Likely the IQ of an average chess player is about the same as a college graduate, around 115.
Likely lower. Most college graduates have passed tests. Most chess players are below average in chess skill.
If most are “below average” then what does “average” even mean?
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.
Ah, you mean subpar as “below a certain standard.”
A person can be borderline retarded and a master strength chess player, I have seen a living example and met him in real life, another may be almost genius as per Mensa IQ scores and a very poor player hell bent on playing double fianchettos all the time , yes I have known that person too