I couldn't agree more! I try to attack from the first move, so philidor's 'defense' really doesn't appeal to me.

Likewise, never play 2...d6 (except in the Sicilian of course) and I quite like to meet it!

Nc3 is the most common move, but i prefer d4 as well!

I ALWAYS play 3.Bc4 here.

there's no need whatsoever for black to stop Bg5, After Be7 (which is the only square the dark bishop is going to reach) the effects of the pin will be completely neutralized, and there's no potential sac of f7.

Ng4 would have been a nuisance for white. Although it moves the same piece twice, he will be able to break the power of two bishops and encourage f5 later.

If Qd2 is played I would play Ng4 and exchange the white good bishop on e3... My gut feeling says that seems good  

This is poor development from black, neither b7 nor a6 are good squares for the bishop, they rarely are in kings pawn games. Be6, O-O or Na5 are all reasomable continuations. It doesn't help that the c6 knight is now weaker.

If black castles kingside, a sacrifice on h6 at some point might be plausible, especially if white can get all or most of her minors pieces into the attack on black's castled position.

That is true from steve, which is why Qd2 is a good move here, gives black something else to bear in mind.

Again, Na5 or O-O are both better.

White doesn't need to castle yet, she should play Nd5, after trading it with one of blacks pieces c3 will become avaliable, which will throw more weight into the centre.

Apart from which, it's not a bad idea to keep the enemy guessing...

This is a 'book' move in certain games, but it's a bit pointless here. Nh4 is unplayable because of Nxe4, pay attention tag!

That 10.Nh4?? Nxe4 11.dxe4 Bxh4 is a standard motif one always has to be on the lookout for. You'd be surprised how often the idea crops up. Over the years I've had a steady haul of victims who have fallen for this sort of thing...

Is 10.Bxf7+ not playable here? I know it is VERY speculative but it draws the black king to the kingside and prevents castling so white could attack on the kingside. I'm fairly sure this is outrageously unsound, but I still like it.

Black should have played it hours ago...

Please don't ask me to say why Nh4 can't be played again! there is no reason for white not to take the f pawn. Perhaps she was trying to be a bit too clever, hoping for 12.g5 hxg5 12. Nxg5 which still wins the f pawn. This is never likely to work, white should perform the smash n grab pawn raid now.

But fails to prevent Bxf7.

Why would Na5 be a threat if white can just then bxf7? It even gets the bishop onto a more dangerous square, but she still refuses to take it, strange... mind you ,she is playing another 199 games! Black does not have that excuse though, very strange he fails to see it...

Is the f7-pawn a freebie, though? After 12.Bxf7 Rhf8 (or Rdf8) 13.Bb3 (say), Black might be able to capitalise on the loose f3-knight e.g 13...Nxe4 (or ...Nxg4) 14.Nxe4 Rxf3 and Black has recovered the pawn. The f-file might even become a superhighway for Black's heavy pieces. Possibly White smelt a large and hairy rat, and hence refrained from what seemed a risky capture...

Ion, what about 12.Bxf7 Rhf7, 13.Bg6 with the threat of 14.Bf5 and the bishop is surprisingly difficult to attack on g6.

i've got a funny feeling the reason gothicgirl isn't playing Nh4 is because of Nxe4! You've made the same mistake three times!