Do experts and masters still play Philidors Defense?

Philidor played f5? I won't follow. I like post#28. And would study a dozen games before starting to play.

Some lines in the Philidor Defense are critical. One has to know by heart what to do with the three best possible Bxf7+ sacrifices, or be so good and find out the precise moves to get away with these.

Then there is that one "bad" line: 1.e4-e5 2.Nf3-d6 3.d4-Nf6 (other moves being inferior if you want to keep it up with the Hanham set up d6/e5) 4.dxe5-Nxe4 5.Qd5! and black will struggle long before to draw, if they only can.

And this is the very line, that pushed Philidor Defense players, to seek for some improvement, and so was the Neo-Philidor invented: 1.e4-d6 (delaying e5). But then, one has to know what to do against various white set up, such as e4/d4/f4 and e4/d4/f3. Not a piece of cake

(sources: The Philidor files, by GM Christian Bauer)

I plan to play Philidor against sub 1600 only to rest my Sicilian. Against tough opponent, my pet Sicilians. I play French and Caro too. 

The Philidor Countergambit is far from passive.    Black strikes forth !

http://www.kenilworthchessclub.org/games/java/2006/west.htm

and NM James R West has published on this site too.   

https://www.chess.com/blog/JimWest/jim-west-on-chess

As NM West has an account on this website, people who think White has an easy game should challenge him !

Thanks for the fresh info. I would study the Philidor countergambit f5 too. Chess is a complex and mysterious game 😎

Then I also have lost a game out of the same beginning to an IM in the same tournament a year later.
 

Nice game Maal. Black did not looked cramped at all.

Another book with Philidor-related content:

Play 1...d6 Against Eveything

https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9051.pdf