How to answer 1.e4 e5 2.d4?

You got to like as Black 1.e4 e5 2.d4 ed4 3.Qxd4 Nc6, because this is the way chess is played, and this cannot change. 4.Qe3 g6 is a fine move indeed, although not the only good one.

1.e4 e5 2.d4 ed4 3.c3 is another beast. Black can safely decline with either 3...d5 or 3...Ne7, accept the pawn in a tricky way by 3...Qe7, or take everything with 3...dc3 4.Bc4 cb2 5.Bxb2. Now Black can return the pawns to reach an equal, over-analyzed ending (5...d5 6.Bxd5 Nf6 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Qxd8 Bb4+ 9.Qd2 Bxd2+ 10.Nxd2 Re8 etc), or try his defensive skills after 5...Nc6 6.Nf3 d6, when white has some pressure for the two pawns, but nothing concrete.

I love to play this as white with:

1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Nf3!!!!!

Then c5 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.Ng5!!!!!

or c5 4.Bc4 b5 5.Bd5!!!!!

Love it

1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Nf3 c5 4. Bc4 h6 5. Ne5

Thank you very much.

Nice action early on

I do not think 9.h3 is anything like the mainline, above.

White historically scores pretty well with 9.a3, forcing black to choose whether to give up the bishop pair with the center already wide open, or to retreat, ensuring a gain of tempo against the rook.  With best play, black is probably =, but white's side is a lot easier to play, and the numbers OTB from that position seem to back that up.  Especially below GM level.

I think the stuff with ...g6 is a harder nut to crack.

@#30 I think I wouldn't play 3 ... c5 as black there.

I would prefer to play 

1.e4 e5, 2.d4 exd4, 3.Nf3 Nc6 that simply transposes to some Scotch.

and also consider to play

1.e4 e5, 2.d4 exd4, 3.Nf3 Bb4+!? winning a pawn, white gets some compensation for it though.

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And about the normal Center Game game

1.e4 e5, 2.d4 if you really don't want to play 2 ... exd4, which is probably the easiest way to equality, and may even require some accuracy from white already to hold the balance , I think the only acceptable alternative is 2 ... Nc6 transposing to some kind of Niemzowitsch Defence.

Here white has the options of transposing to Scotch 3.Nf3, playing 3.d5 or 3.dxe5, I think Black should get playable against all of those continuations.

After 9. a3 black can just play 9. .. Ba5 keeping the bishop and the pin. After a move like b4 black just plays Rg4 and after that Bb6 and with the weakend white king there is no way white even claim equality. On a move like Bd3 black can play Rg4 and depending where the queen goes Ne5 or d5. 

Btw my chessbase gives that black scores really really good after Ba5 (white scores 37% and black 52% with a rating avg of 2261) so i do not see where you got your OTB results

what you are getting out of it is centre game. I people try to chicken out of it with the Philodor or pirc you get very similar postions and you start playing150 attack barry attack and so on simples.

In common terms this is called "hope chess", not "nice action".

Neither 8...Rxe4 is.

White cannot equalize after 8...Nxe4, and this is known since one hundred years ago (although Capa failed to find the right continuation(s) against Mieses, and came up being much worse).

Just play 2...exd4 3. Qxd4 (some plays ther center gambit c3) Nc6

I once played 2...Qh4 in a blitz game but don't try it at home ;-)

2. .. exd4 is pretty well mandaded. If White gives you a gift like this and you do not take it, I am not sure any "system" is going to help you.

Essentially White forfeits his first move advantage without compensation. Why turn away such a gift?

Edit: Sorry, did not realize this was a zombie thread

Playing lines after 3.Nf3 is logical as:

- It means you are not behind in development, as Qxd4 just wastes a tempo if you plan on returning the Queen.

- Lots of tricks you can play if your opponent is not careful, but you must be well prepared yourself.

So it is a prefectly legit move in quick games. Certainly makes more sense than Qxd4 in my opinion.

my most sucesssful lines invove an early d5 c6 and night e5 from there you are just playing chess so just take the centre game on if you are better you will win even against strong attackers

First of all, 3. Qxd4 will most likely never come, but instead 3. Nf3, considering in the Scandinavian 2...Qxd5 is not so popular as 2...Nf6. 

Interesting line! though Black would likely need to also be prepared against  3. Nf3 (http://www.kenilworthchessclub.org/games/java/2008/petroff-d4.htm)

3...Qe7 is a nice way to decline it, although if white doesn't know his theory, he may just end up down a pawn without compensation. I beat a near-expert with it at the Baltimore Open two weekends ago.