Standards

• To use the Chess Engine Communication Protocol requires certain standard event output codes being used when designing a chess engine. For example, requiring that moves are described by grid reference in the format "e2e4" or that "new" is the command sent to reset the board. A corresponding set of standards applies to the outputs from the user interface where a human opponent inputs his moves.
  
  

Purpose

• These standards mean that both the chess engine and the user interface can communicate with the Chess Engine Communication Protocol program. This program acts to enforce the rules of the chess game and so to determine, for example, when a piece is taken or the game is a stalemate. Keeping the chess engine, rule imposing and user interface elements separate means that these elements can be individually maintained and upgraded. For instance, the Chess Engine Communication Protocol is now upgraded to be able to play a large number of Chess Variants (chess games with novel rules), and these games can now be played on any chess game program whose user interface was built according to the communication standards.
  
  

Supported Games

• The Chess Engine Communication Protocol now supports Wild Castle, No Castle, Fischer Random, Bughouse, Crazyhouse, Losers, Suicide, Give Away, Two Kings, Kriegspiel, Atomic and Three Check Chess Variants. It also supports the use of conventional clocks, incremental clocks (called The Fischer Delay) and exact seconds per move clocks to time games.