Remarkable!

[Richard Pask]

New In Chess 2018 #1 Page 36

Larry Kaufman, grandmaster and computer expert writes, 'My biggest hope for the future of chess is that normal chess games will be replaced by two-game matches … with the openings to be chosen by chance from some predetermined set, with each player getting to play the White side of the same opening once. This is already the way … most 8 x 8 checkers tournaments [are run].'

[clintolsen]

This is how most chess engine tournaments are run. For example, there's a 100 game match ongoing right now between the best engine of the last decade (Stockfish) vs a neural network engine (Leela Chess Zero) using an opening book. Some of the openings have 15+ moves predetermined
https://tcec.chessdom.com/live.html

Chess 960 (Fischer Random), where the pieces in the backrow are randomly assigned at the start of the game, is also gaining popularity and there have been some notable matches by some of the top grandmasters as of late. It's variety is comparable to 11-man ballot.

[Edgar C. Atkinson]

American Champion, Frank Marshall made a similar suggestion many years ago. I believe that it was in his 1932 book, Comparitive Chess. At the time Capablanca suggested adding pieces and enlarging the board. Marshall expressed a preference for balloting the first move on each side as was the practice in draughts or checkers at the time.