I played a really interesting game today. I was white, and we played the French defence, advance variation. My opponent played an early tactical trick and won a pawn, but I had compensation for it with active piece counterplay. Eventually, the heavy pieces were traded down, and his bishop pair, together with his connected passed pawns, easily outmanouevred my knights in the ending.

I think we both played well, but where did I go wrong, and what could I have done better? I'd greatly appreciate your feedback.

7...Qxb2 pawn grap is not supposed to be sound, when black hasn't played c5xd4. Think it is because queen gets into trouble after 8.Be3 QxR 9Qc2.

I just saw this huge center control by black you never broke his pawn chain. So it was in his best interest to trade down pieces with you because of his dominant center.  Even if the material was equal there was nothing to stop those pawns from advancing down the board.  In my opinion you got into trouble because you were unable to see your opponents strategy.

Hope this helps

Never ever let your opponent have connected passed pawns.

Your first culprit move was 7.Bxh6 which leads to the 1st passed pawn; second 17.Bxc6 which leads to the 2nd connected passed pawn. After this you were lost anyway. There are other lesser mistakes.

TwoMove, that's a really cool combination, too bad I didn't see it!

7.Bxh6 was a mistake (I thought he would be left with isolated doubled pawns after he recaptured), which I saw immediately after I played it. When I played 17.Bxc6, I realised that he could get another passed pawn, but I thought he would recapture with the bishop instead because else I could infiltrate on the seventh rank.

I think you ought to have played 16 Bxc6.  After 16... bc (16... Bxc6 17 Rxc6 Qd7 18 Rxb7 Qxb7 19 Rc7+) you have 17 Rb7 (17 Rxc6 is probably losing material to 17... Kf8) O-O 18 Qxc6.  You seem to have enough play there.