MUMBAI, December 4: Top seed Tejas Bakre won the boys' title in the Sahara Asian Sub-Junior Chess Championships, but only just.

Needing one point in his last round match against S Kidambi to earn the International Master norm along with the Fide Master title, Bakre was in a hopeless position but escaped with a draw by giving perpetual checks. Kidambi obliged him by repeating moves.

Bakre, S Satyapragyan and P Mahesh Chandran tied for the top spot with 7.5 points but the former won the title on better progressive scores. Not surprisingly, Bakre was hardly happy with his victory.

"I missed winning chances in all the six previous draws. I could have won in one or two moves. I should be kicking myself in my back for missing out on the IM Norm," said the 16-year-old 12th standard student of Udgam school, Ahmedabad.

Bakre, with white, faced Kidambi's Caro Kann exchange variation. After losing the `d' pawn on the 12th move, Bakre went on to capture Kidambi's queen for two bishops and a rook. But Bakre exploited a slight weakness of an exposed black King to give Kidambi perpetual checks.

Kidambi agreed that he could have pressed on for a victory. "I should not have allowed Bakre to check me," he said.

On the other boards, Satyapragyan won against Yulianto Erwin of Indonesia and Mahesh Chandran employed the French defence to defeat Ahmed Aziz of Iraq.

RESULTS (final round)

Tejas Bakre (India) 7.5 drew with S Kidambi (India) 7; S Satyapragyan (India) 7.5 bt Yulianto Erwin (Indonesia) 6; Ibrokhim Khamrakulov (Uzbekistan) 7 drew with Lim Yee Weng (Malaysia) 6; Ahmed Aziz (Iraq) 5 lost to P Mahesh Chandran (India) 7.5; Prathemesh Mokal (India) 6.5 bt Anton Paolo del Mundo (Philippines) 6; Surya Shekar Ganguly (India) 6 bt Gareth Charles (Australia) 4.5; Batzorig Tuvshintugs (Mongolia) 5.5 bt Wong Zi Jing (Malaysia) 5; Shoven Shah (India) 4 drew with Valay Parikh (India) 5; Md Ruhul Islam Bobby (Bangladesh) lost to Ghaek Maghaml Ehsan (Iran) 5.5; Vo Minh Hoang (Vietnam) 5.5 bt Subir Goradia 3.

FINAL POSITION (first 11)

1 Tejas Bakre 7.5 points (Progressive score: 51, Rs 15,000); 2 Mahesh Chandran 7.5 (44.5, Rs 11,000); 3 Satyapragyan 7.5 (43.5, Rs 8,000); 4 Ibrokhim 39 (39, Rs 6,000); 5 Kidambi 39 (Cut progressive 38, Rs 5,000); 6 Mokal 6.5 (36.5, Rs 4,000); 7 Mundo 6 (41, Rs 3,500); 8 Weng 6 (39.5, Rs 3,500); 9 Erwin 6 (36.5, Rs 3,000); 10 Ganguly 6 (34.5, Rs 3,000); 11 Ghaem 5.5 (32, Rs 3,000).

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.