United States-based Grandmaster Julio Catalino Sadorra will make a return as the country’s top board player in the 44th World Chess Olympiad set from 10 to 23 September in Budapest, Hungary.

The 37-year-old Sadorra was recently named by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines into the Budapest-bound national team that also has reigning national champion International Master Daniel Quizon, GM John Paul Gomez and IMs Paolo Bersamina and Jan Emmanuel Garcia with GM Eugene Torre as coach.

Sadorra is expected to man the top board again after taking up that role in his first three Olympiads in Tromso, Norway in 2014, Baku, Azerbaijan in 2016 and Batumi, Georgia in 2018.

He skipped the 2022 edition in Chennai, India as well as two online staging of the same meet in 2020 and 2021 due to his commitments with family as well as with UT Dallas chess team where he is the coach.

“We’re thrilled to have him (Sadorra) back,” NCFP chief executive officer GM Jayson Gonzales said.

The women’s team, for its part, will have WGM Janelle Frayna, WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda and Woman FIDE Master Ruelle Canino — the reigning national women’s champion.

Shania Mae Mendoza, Kylen Joy Mordido, Bernadette Galas, Marie Antoinette San Diego, Allaney Jia Doroy and Cherry Ann Mejia are currently contesting the last two berths in a double-round robin tournament at the PACE in Mindanao Avenue, Quezon City.