NEW YORK. N. Y., Dec. 20.--In the first day's play of the fifteenth annual intercollegiate chess match now in progress at the West Side Republican Club, between Harvard, Yale, Columbia and Princeton, Columbia took the lead by winning three matches and drawing the fourth with the University team. Princeton won three out of four matches with Yale.

The standing of the teams is: Columbia, 3 1-2; Princeton, 3; Yale, 1; Harvard, 1-2.

The summary of the matches was as follows: Capablanca, C. beat Brackett, H.; Wolff, C. beat McClure, H.; Blumberg, C. beat Gruening, H.; Johnson, H. drew with Brown, C.; Ward, P. beat Burgess, Y.; Stevens, P. beat Kimball, Y.; Williams, P. beat Kelsey, Y.; Rosenn, Y. beat McDermott, P.

The drawings for today are as follows: Brackett, H. vs. Ward, P.; McClure, H. vs. Stephens, P.; Gruening, H: vs. Williams, P.; Johnson, H. vs. McDermott, P.; Burgess, Y. vs. Capablanca, C.; Kimball, Y. vs. Wolff, C.; Kelsey, Y. vs. Blumberg, C.; Thurston, Y. vs. Brown, C.

The schedule of play tomorrow follows: Harvard vs. Yale, Columbia vs. Princeton.