Newell Banks designed and developed this deck in 1907 which is clever, easy, simple to use, and improved the scope of freestyle and 2-move restriction checker opening lines.

If you pick a move for a man who is already removed, then you move the next man behind it in the same direction.  Occasionally this means you can only move the single man because of the sides have eliminated the directional choice.  For instance: if you removed man on 11 and picked move 11-15 then you have to move 8-11, if you picked 11-16 then you have to move 7-11.  And if you removed man on 12 and picked move 12-16, then you have to move 8-12 (no directional choice).

The total number of openings: 8x8x7x7 = 3,136 is generated by this system, but some positions are repeated as transpositions; therefore, the number of unique positions generated by an 11-man ballot deck is 2,500.  

There are rumors that approximately 300 of them are losses, but no one knows for sure, because no one has ever completely studied and seriously analyzed 11-Man, and little or no published play is available.  Dr. Marion Tinsley was quoted as having said, "About 10% of them are probably losses."   Another comment from Dr. Tinsley is, "The 11-Man ballot cards create openings and landings that you would never get from the GAYP or 3-Move Openings, you might funnel a mid-game into something, such as a familiar endgame position or ending, otherwise it's all cross-board visualization; however, there are a few 3-move opening and gayp transpositions."

At today tournaments or match play, it should be decided at the start of the tournament if all openings are played except man down loses or players have the option to reject an opening.  If so then White gets to decide first if he accepts or rejects the position. If he accepts it, red moves first and plays one game, then players switch colors letting each opponent play both sides of the opening as in restriction checkers. If white rejects it, then red can reject it, in which case a new ballot is drawn, or he can accept it by making his first move and the game is played, and then they play opposite colors as in restriction checkers. The rules of checkers or restriction checkers apply.

When playing an 11-Man Match it may be considered as a rule condition: If both players agree to exclude an opening - so be it! (Mostly the openings where one side immediately goes into a forced mandown loss?  Red confers with White if he accepts the opening, if he accepts, then Red makes his first reply move and they play both sides.  If he rejects, then Red can also reject it, in which a new ballot is drawn or he may accept it and the opening is played.  Less than 4% results in a loss of a piece; therefore, most contestants play all openings except those that lose a piece. This was the case in the 2002 Moiseyev vs Lowder 11-Man Ballot WCM, and 2008 Laverty vs Moiseyev 11-Man WCM, with the exception Alex and Elbert used this rule one time in 2002 after a few minutes of observation; they agreed that opening might be a loss for one side.  All ballots drawn were played in the 2008, Laverty vs Moiseyev (11-Man Ballot) WCM. One was rejected in the 2011, Laverty vs Moiseyev (11-Man Ballot) WCM, and a questionable opening was played with Moiseyev drawing weak side of a later analyzed loss. Both rejected opening [11-Man Ballot #494 Red Win] (OFF: 5, 27, Move: 12-16, 24-20) in their 2013 WCM which was later analyzed as a loss.

2008 Laverty vs Moiseyev (11-Man Ballot) WCM voted on this rule and 30 moves per hour by clock for the "Elbert Lowder Memorial 11-Man Nationals"  in 2008.  This tourney was played in Albemarle, NC in January 2008, a befitting tribute to Mr. Lowder.

11-Man World Champions

Champions	Years
Alex Moiseyev	2008 - Present
Elbert Lowder	1987 - 2006
Richard Hallett	1986 - 1987
Derek Oldbury	1974 - 1986
Kenneth Grover	1969 - 1974
Newell Banks	1917 - 1969

Roll Your Own … Perfect for generating a random number between 1 and 12 or a random number between 1 and 4. Roll the 12 sided dice to remove one of the checkers from each side, then roll the 4 sided dice to replace the removed checker. Count squares from double corner just like the numbered board for red side. Use the white corresponding square that represents the red numbers on the white side, now replace the checker by placing it on square 1 though 4 counting from DC. Example: square 13 is 1, square 14 is 2 and so forth. Using the same corresponding squares on the white side. Example: square 20 is 1. This method creates thousands of checker starting positions was designed by William "Bill" Scott from Texas who publish the Texas Longhorn Checker Magazine. He introduced the system in the early 60’s. He made a deck of cards, a set of 4 cards and a set of 12 cards. Don Brattin from Berea, KY realized he could do the same thing with 2 dice from a set of Dungeons & Dragons dice, and coined the catchy phrase. Use the top number after the roll, the triangular base pyramid dice has 4 faces and the dodecahedron has 12 faces for 1-12 selection for removing one of the 12 checkers, and the 4 face dice replacing it. This system produces 2,304 starting positions (12x12x4x4=2304), but this system produces about the same percentage of transpositions and lots more losses than Eleven Man because of removing a piece from the king row, but you play with 12 pieces, and roll your own!