I'm looking for the best ways to beat the queen's gambit.  I see it pretty often, and I find it kind of annoying.

The QG isn't one of the trashy gambits and as such there is no way to beat it outright. Just learn the QGD and play chess

I agree with LavaRook but you might enjoy this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l7J_AJR-eU&feature=related

Learn the queens gambit here

http://www.chesskids.com/level3/cl9l1.htm

The Tarrasch.  A Queens Gambit declined variation, very sound very dynamic.

I think the Tarrasch is slightly dubious. You usually don't want an IQP as black, and white gets good play. Play some defense that suits your style and actually is played at the top levels. There will be good master games to study that way. For example, there are several good indian defences with 1. Nf6:

Nimzo/queen's/bogo indian

King's indian

grunfeld

benoni

You can also play into d5 QG lines if that is what you want. You could try:

Slav 4... a6 lines

Slav 4... dxc4 lines

Semi-slav, including botvinnik or moscow/anti-moscow lines

QGD tarkatower variation is popular at high levels.

QGD ragozin has interesting positional ideas.

Simple QGD mainline orthodox and the Capablanca freeing manuver seem to give black good chances at equalizing.

You can also play the Tarrasch. It is definately playable, I'm just not sure it' that good.

I can give you some lines in one of these systems if you want. Just respond or message me.

Do any masters use the slav?

GMs use all of the openings shepi mentioned--especially the Slav. I suggest keeping it simple with the QGD tarkatower or orthodox though.

Sheppi,

Although I respect your opinion, I wholeheartedly reject the idea of the Tarrasch being "dubious" it is played at the GM level.  Lets not throw it in with Bird's opening yet.. LOL

Here is a link to recent Highly rated games where black played the Tarrassch.  http://www.chess.com/games/results.html?sort=7&f=25500

The Tarrasch is a fairly simple, yet dynamic opening.  You castle early to the Kingside, the same side as white usually in the Queens Gambit so the King is safe.

From playing it I can say I have won many more than I have lost with it, the IQP athough a considered a weakness by some helps many players including myself activate minor peices around the IQP, and create weaknesses in whites camp and usually leads to tactical not positional games.  The IQP is not a gambit pawn and white has a wing pawn.  

That's being said there are other choices besides the Tarrasch.  I like playing it and recommend it because of that and that it was recommended to me by an IM and several highly rated players as a solid line against 1. d4 2. c4

Tarrasch looks interesting.

satxusa: I understand the idea of an IQP and the tarrasch, but it just pains me to have to accept an IQP as black, when white already has a lead in development. I will also tell you when playing the tarrasch (as white) I haven't faced the toughest competition, and I cannot remember a game against the tarrasch I have played when I haven't eventually won the IQP. Sadly, due to time pressure or lack of piece activity or blunders I fail to convert and have gotten quite a few draws (even from won position), although I never have really reached a lost position OTB to tarrasch.

I do agree it's playable, and dubious was probably a bad word to use, but I feel like white has a much easier time with it than black.

The Tarrasch is a dubious choice--if you're going back in a time machine to play Anatoly Karpov in his prime. For regular mortals, it works fine

The Tarrasch was favored heavily by Kasparov When he was younger (although he didn't actually like playing it), but Karpov showed a very nice way to handle the tarrasch in 1984 wc and it's been slightly dubious ever since. White can pressure the pawn without giving black significant weaknesses to target, neutralizing blacks activity. It's not bust, but it's not very pleasant for black.

The Tarrasch is one of those undead defenses; you can kill it, but it always returns from the dead. Rubinstein almost killed it around 1910, but it came back again. Karpov showed how to handle it (particulalry is you're the most precise positional player in the world), but I'm predicting that it still has several more lives in it.

Shep:  It's all good, everyone has their own thing.

Here's a nice multi-video series by FM Danny Rensch on IQP's if you or any other posters are interested.  

http://www.chess.com/article/view/video-series-on-isolated-queen-pawns 

You can also play the Tarrasch against The English, The Caatlan, Some Indian Openings it transposes to quite a few openings through different move orders.

For a peice pusher / intermediate player like me it is a great opening.  It seems higher rated players may have different opinions.

I agree. The Tarrasch can has(ve) defense!

Considering others have deemed the Tarrasch dubious, I believe this suggestion will meet the same fate: the Tchigorin, a favorite of Morozevich

http://www.chess.com/opening/eco/D07_Queens_Gambit_Refused_Chigorin_Defense

The idea is to use piece play to get pressure on White's d4.  A lot of the time Black plays ...Bg4 followed by ...Bxf3 creating an interesting imbalance that should make a better chess player out of you in the long run.

Another option is the Ragozin, I think Fischer used to play this, and it's been making a strong comeback lately.  It's kind of like a cross between a QGD and the Nimzo Indian:

http://www.chess.com/opening/eco/D38_Queens_Gambit_Declined_Ragozin_Defense

You guessed right, I am of the opinion that the Tchigorin (chigorin), QGD Marshall defence, QGD baltic defense, and other defenses that do not support d5 with a pawn give white a nice position. However, as in the Tarrasch white does not have an easy win, he will have to face quite a bit of counterplay.

The ragozin is fine, but make sure that if you play it you know the ideas of the opening, many scholastic players play it just with the idea of pinning.