Edward: "Always one plan, purpose and task - do everything that depends on you"

Enjoy the interview!

We are glad to bring to your attention a new interview with NAVI.GG.BET player Ioann "Edward" Sukhariev. Vanya spoke about past LAN tournaments, about his approach to training, and also shared his thoughts on the need for online leagues.

— Hi! Since the last interview with you, NAVI have played at three LAN championships. How do you rate the team's play?

— I would rather talk about the last two championships, as they were more significant. This is a victory on the BLAST Pro Series and leaving the groups in Chicago. Just before BLAST, there was EPICENTER, where we did the previous interview. Well, in the finals of EPICENTER we suffered a fiasco.

Then we had a brilliant performance at BLAST, we had a very good last day of competition - on the first day we had difficulties, and it was very nice to be the winners at the end. And, of course, mentally exhausted NAVI could not even win even a single game at IEM Chicago. Let's say it's a solid B.

— What are the positive trends you would highlight in the game of the team for this period? On the contrary, what demands urgent work?

— In my opinion, the positive trends are getting a chance to work on some kind of pairing interactions, namely, on the individual game of each of us. We have shown serious progress in these moments, and the final of the BLAST Pro Series has just proven it to us. And we need to work on the macro-understanding of the game, understanding the situations on the map - right now the team is doing this on the bootcamp.

— In addition to LAN tournaments, the team played in the regular part of the ESL Pro League S8, where it took the second highest place in the league. Do you think the Born to Win has finally managed to adapt to online games?  

— Back then we gathered in Moscow and played twenty consecutive games in seven days or so. We have never played so many games in a row. As a result, we managed to get into the rhythm, when we approached each game as concentrated as possible. So this is a new experience for us. Usually we have a different attitude towards the online games because they are not going in a row, but, for example, there is a three-day break followed a match, four-day break - another match, two matches in a row - three-days break.

In general, the mood is different for all matches, but this time, we won sixteen out of twenty games, and this is a very good indicator. However, we still need to make it happen again to truly make sure we're in the rhythm.

— It is interesting to know your opinion about online leagues, if we need them or not. Do you think it is necessary to switch to some other format? In your opinion, what could it be?

— You know, the online format is there because there is a need for streams so that organizations can promote their trading platforms. That is, I understand that this is their bread and butter, but at the same time a large number of games of the best teams with each other reduces the excitement of the final meetings at the stadiums because everyone is already tired of each other, everyone knows each other.

Of course, I would like fewer games as a player, but as a comprehensive thinker, I understand that this is hardly feasible at the moment. Maybe in two or three years, everyone will come to the conclusion that fewer online matches are needed.

— And what about your own level of the game over the recent time? What are the positive and negative sides to highlight?

— A lot of things happened with my level of play: ups and downs. I will say this: for me, an indicator of a high level of individual skill is stability, which I have not recently shown, but I have been working to acquire it.

— If you look back, how did you change as a player? What events had the greatest impact?

— There is always a turning point. Suppose some fateful conversations in the team, after which you review your views on the game. So they influence the way you evolve as a player.

— It would also be interesting to find out how your training methods changed - from CS 1.6 to CS: GO? Perhaps, as you matured, you began to devote more time to psychology and other factors that affect your performance?

— I always answered everyone in an interview that the most productive training is the closest possible simulation of a tournament game, a 5v5 fight. You have to use all your concentration in such a game. Of course, you can train in other ways: play a lot of CSDM, train with bots, watch demos, etc. It's all part of the training process, and obviously, it won't get any worse, but it's still more theory than practice. Therefore, it is necessary to give it your all in those 5v5 games.

In one period of my life, I practiced shooting a lot, in another I improved my understanding of the game, studied the games of my rivals and my own, in the third, I didn’t do either, but concentrated solely on official matches. As you can see, everything happens cyclically.

— During your career, you have played with a variety of top-class players. Who is the strongest in the individual plan, who struck you with their prudence, and who brought the most creativity into building a team game, in your opinion?

— I will never have an unequivocal answer to this question. One can't just compare  markeloff of 2012 and s1mple of 2018. Different conditions and circumstances. One can't say who's cooler or better. However, of course, I saw a lot of players of the highest level in my teams: markeloff, Sasha s1mple, electroNic impresses me with his game.

As for creativity and prudence, those are, of course, Zeus, Kane. I have always admired Misha's vision of the game. He has the innate ability to calculate the probability, such is the inner genius. And Danya, who, unlike Misha, can have such prudence. And if Misha's ability is innate, then Danya's rationality is acquired with experience.

— Did you like the recent changes in Counter-Strike economy? What improvements would you like to see?

— Yes, I absolutely liked the changes in the economy. They were, in fact, insignificant, but, as it turned out, quite pleasant. Offhand: the importance of the pistol round has decreased by ten percent since now they give you more money if you lose it: the change is insignificant but positive!

What changes would I like to see? You know, I feel the game is now quite balanced and I believe that now nothing needs to be changed. Unless one thinks about AUG and SIG since everyone starts abusing them and constantly using long distances in order to have an advantage. I would not say that this is something bad, but it is definitely something new.

— What are the goals for the team at the coming tournaments? How important is Grand Slam to you? After all, the players of Astralis got close to the end of the challenge, do you want to become a team that will stop them in the finals and gets $ 100,000 for it?

— Always one plan, purpose and task - do everything that depends on you. Make every effort to perform with dignity. After that's it's all a stroke of fate: Astralis might defeat us, we may defeat Astralis, maybe the Dutch won't make it to the finals, or we fail to make our way there -possibilities are plentiful.

— 2018 is coming to an end, which means that the twenty strongest players according to HLTV will soon be announced. In your opinion, who is the main contender for the top 1? If you made this rating, who would be in the top 5?

— Of course, the top players — Sasha s1mple and dev1ce. It is difficult to say which of them is the first. I think this list should include Astralis players, because they show outstanding results. I really like Xyp9x, gla1ve. These two guys play very nicely. Maybe they will not be in the top 5, but I would put them there.  ElectroNic is beyond discussion.

- Thank you for the interview! Good luck on your LAN tournaments!