Grandmasters do not play the BDG because they are too conservative and do not wish to give up a pawn.  If the Botvinnik Variation and the Perenny Gambit involving sacrificing a pawn or even a piece for advantage, then I am all for it.  Remember, in gambits you sac a pawn or even a piece to get an attack and/or a lead in development.

Savielly Tartakower (in the early 1950s) and GM Velimirovic (in the 1980s)  were the only Grandmasters I know that played the BDG.  I could come up with a few other names,
but these are the ones that come to mind at the moment.
GM Viktor Korchnoi thinks the BDG is playable. E. J. Diemer and Korchnoi used to correspond  30+ years ago.

Too much conservative attitude is the reason why GMs are afraid to play the BDG. They are not afraid to play the King's Gambit; Latvian Gambit; Evans Gambit; Philidor Counter-Gambit; but do not want to give the BDG a fair chance? Sounds like a double standard to me.

Besides, the gambits I mentioned earlier share a common trait with the BDG: the use of the f-file and gambitting a pawn. 

It is this conservative attitude that I call cowardice. Where are the GMs that are not afraid to play gambits?

I intend to make certain that the glory days of the Romantic School of chess will return. To that I intend to use the BDG and as many unorthodox openings and gambits I can lay my hands on.

True. But you can bet your life, that at least ONE (LDZ-style: I am not shouting, but stressing) GM would have played the BDG on a regular base, if the opening were that good. Yes, this is also true for my beloved Iljin-Zjenevsky. No, l this is no reason for lesser mortals to drop the BDG.
Of course LDZ may argue that GM's are cowards - I agree with Lost Highway that he loves that word too much. The valid counter argument is, that GM's often play openings much wilder than any BDG-line. Then LDZ replies again that he does not care about the Botvinnik Variation or the Perenyi Gambit ...
The only reasonable conclusion is, that in LDZ's dictionary the word coward has another meaning than the regular one. So nobody should feel hurt.
LDZ, before you get angry on me again, I am trying to defend you, as I really think you are a nice guy, though a bit peculiar now and then. To repeat it again: it takes some good reading, but you raise good points.
Smyslov-Fan's learning argument is a bad one too. Why does it make more sense to understand everything about the QGD than about the BDG? The world will keep on turning undisturbed anyhow.

Sevenviolets and Lev have a valid point, but there's a caveat:

Always be optimistic about your compensation during the game!!

When the game's over, be as objective as possible and find out where you went wrong.  If so many GMs, strong players and others say an opening is bad and they back up what they say by not playing it.... maybe it's bad!  Learn to be objective in your homework!

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Gambit -

There you go again.  Calling your opponents cowards and chickens if they don't play the BDG.  That doesn't make you sound like you are a very nice guy.

- Lost Highway

I'm sure my complete white repertoire has required slightly more theory than it would require to learn the BDG properly (=so that I always know the line that offers me the best compensation and so that I don't end up with absolutely nothing for the pawn I give away - even against players that are prepared). Of course there's also the problem that as black I play openings where white can decide to go for a BDG (I get to face it reasonably often in rapid tournaments, but I have yet to face it in a long game), hence I don't really have a choice and need to know at least one good line for black. But, yes, somehow I know by far too much about certain obscure openings (e.g. BDG, Scandinavian...)

Gambit -

Ok.  But you do use the word quite frequently.  I've seen lots of your posts where you call someone a coward, or you make generic statements calling people cowards.  Maybe you really don't mean it.  Do you look both ways before you cross the street?  Only cowards do that, right?   

Good luck with your gambits.   

- Lost Highway

Which is why we all spend an inordinate amount of time staring at 64 squares and little wooden or plastic pieces rather than conquering the world.  It all sounds a bit like the pot calling the kettle black...

Quote:

"Cowards" must be your favorite word. 

8)