I think the "fighter" is also better suited to Lasker, who may have
been a philospher away from the board, but who extolled "chess is a
struggle" at the board.

I don't think if Karpov as a technician. I like themetaphor I once
heard Spassky use for him, which was the player Karpov is like playing
a python -- he just keeps squeezing your position until you have
nothing contructive to do. So I'd nickname Karpov the "constrictor."

I don't know that Fischer was any more of a genius than any other great
champion. In fact, Capablanca might have been a greater chess genius.
But Fischer was capable of both incredibly great chess and incredibly
unpredictable behavior. I'd nickname him the "mercurial".

The "tactician" underestimates Alekhine's greatness. Yes, he was an
attacking player, but I'd rather describe him as the "brilliant".

As for Kasparov, I see him as combining tremendous natural talent with
tremendous fighting spirit over the board and tremendous dedication to
analysis away from the board. I can't think of a one-word nickname for
this combination. What's a combination of a genius, fighter, and
scientist? Perhaps we should call him the "pinnacle".