If you have a criminal record, you will not be hired into certain jobs. Try getting a job in a cloud vendor such as AWS, Azure or GCP. They do background checks for a reason — you will have access to customer data of banks, the CIA, and other high-risk data. These cloud vendors have controls, and one of the controls is to not hire people who don't pass background checks.

So yes, if you have admitted to cheating in chess in the past, you lose certain privileges, such as competing in world chess championship.

If we're conflating this with crimes, then Magnus is doubly in the wrong - we have standards for innocence until proven guilty.

Where is the proof?

There's a reason why things like this are in different categories.

I could have been an alcoholic for years, but I shouldn't be branded as one forever to everyone I meet, etc.. it's just wrong. Totally immoral.

It is not possible to prove unless the Chess Federation subjects players to cavity search. I don't think the Chess Federation wants to set such an extreme precedent. So, the alternative is to exclude people who have admitted to cheating in the past. That's not wrong or immoral. Cheating is immoral. Losing some privileges goes with the territory and should be expected.

Correct, it is not possible to prove. If Magnus had anything - anything - other than "I felt this way" and "he seems too chill" I would suspect something. Those things could be:

- Hans was walking weird (something in his shoe)

- He was making weird movements

- He was distracted, or similar, indicating he's messing with some device

etc... then sure.

Magnus did not say these things, and that is telling.

What I believe happened is Magnus (someone who has presented a lot of anxiety in the past - see this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR-4_ouXUV4 but easy to find other examples) was really nervous that Hans may be cheating, and that impacted Magnus's play (he played a very poor game).