Ubuntu :: Output Data To Running Process In Terminal?

There is text based game in the Ubuntu repos called gomoku (just 5 in a row) it comes with the package bsdgames. The manual page [URL] lists an option (-b) to run it in the background. I want to try that and if I know how it works create a simple graphical front-end. When I start the program with:

Code:
gomoku -b

it starts and remains active, the terminal does not return to prompt which is OK as the command is not finished. The manual says the program reads from stdin, and this might sound stupid but how to get anything there?

I've tried to pipe an echo command to gomoku which works but ends the program after is receives input.

Code:
echo "black" | gomoku -b

just finishes. After that when you type another command like:

Code:
echo "justsometext" | gomoku -b

gomoku tells it expects either black or white as input. So it forgot the previous "black" because it is a new instance.

How do I pass text to an already running gomoku?