UNITED States-based Grandmaster Julio Catalino Sadorra will make a return as the country’s top board player in the 44th World Chess Olympiad on Sept. 10 to 23 in Budapest, Hungary.
Sadorra, 37, was recently named by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines to lead the Budapest-bound national team that also includes 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 manned the top board 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 meet in 2020 and 2021 due to his commitments with his family and with the UT Dallas chess team where he is the coach.
“We’re thrilled to have him (Sadorra) back,” said NCFP chief executive officer GM Jayson Gonzales.
The women’s team will feature 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 Ave, Quezon City.
