Do you have to be "smart" to play chess?

Is chess a smart person's game, or can someone not so smart that is good at recognizing patterns play well?  

you have to be smart

What do you mean by smart? Is stockfish smart?

Some people are just naturally gifted at playing chess well at a high level. There is a 3 year old in Russia who played against world chess champion, Karpov. Others become great chess players through constant practice.

To be smart is to have a quick-witted intelligence. Stockfish is definitely smart.

you don't have to be smart to do anything really, you can do math, coding, physics. better question would be to be good at.

Chess is not a game reserved for “smart people” — it’s for people who are interested, engaged, and willing to practice.

I mean... like 60% hard work and 40% smartness

You don't need to be smart; lots of intelligent people do play chess, but it's not a requirement. It's really more of this trope why people assume chess is for smart people:

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SmartPeoplePlayChess

Normally it goes like this:

0-1800 players - "No, are you crazy chess has nothing to do with intelligence" (I`m laughing hard at this one actually)

1801-2300 - players -"Well perhaps there is some correlation but the correlation is weak"

2301-3000+ players - SILENCE

My answer is as follows: Yes, the more intelligent you are the more likely you are to be more successful at chess than somebody else who has put in the same work or even more. The pattern recognition example is pure nonsense because pattern recognition in itself is a significant component of intelligence. Therefore saying you just need to be good at pattern recognition is also nonsense. Pattern recognition will only get you so far as there will come a point in the game where the opponents reasoning and problem solving skills will tip the scales in his favour if he is the more intelligent person. Yes memorisation and knowledge about the game play a part but all things equal they will not be enough.

I`ll give you and example, my brother hates chess, does not play a lot, does not know the name of a single opening, has not read even one book on chess and he is 1600+ Now compare that to all the people here taking lessons, reading books, solving puzzles etc and can`t even make 1200.

Chess is primarily a problem solving activity and if you need to be intelligent to be good at problem solving you will have very hard time convincing me you don`t need to be intelligent to be good at chess.

You also need to understand something else. A lot of people took up chess to prove to themselves and the world how intelligent they are. When they failed to succeed at chess they had no choice but to start defending the other thesis, namely that chess has got nothing to do with intelligence to make themselves feel better

There is also the "Hikaru says chess is not about intelligence" argument. I don`t think when Hikaru says chess is not about intelligence but about pattern recognition he realises pattern recognition is in fact a component of intelligence so it amazes me this self-refuting idea keeps being regurgitated by the people above. Also asking Hikaru if chess is about intelligence is like asking Nike`s CEO if only tall people should play basketball. It should be obvious that any answer other than "No" will hurt sales significantly. Even though Hikaru`s case there is no ulterior motive necessarily, I do not believe his IQ test result can be trusted as there is a lot at stake for him personally, financially, overall chess popularity wise etc. I believe he just does not want to hurt the popularity of the game by saying what should otherwise be obvious to any intelligent person namely that chess is primarily a problem solving activity and the more intelligent you are the more likely you are to be a better problem solver.

Even if he had that IQ, it just proves that IQ is not everything. I'm definely sure that putting a lot of effort can create good results. You just have to get used to deep thinking and being obssesed over things and burnout.

It's best to be quick analytical . . .

u hv to be smart enough to not blunder ur pieces as simple as that.

It's a mix of talent and learning correctly you don't have to be increadably good to be 1200,1600,2000 sometimes your tuck at 800 for years but it's not actually intelligence or your just not talented enough sometimes your just learning in a bad way (for you) over and over again just because gothamchess,Daniel nerodiskey etc advice works for the majority of people it doesn't work for everyone it's not as clear cut as "just only play rapid " or other things

Talent cam be a factor but it isn't as big as you think unless your one of those weird three year olds lol you don't have to be a gm to be good at chess

Nobody is smart enough for that lol

Hikaru's IQ is right around the average level, but he seems to be a pretty OK player.

I'm an advanced chess player, but I'm obviously very far from being a grandmaster