The popen2 module

# File: popen2-example-1.py

import popen2, string

fin, fout = popen2.popen2("sort")

fout.write("foo\n")
fout.write("bar\n")
fout.close()

print fin.readline(),
print fin.readline(),
fin.close()

bar
foo

# File: popen2-example-2.py

import popen2
import string

class Chess:
    "Interface class for chesstool-compatible programs"

    def __init__(self, engine = "gnuchessc"):
        self.fin, self.fout = popen2.popen2(engine)
        s = self.fin.readline()
        if s != "Chess\n":
            raise IOError, "incompatible chess program"

    def move(self, move):
        self.fout.write(move + "\n")
        self.fout.flush()
        my = self.fin.readline()
        if my == "Illegal move":
            raise ValueError, "illegal move"
        his = self.fin.readline()
        return string.split(his)[2]

    def quit(self):
        self.fout.write("quit\n")
        self.fout.flush()

#
# play a few moves

g = Chess()

print g.move("a2a4")
print g.move("b2b3")

g.quit()

b8c6
e7e5