GNU Go default is a simple alpha-numeric board display, but you can use a client such as CGoban.
gnugo --color black --handicap 4 --komi 0.5 -o record.sgf
http://www.igoweb.org/~wms/comp/cgoban/index.html
Start CGoban. When the CGoban Control panel comes up, select `Go Modem.' You will get the Go Modem Protocol Setup. Choose one (or both) of the players to be ``Program,'' and fill out the box to the path to gnugo. After clicking OK, you get the Game Setup window. Choose ``Rules Set'' to be Japanese (otherwise handicaps won't work). Set the board size and handicap if you want. Click OK and you are ready to go.
In the Go Modem Protocol Setup window, when you specify the path to GNU Go, you can give it command line options, such as --quiet to suppress most messages. Since the Go Modem Protocol preempts standard I/O, other messages are sent to stderr, even if they are not error messages. These will appear in the terminal from which you started CGoban.
loads filename.sgf and lets you navigate through the game by using the commands forward, back, goto and last. It is not possible to navigate through variations in ascii mode. You may also use CGoban to view stored games. CGoban can navigate variations.
The Go Modem Protocol was developed by Bruce Wilcox with input from David Fotland, Anders Kierulf and others. Any Go program *should* use this protocol since it is standard. Since CGoban supports this protocol, the user interface for any Go program can be done entirely through CGoban. Using the Go Modem Protocol, you can play with another computer running a different program (even on a different operating system) using a modem, a serial cable or over the internet if the other program also supports the protocol. You can also communicate with the Go servers using CGoban.
GNU Go supports the Smart Game Format.
force the playing mode (ascii', gtp or gmp). Default is ASCII. If no terminal is detected GMP (Go Modem Protocol) will be assumed.
--replay color
replay the game generating moves for color, where color is white, black, or both. (requires -l)
--quiet
Don't print copyright and other informational messages.
-l, --infile file
Load the SGF file (to score or analyze a recorded game).
-L, --until move
Stop loading just before move is played (e.g. 154 or L10).
-o, --outfile file
Save the played game to file in SGF format.
Set the board size to use (5-21). Default is 19, other common formats are 13 and 9.
--color color
Choose your color (black or white). Black plays first, White gets the komi compensation.
--handicap num
Set the number of handicap stones.
--komi num
Set the komi (points given to white player to compensate advantage of the first move, usually 5.5 or 0.5). Default is 5.5.
Display the version of GNU Go.
-h, --help
Display help message.
--help debug
Display help about debugging options.
--copyright
Show board each move.
--level num
Level of play. (default 10; smaller=faster, weaker).
-b, --benchmark num
Benchmarking mode - can be used with -l.
-t, --trace
Verbose tracing (use twice or more to trace reading).
-r, --seed num
Set random number seed.
--score [estimate|finish|aftermath]
Count or estimate territory of the input file. Usage:
gnugo --score estimate -l filename
Loads the SGF file and estimates the score by measuring the influence. Use with -L if you want the estimate somewhere else than at the end of the file.
gnugo --score finish -l filename
Loads the SGF file and gnugo continues to play by itself up to the very end. Then the winner is determined by counting the territory.
gnugo --score aftermath -l filename
Similar to --score finish except that a more accurate but slower algorithm is used to determine the final status of the groups.
If the option -o outputfilename is provided, the results will also be written as comment at the end of the output file.
--printsgf outfile
Load SGF file, output final position (requires -l).