EPT
WCG 2011 Japan's Representative: Taiki "
Breek" Kobayashi (小林大起)
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“Aside from just competing in the WCG main stage, I will strive to become one of the world’s best.”
Breek" Kobayashi (小林大起)“Aside from just competing in the WCG main stage, I will strive to become one of the world’s best.”
The WCG 2011 Japanese Preliminary’s Second Round matches took place on August 27 at SolidRay Corporation’s research institution. The one to win it all and earn the spot as Japan’s representative was none other than Taiki “breek” Kobayashi (小林大起). Furthermore, breek will be competing against the world’s top players at the WCG 2011 Grand Finals hosted in Pusan, South Korea from December 8 – 11.
Located below is breek’s interview!
ー What are your thoughts on winning it all and becoming Japan’s representative?
I’m really happy. But, as expected, the preliminaries are just the preliminaries, and I’d like to begin practicing for the main tournament. There’s also the after party, so I feel like today I should just have fun, but honestly, I just want to have dinner, go home, and start laddering right away lol.
ー How was your condition today?
Not very good, because I was nervous and was only able to get about two hours of sleep. At first I thought things were going to go badly because of my lack of sleep, but when the matches started I became wide awake and was able to play my matches very well. To be honest, I even thought I was going to lose during the first round, but I managed to beat Pixtar and was able to ride that momentum.
ー Please tell us which match left the biggest impression on you today and why.
The match I lost against
Nazomen. In an interview I declared that I wouldn’t drop a single match this tournament and was enthusiastic about it, but I feel like I was done in by Protoss’s cheapness lol. However, just like my match against 
CriMsoN, I feel my losses today were all due to the maps.ー In your second set against nazomen on Crevasse you used banelings. Were you just improvising?
Hm, well, he went for a 1-gate expand, so I decided to break through with banelings. When a Protoss goes for a 1-gate expand, the core is delayed and he won’t have sentries ready. Even if he does make it in time, if I destroy the rock then the ramp widens and he wouldn’t be able to defend himself. To find that opening and take advantage of it is what I’d call a relatively ideal style.
ー In the interview for those who advanced past the first round, you said you wanted to defeat nazomen.
It now really is the shifting of generations, isn’t it? Lol. I was incredibly frustrated with losing to him three times in a row during the Japanese Grand Championships that I felt I had to really win some day, so when I was able to defeat him during the SteelSeries King of the Hill I thought to myself that we were even. I feel I was able to turn things around by defeating him today, so I’m really glad.
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ー How do you feel about the Finals against
CriMsoN when you look back on it?CriMsoN was tough as expected. Maybe it’s because my condition was good, but I didn’t lose at all today except against some weird cheeses lol. I couldn’t find the right timing for gas during the spine crawler rush in Set 2. If it was a 15 hatch I could have went with a tonton(?) timing, but with 15 pool, 16 hatch the timing is a bit off. That spine crawler rush was something I saw either NesTea or IdrA do and wasn’t something I practiced beforehand. I thought it’d go a lot better though lol -_-. But overall, I was able to win through strategy and dominated the game, so it was pretty fun doing it.
ー During the first set on Shakuras Plateau, your timing for your third was a bit of a gamble, was it not?
From what I understood by watching his first round matches, CriMsoN’s play style is not very risky, so while praying for him to not attack me, I expanded. Also, since zerg’s anti-air units eat up gas, I decided to make it so I could harvest gas.
ー Your victory on Xel’Naga Caverns during the third set was especially wonderful.
I thought he went for a Stargate, but when I realized it was just a hallucination, I panicked. But since I was successful in defending my third, I decided to attack him while coordinating a drop simultaneously. Multitasking really is crucial versus Protoss. I myself sometimes play Protoss, so I felt calm.
ー Have you already decided how you would respond if you saw your opponent getting carriers?
If I saw him getting carriers, I’d immediately expand. Afterwards, while spreading creep, I’d get hydras while building a spire and subsequently get air upgrades. I feel getting Infestors a little later would be okay.
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ー In preparation for December’s WCG Grand Finals, how do you plan on preparing?
enza said he would contact some professional gamers for me, so I think I’ll be able to play with them. I know all of the Japanese players’ play styles, so I don’t really want to play custom games with them. In any case, I would like to spend this limited amount of time effectively. I want to be able to take this momentum and focus on nothing but studying and Starcraft 2. In January of next year I have an exam so everyone is asking me if I’m insane… but I want to be able to balance both, while leaning towards games a bit more lol.
ー A word for your fans who have been cheering for you and your goals from here on out?
There were some bad things in the past… well, rather, there were some small issues, but to those who have been cheering me on until now, and for those who started rooting for me after seeing me play for the first time today, I would like to give you all my thanks. Also, aside from just competing in the WCG main stage, I will strive to become one of the world’s best from then on as well.
source: http://sc-times.net/item/4362
Thank you to Starcraft Times for allowing me to translate the article and use their pictures!
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