Queen's Gambit. Accept or Decline?

As a beginning player, I've never understood why somebody would deny the Queen's Gambit. If they decline, their opponent can start a very nice pawn chain.  

If they accept, they can claim a pawn, but the other player still holds the center.

Can somebody who is better at understanding tell me which is the better option, and if there isn't one, what can one do to take advantage of the position? 

Thank you for leading me to a source of knowledge, that of which I could not find on my own because "reasons."

So what you're saying is that if it is accepted or declined, I should start doing what I've been taught to do already develop my pieces, hold the center and protect the king. Right?

After 3.c5, black can undermine white's pawn chain by playing 3...b6. See the lines below:

The Queen's Gambit Accepted is a rare guest to top tournaments and most elite grandmasters opt for either the Slav or the Queen's Gambit Declined.

In your first diagram 3. c5 is just a mistake, as has already been pointed out (...b6 nullifies it)

In your second diagram, why would black play 3...c3? It just wastes a tempo and achieves nothing. Also white shoud just play 4. Nxc3 and be much much better.

In response to your question, both are completely playable. Just remember not to try to hold on to the c-pawn in the QGA, it NEVER works :P

Decline In Any Case (DIAC tm) - Because it is not a real gambit !!!

You must always keep this in your mind. THE QUEENS "GAMBIT" IS NOT !!! A REAL GAMBIT !!!

It simply is not.

It is not done to have fun in the game. It is done to have a positional advantage - so, ALWAYS decline!

That's the only way you should play and win.

???

Some commonly repeated statements are not true. 

The Queen's Gambit can be played as a true gambit (for example by playing 3.e4), or white can choose to regain the pawn immediately. 

The Queen's Gambit is a rich opening that can be interpreted many different ways, especially by White. 

Among GMs, the QGA is usually an attempt to get an early draw as Black. That can backfire, even for +2700 rated GMs. For players below the GM level, the QGA is a dangerous weapon where the better player usually wins. Isn't that what most people want out of an opening for Black?

The QGA is just fine for most players who want to win as White or as Black. 

Of course, the QGD is perhaps the richest of all openings, especially when you consider the Botvinnik/Moscow systems are part of the QGD tho some will undoubtedly argue that they belong to the Slav complex. I see that as a false distinction since they transpose so fluidly. 

I would decline and play a slav of some sort. Theres a chess.com course for a line played by white in an exchange slav called the boor attack: http://www.chess.com/chessmentor/view_course?id=466

Id highly reccomend it.

3.e4 is a good line but heavily theoretical and QGA players love it when someone plays it and doesn't know the theory.  I'd recommend declining as black with 2...e6 until they learn the ideas behind the QGA as things sharpen up quite a bit.  Besides how can one experience the joys of the Orthodox Variation when they accept the pawn? 

As white I'd recommend 3.Nf3 for white in the QGA until they know and understand some 3.e4 lines. 

@chessenthusiast, 4...a5 is correct, not ...Nf6.  

1. d4d52. c4Queens Gambit 
2... e6Declined 
3. c5I wouldnt reccomend this, as it allows a tempo-gaining 
3... b6White can continue this topsy-turvy game with 
4. b4but if black ignores taking the pawn on c5 he has a good game. Play can continue... 
4... Nf6

Instead of Nf6..4... a5 is much better for black.

As a QG player, I prefer declined lines over accepted lines, most of my wins are from QGD lines. 

decline? Hmm maybe accept is better and then try to hold the pawn with b5

lol

I love how most here don't know what they're talking about. 

citing yourself as a prime example?

ACCEPT

Accept or decline?

Both options are really great.

If you take that is good since hooray you get a pawn.

However the only way you can take is by decentralizing and moving the same piece twice.

I think the most important thing in chess is to capture more pieces than your opponent but that doesn't mean it is the only thing to think about.

In the opening for example the most important thing is to get your back row pieces into the game instead of remaining in the penalty box.