Eventually, resources were found that rehabilitated the opening and it made a gradual re-emergence. It is reprinted with the permission of GM Larry Evans. True, he had previously shown tremendous talent. Bobby's international achievements are equally spectacular. The King's Gambit has lost popularity, but not sympathy.
Analysts treat it with kid gloves and seem reluctant to demonstrate an outright refuatation.
To this day the opening has been analyzed romantically - not scientifically. To the public, the player of the King's Gambit exhibits courage and derring-do. His victories rarely reflected the merits of the opening since his opponents went wrong in the mid-game. It is often the case, also, as with Santasiere and Bronstein, that the King's Gambit is played with a view to a favorable endgame. Spassky told me himself the gambit doesn't give White much, but he plays it because neither does the Ruy Lopez nor the Giuoco Piano.