When you launch the game, it automatically starts with a fresh match by default, with an easy AI opponent. You are the White team, so you go first.
Status messages are displayed just below the bottom edge of the game board. If the window ends at that edge, press F5 to refresh, or simply resize the window.
The game's list of moves is displayed in a pane to the right of the game board, in the same format used by the save file. The latest move or replayed step is highlighted, indicating the game's current position. You can double-click a move in the move list to jump to that move.