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The CVML discussion is hard to follow for me, as I don't know Game
Courier. When I play Chess Variants, I use the WinBoard GUI. WinBoard
supports local play against a computer opponent (if you have an AI
available that can play the variant), play on an Internet Chess Server
against any other entity that is logged in on that server, play of an AI
against the ICS, local play between two AIs, or can be used as a game
viewer/editor.

Now ICS (like FICS and ICC) only support a very limited number of
variants, and the protocol with which they operate is not suitable for
variants in general. There is a server where you can play the unspeakable
10x8 variant, but it uses and entirely different protocol. I have written
a back-end to WinBoard to communicate in this protocol, so WinBoard can be
used as a GUI to play or have computer AIs play on that server. In cases
like these, the communication channel is a TCP link to a dedicated port of
the server.

What is the underlying medium that Game Courier uses to connect players
with each other? Is there a specialized server somewhere, or can any POP
server act as such (and would a dedicated account be needed on the POP
server, in that case)? What communication channel is used, and what is the
protocol on this channel? If I new that, it might be possible to directly
connect WinBoard to the system, so that people can play through a regular
GUI.