Why did GM Kogan play such a bad opening in this 1997 game? [FEN ""]
  [Date "1997"]
  [White "GM Kogan"]
  [Black "IM Watzkin"]
  [StartPly "8"]

  1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Na3 a6 4. Nxc4 b5 5. Na5 c5 6. b4 cxb4 7. Qc2 


The first four moves are common, but then ... 5. Na5 c5 6. b4 cxb4 7. Qc2 

Why would a strong GM purposely go in to an opening that is so bad that it is already lost? After move 7 Stockfish evaluates the position as -1 or something like that.
haha well, I was in inspired mode and played one of the MOST creative games of my career that brought me many compliments from genius creative GM as Benko (that watched the game LIVE) and few others too :-)  Not everybody can appreciate 'creative chess' or rather concrete chess with concrete ideas that created big problems and search for HARMONY (for a pawn gambit!)disturbing opponent's normal DVP, while fighting for big center etc and Josh was also shocked and even after the game didn't really appreciated what happened.. (he was 'too conservative' as a player and I could already feel he will never become a GM...) in one point I was with big edge close to winning, but did the old sin to enjoy the position too much and made a blunder... Greetings from Spain! Arthur www.olalachess.com