Help me improve

Hey guys this is a game I played recently. I know I shouldn't put up games that I've won but this is an exeption. I only won due to my opponent making a few simple mistakes in the endgame losing pawns and throwing away the game.

What I'm hoping for is advice on why the game was so slow. I struggled to create any decent play and struggled to gain any real advantage.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Note this is my first post so if their are mistakes in the presentation of the post let me know for the future.

thanks

I would like advice on how I could have opened the game up and any long strategical plans I should have used.

Soon as you played 2. a3 you were showing you do not well understand basic opening play.  4. Qf3 moving your queen out early is almost always a mistake [exception Center Counter]. You need basic help in how to play the openings.

You need to improve your short term planning before worry too much on long term planning.

If you can find a class A player==he she could show you some of your mistakes.

So  you castle queenside (good with doubled f-pawns) and then he castles queenside too?!  Mutual queenside castling is so disappointing. 

He was black, not white, he just misplaced the names (he mentioned he won because his opponent "dropped pawns" in his opening paragraph and his notes during the game indicate he was black, too). :)

Some points:

Like Ponz mentioned, a3 is weak in the oppening.  You should actually welcome when bishop is exchanged for a knight usually because the bishop pair usually compensates for the doubled pawns, which really aren't that weak unless they can be exploited. 

4.Qf3 is premature attack, move out minor pieces first.

4...d5 fights for the initiative 5.exd5,Nxd5 and black has a strong centralized knight and seized the initiative.5.Nc3 develops a piece and also watches the d5 square, so it would be tougher to deal with although black still stands better after 4...d5 5.Nc3,dxe4 6.Nxe4,Nxe4 7.Qxe4,0-0 and white cannot take the pawn because of Re8.  If you see the position from here you'll notice the queen on e4 is somewhat exposed, pawn on d3 limits the bishop's activity, and black smoothly develops and is already castled. 

After 5...d5 you should have played 6.exd5,cxd5 7.Nc3 adding pressure to black's center and generating even more tactical threats against f6. 7...Be6 here holds however, and black is still better as he's Mobile, solid, and has a strong center. 

16...f5 weakened g5 for his knight and limited your bishop's activity. 

It's usually not a good idea to trade a bishop (especially one where you are weak on their squares) for knight.  Also, 40...b5? and your pawn is even closer to the white king.  After 40...Kd5 41.Kc2,e3 and your opponent is essentially done: 42.Kd1,exf2 43.Ke2,f1=Q+ 44.Kxf1,Kc2 45.Ke2,Kb3 46.Ke3,Kxa3 and the b-pawn promotes, or 42.fxe3,Kxe3 and white has nothing. 

thanks everyone for your advice and insight. Especialy ScorpionPackAttack for taking the time to write such a detailed response

In presentation of games remember white is always the first listed player.  So your game was actually:      ? (1408) vs ME (1370).  Saves the sort of confusion shown here the the responses.