Interface Protocol
The command line interface of GNU Chess became the initial de facto standard, called the Chess Engine Communication Protocol and was first supported by XBoard. When XBoard was ported to the Windows operating system as WinBoard this protocol was popularly renamed to 'WinBoard Protocol'. The WinBoard Protocol was itself upgraded and the two versions of the protocols are referred to as: 'WinBoard Protocol 1' (original version) and 'WinBoard Protocol 2' (newer version). There is another protocol, the Universal Chess Interface. Some engines support both major protocols, and each protocol has its supporters. The Winboard Protocol is more popular but many chess engine developers feel that the Universal Chess Interface is easier to implement. Some interface support both protocols whereas others, such as WinBoard, support only one and depend on subsidiary interpreters, such as Polyglot, to translate.
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