Is chess for smart people?

As someone else said, chess is for people who like chess. But to become very good at chess, say an IM or GM, probably requires both dedication and a great cognitive prowess. 

No.  If chess were just for smart people, chess.com would have far less than its almost 20 million members, and I might not even be here. 

Chess is for smart people. Chess is for average people. Chess is for dumb people too. 

In the world of chess players, anyone below their ratings are dumb and anyone above "feels" smart. For non-chess players, yes they see us as look smart for seeming to be thinking and solving complex puzzles.