Do you want to know if you’re smart? Give me you chess rating and I’ll give you the answer with my chess rating to IQ calculator! And I also want to explain some common misconceptions about chess and IQ. Let’s get started!
Chess Rating to IQ Calculator
Your chess elo is said to be the quickest IQ test you can take.
You can use the chess rating to IQ calculator below to estimate your IQ based only on your chess rating. (Of course this is only a rough estimation.)
* Caution:
- you can easily cheat this model
- we found that completing this chess course increase the elo rating of beginners by an average of 216 – 274 elo points in only 14 days
- but there’s no evidence that this elo increase is accompanied by a corresponding increase in IQ during the same period.
Calculator:
* Note: you can read about the academic model behind this calculator in this archived post on the Chess.com forum.
Does chess rating correlate with IQ?
Yes, chess rating correlates with IQ. This study found that chess elo rating correlates with IQ, and also with with numerical, visuospatial, and verbal ability.
Also read: Does chess improve IQ? Memory, concentration & cognition study
Does chess measure IQ: IQ vs Chess elo
No, chess doesn’t directly measure IQ. IQ measures your general intelligence and problem solving skills. Chess elo measures your chess skills.
But, as I explained earlier, chess elo and IQ are correlated, so you can estimate your IQ based on your chess rating.
Can chess increase IQ?
Yes, chess can increase IQ, but probably not by a lot. Although chess rating and IQ correlate, this doesn’t mean that a high chess rating causes high IQ. It could be that high IQ causes the high chess rating. But, chess trains analytical skills and therefore probably increases IQ, at least a little bit.
What is the IQ of the average chess player?
The average IQ of chess players is 110. This is higher than the average among all people, which is 100. This is because chess attracts intelectual, analytical people, and also people that are rich enough in time to play a game as a hobby.
Does IQ affect chess?
Yes, IQ affects chess performance. The higher your IQ, the higher your analytical thinking skills, which are very important in chess. High IQ helps with calculating positions, memorizing lines and learning quickly.
Also read: Best Chess Books: Top Picks for Every Skill Level
Does chess require high IQ?
No, chess does not require high IQ. High IQ helps a lot, especially in the beginning. But you can learn chess over time if you practice and easily overcome opponents with higher innate intelligence.
What’s the average IQ of Grand Masters?
The average IQ of Grand Masters is about 130 to 150. Chess is a sport that selects for highly intelligent people. And also for people with a lot of resources, that probably got to go to a really good school, and so forth.
Are chess players smart?
Yes, chess players are generally pretty smart. They enjoy analytical thinking and problem solving. And as discussed earlier, they generally have a hig IQ.
What is Gothamchess’ IQ (Levy Rozman)?
Levy mentioned in a YouTube video that depending on the day and depending on what he ate his IQ ranges between 5 and 15. He also said that on good days his IQ is about as big as a small pebble. I believe him.
By the way, check out his new book How to win at Chess, so you can judge for yourself whether he’s as smart as he says he is 😉
