We perform a coupled--channel calculation of the H dibaryon within a chiral constituent quark model. The problem is solved within a quark model constrained by the experimental data of strangeness --1 and --2 two--baryon systems. We examine in detail the role played by the different contributions of the interacting potential as well as the number of coupled channels considered. Special attention has been payed to the parameter dependence, flavor symmetry breaking and spatial configurations. The

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... alue extracted for the binding energy of the H dibaryon, being compatible with the restrictions imposed by the Nagara event, falls within a plausible extrapolation of recent lattice QCD results.