The modern rules of the spelling bee call for an opening elimination round that tests all the entrants on a list of 25 words – including, this year, such oddities as "oeillade,'' "lycanthropy'' and "scopolamine.``

Every word correctly spelled wins a point, so a perfect score is 25. Then all the spellers – including the majority who do not yet know for certain that they have effectively eliminated themselves – take their turn on stage for Round Two – the first public round.

Correctly spelled words in this round count for three points, so the perfect total score for Rounds One and Two was 28. Danielewicz – like scores of others -- had grounds for hope, based on his correct spelling of "swaraj.''

But soon the judges announced the ruthless news: Only those who had scored 21 or better in Rounds One and Two would advance to Round Three. Only 97 survived, of the original 275 entrants.

-- Journal Washington bureau reporter John E. Mulligan