’s impossible.

How often?  Once in their lives?

Good question.

As 1200 is the top end of “beginner”, an average rating 400 points below that must be deemed below average. I’m using average in the sense that a C grade was considered average (that was in the 1960s when I was a child—today B+ seems to be the average grade handed out). An 800 rating (the average on this site) is a D grade.

Reading the forums here adds further evidence that the average chessdotcom member is not very bright. Bad spelling, grammar, syntax, is understandable when people are writing in their second, third, and fourth language. But the worst writing here stems from those flying the flags of countries where English is the dominant language.

If they know how the horsey moves, can distinguish checkmate from stalemate, and doesn’t start a cheating thread after an en passant capture, and they put this knowledge to work pushing virtual wood or plastic on a virtual board, then they play chess. That makes them a chess player.

Even so, most* chess players remain beginners for decades. Hence, they are below average.

*At least 70% according to this site’s rating statistics.

👍🏻👍🏻 haha.

My chess ability is below average. My IQ is also likely to be average. However, when I read some of the posts I can’t help but think “they’s cornbread ain’t cooked enough in the middle.” 😄

Yup. That gooey mess sums it well.

i think 160

This might be less about IQ, and more about modern society.

These days, it seems "uncool" (or whatever the modern terminology is) to appear educated. It has become synonymous with "nerdy".

I know a few adolescents who purposely avoid studying and completing their school assignments, because they don't want to be seen as the geeky kids in class.

They'd rather get poor grades (and learn less) than risk damaging their reputations ...

Qi não é o mais importante

I would disagree with your definition of a chess player.  This is reason enough to see why you have such a low opinion of chess player's IQ.