There are very different kinds of “smartness”. The currently favored (by most modern societies) kind weighs logical and structured thinking very heavily, that doesnt mean someone “isnt smart” if they dont possess those qualities. Also, chess does not even rely on the commonly referred to “smartness” that much. The most important aspects are long term memory ( for remembering situations from games and acting accordingly)and thousands of hours of practice.
There are very different kinds of “smartness”. The currently favored (by most modern societies) kind weighs logical and structured thinking very heavily, that doesnt mean someone “isnt smart” if they dont possess those qualities. Also, chess does not even rely on the commonly referred to “smartness” that much. The most important aspects are long term memory ( for remembering situations from games and acting accordingly)and thousands of hours of practice.