user13829: Since chess engines in one way or an other rank alternative moves, it should be able to search for the worst move as well as the best. Have engines played each others trying to lose, and what has come out of that? Do they for instance set up for devastating tactics against themselves? (It might be a style of chess that I recognize...)

user825: Yes. Chess engines can be reprogrammed to play a bad move. This is not very hard, just pointless and waste of time.
Some possibilities:

Choose the worst move statically without even going into search
Choose a move randomly from the move generator
For each legal move in the position, play it internally and the run a regular search. Choose the move that gives the worst score.
Reverse piece material sign, so that the engine would give away materials for free. For example, scoring +9 for giving away the queen without any compensation.
Similarly, play around the piece square table values.

A few years ago, someone made a chess engine Moron for exactly what you descrbe.

http://talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47026&highlight=julien+loser


13829: <p>Since chess engines in one way or an other rank alternative moves, it should be able to search for the worst move as well as the best. Have engines played each others trying to lose, and what has come out of that? Do they for instance set up for devastating tactics against themselves? <em>(It might be a style of chess that I recognize...)</em></p>
 825: <p>Yes. Chess engines can be reprogrammed to play a bad move. This is not very hard, just pointless and waste of time.</p>

<p>Some possibilities:</p>

<ul>
<li>Choose the worst move statically without even going into search</li>
<li>Choose a move randomly from the move generator</li>
<li>For each legal move in the position, play it internally and the run a regular search. Choose the move that gives the worst score.</li>
<li>Reverse piece material sign, so that the engine would give away materials for free. For example, scoring +9 for giving away the queen without any compensation.</li>
<li>Similarly, play around the piece square table values.</li>
</ul>

<p>A few years ago, someone made a chess engine <strong>Moron</strong> for exactly what you descrbe.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><a href="http://talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47026&amp;highlight=julien+loser" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47026&amp;highlight=julien+loser</a></p>
</blockquote>
