EPT<Lim Yohwan's Battle Battle>
A match lasting 61 minutes...a game is a physical match.
Progamers start the day by running.
One could think, "Would a gamer that taps on the keyboard need physical strength?" But this is an undeserved comment, for there can be no victor without the support of physical strength.
In 2002, I entered the WCG (World Cyber Games) group full-league. That was when I felt strongly of the need for physical strength. Though I had played many matches at the time, it was my first time for such a prolonged, drawn-out battle. Just for one game, it took one hour, a minute and thirty seconds. The opponent was Bulgaria's Aleksandrov (Protoss). If I was to lose, I would be eliminated. Even if I won, I would have to play another match.
My tactic was guerilla attacks. I had decided that foreign players would be weak to guerilla-type plays. But Aleksandrov blocked my hit-and-run tactics quickly, and each time he would increase one expansion. My opponent did not falter. Rather, he fortified his position even more. "Though I've made such an effort, he is not affected." If I was to continue in this pace, it was evident that I would be defeated. "I can't be late. I have to throw in a winning factor." But those were just thoughts. The opponent set out for a large quantity offensive movement. I was intent on blocking his attacks.
After about thirty minutes, my hands were covered with sweat. My fingers ached and my concentration was scattered. In Starcraft, a difference of one or two seconds will be the winning factor. The moment one moves to rub the eyes, he will fall instantly. I quickly became alert. And I hastily took an island expansion.
The opponent had only one place left for an expansion. It was 11 o'clock. Because it was a prolonged match, the other resources were dried up. In the center, his forces and my forces stood face to face. The psychological warfare to obtain the 11 o'clock position continued. "Though I'm at a disadvantage, there is a chance of winning if I do not give out 11 o'clock. All right, let's endure this."
The opponent attacked aggressively. Whenever I blocked his endless attacks I entered and exited heaven and hell. The opponent slowly became impatient. At last Aleksandrov's final rush began. Though my back was damp with sweat, I did not give up. Finally, the moment his last attack failed, the admit of defeat "GG" appeared. The prolonged battle that took over an hour brought a doubling feeling of victory. It was a victory from the brink. The matches thereafter became easier, and I walked away with the WCG victory title. The prolonged, drawn-out match was clearly a battle of physical strength.
Progamer Lim Yohwan
