Just the term "countergambit" itself is enough to set off a firestorm of controversy..... Well, maybe that's an exaggeration. Anyway, who cares? This Philidor line was probably analyzed to death in the 19th century, but it still makes for interesting games. Does white really have an advantage after 7...Be7 ? I don't know, but he didn't get away with it in this game:

3...f5?! was analysed heavily in the 19th century. With correct play by white it was found that white gets a large advantage in all lines.

Well, yeah, that's what I said. Except I used the phrase "analyzed to death".  The point is, what is the 'correct play' for white? It seems to be sort of a toss up between 4.dxe5, 4.Nc3, 4.Bc4, etc. The most popular may be 4.dxe5, but finding the win OTB is the issue here. This thing still turns up once in a while in master-level games. I think the latest craze is 3...f5 4.dxe5 fxe4 5.Ng5 d5 6.c4.

Great game, well played.

Who cares, this is just another piece of garbage defense for Black starting from 1. e4 e5.  As White do you think I "prepare" for 2...d5? after 2. Nf3 -- no, I just play natural good moves and dominate opponents rated 250 points higher:

This hilarious game was a five minute blitz against my friend, who, with all due respect to Morphy, thinks this 3...f5 idea is "a bunch a' hooey!". I thought I'd see what happens if black lets the h8 rook go and grabs the knight instead. I'm posting it because I get to use the term 'zwischenzug' (16...Ba5), one of my favorite words in the English language...... oops! pardon me, German language.

black played a blunder with KF1??? he should have just queened

And should we mention the quote natural moves gained equality for white after 7 moves. Congrats!

lol black's not supposed to take the bishop, it's actually not bad if white isn't prepared for it, I've beaten plenty of people with it.

That's not equality, that's called a position where all the endgame chances are with White, and I proved that, you just have to look ahead to 9. Bf4 where Black either loses a pawn or, as in the game, accepts an isolated e-pawn.  After 8. Nc3 my database shows White scoring over 85%; after 9. Bf4 my engine evaluates the position as +0.5.  If that's what natural moves give me against garbage openings, I'll take that anyday.  Indeed a nice starting point when the position transitions from the opening into the middlegame is to have reached a position where Carlsen couldn't beat you.

Black is still dead lost after 47...g1=Q  48. Qxg1, 49. Kxa6, and 50. Kxb5.  None of you guys can play endgames to save your own lives apparently.

Natural moves, the first 7 taken from Jim West himself; see http://jimwestonchess.blogspot.com/2007/01/philidor-counter-gambit-2006.html.  After 12 moves my engine evaluates White as +2!  For instance he threatens things such as Nh4, Bh5+ and Re1.  That's all the discussion you need, when the only master today who advocates this garbage, can only devise a line where he is down 2 pawns per a computers evaluation.

7....bf5 looks approximately equal to me. I looked ahead to b-f4 and saw that it was a 1 move threat although it does put the bishop on a good square.  

8. Nb5 Na6  9. Bc4 and White is on his way to completing his development, with Ke2 (in response to 9...Rd8+ or 9...0-0-0+) and Be3.  My engine does give White only a slight pull after 9...Ne7 but these positions suit me (queenless middlegames) so that's why I go in for them, and they probably don't suit the player of such counter gambits.  That being said, this "Elephant Gambit" (2...d5) is *way* better than the Philidor counter gambit. 

So the story has changed from I play simple moves(and don't prepare for this) against this "garbage" and get an advantage to my enging only gives a slight pull(whatever that means, ..1-.3?.  Which in my experience is generally VERY hard if impossible to take advantage of for the avg player.) for white after some natural moves for the black player as well.  But, the positions suit you so you go into them(Sounds like you did prepare them with all the quotes of databases.  Not arguing.  Just saying thats the way it sounds)

Unlike others that post here about their favorite openings or some analysis, I'm not the kind that blindly adheres to a position in the face of decent evidence.  Your 7...Bf5 lines is ok for Black after 8. Nb5 (possibly 8. Nd5 instead) 8...Na6  9. Bc4 Ne7.  But I thank you for forcing me to take another harder look at this Elephant gambit as 3. exd5 seems much stronger than 3. Nxe5

Ah, okay.  Your welcome.  When I posted I was actually expecting myself to have overlooked something simple lol

In the line in post #12, black's 6...exd4 is probably not best. 6...e4 or 6...h6 is better, but black still has a difficult position. However, I think if you're gonna' play this crazy opening, after 4.Nc3, black should try 4...Nc6 or Nf6. I played a game with 4...Nf6 5.Bc4 d5!? 6.exd5 e4 7.Ng5 Bd6, and I actually got draw out of this mess!