If someone had offered Steve Burr a point during the interval, he would have snapped their hands, arms and legs off.
Criminal defending gifted the home side a two-goal lead inside eight minutes and the stuttering Blues never threatened to get back on terms.
But a red card three minutes after the restart for Harriers defender Chey Dunkley transformed the contest.
Kiddy attempted to protect the lead but that allowed Chester to crank up the pressure until the hosts buckled with 10 minutes to go.
Craig Hobson and Wayne Riley scored in the space of three minutes to draw the Blues level and there were chances to win the game.
Given the circumstances, the manager must view this a point gained but the first half performance illustrated there is a significant amount of work still to do.
Burr had four years in charge at Harriers and was given an excellent reception on his return to Aggborough.
Kiddy had made a promising start to the season and went into the game unbeaten and still to concede, whereas the Blues had lost three from four and shipped 11 goals, including three in the painful loss to FC Halifax Town.
Despite those defensive difficulties, the manager opted for three forwards with Sean McConville and Craig Hobson tasked with supporting Chris Iwelumo.
Burr has never been one to pile men behind the ball and his selection suggested he wanted to put his former club on the back foot. He made three changes with Danny Harrison, Danny Taylor and Hobson replacing Craig Mahon, Kieran Charnock and Peter Winn.
Harriers boss Gary Whild, who had been assistant manager under Burr, made two changes from the goalless draw at Macclesfield Town, bringing in Callum Gittings and Jack Byrne for Jamie Grimes and Aman Verma.
No doubt keen to prove something after his sacking seven months previous, Burr had demanded a reaction from his side, who have shown peeps of promise on the road amid the gloom of two dire home showings.
Chester seemed to have made a decent enough start on a pitch struggling to absorb the rain but that was demolished in a nightmare 120 seconds.
Dunkley climbed highest to meet Kyle Storer's corner and Gareth Roberts scrambled his header off the line but Gittings smashed home on the follow up to put the home side ahead on six minutes.
Two minutes later and the lead was doubled from another Storer corner. This time Freddy Hall came to punch but his clearance went straight up and back down for Dunkley to head home.
Kiddy were two goals to the good without even getting out of first gear and should have gone three up when Craig Reid blasted over.
Harrison forced Danny Lewis into a save with a shot from 25 yards but it was routine for the keeper, who was a spectator for large parts of the half.
Meanwhile, the home side looked threatening every time the ball went forward with Marvin Johnson a real handful for Taylor, who had little help.
Iwelumo had a half-chance on 30 minutes when John Rooney broke into the box and pulled the ball back but the 36-year-old fired well wide.
Chester's short passing game was effective to a point, that point being the opposition half when everything broke down and the alternative of knocking long balls into Iwelumo didn't work either with Dunkley dominating him.
Rooney did his best to make something happen and his low shot brought a save out of Lewis, who then denied Hobson but neither strike troubled him too much.
Kiddy had chances to add to their lead, most notably when Johnson's thumping strike was turned over by Hall, but had to settle for 2-0 at half-time.
Chester emerged for the second half well before the home side, no doubt with some strong words from the manager, and had the chance to make a dream start to the second period.
Taylor's deep cross found Hobson, who fired the ball towards goal but Dunkley blocked with his arm and referee Paul Rees had no hesitation in giving a penalty and showing the big defender a straight red.
All that was needed was for Iwelumo to convert the spot kick but his weak attempt was too close to Lewis, who pushed the ball out and then denied McConville on the rebound.
Harriers boss Whild sacrificed Johnson for defender Jamie Grimes - meaning his side were now without their two most impressive performers - and looked to protect the two-goal lead.
With the extra man Chester started to dominate possession and the onus was on them to break the home side down.
Lewis saved from Rooney with McConville unable to force the follow up home and Peter Winn, on for Iwelumo, found Hobson with a great cross but his header lacked power.
Kiddy dropped deeper and deeper as the half wore on but the Blues, who cried out for some pace, couldn't prise them open.
Chances came and went with Kingsley James shooting wide, Kay heading Winn's corner wide and Harrison spannering wide but goal never looked like coming.
But on 80 minutes Taylor sent a hanging cross to the back post and Hobson held off Josh Gowling and guided a header past the diving Lewis and into the net.
Kiddy were rocking and the equaliser arrived on 83 minutes when Roberts smashed against the woodwork and sub Wayne Riley fired home.
Chester sensed the most remarkable of wins and Riley and McConville both flashed shots wide in the final few minutes and the Harriers breathed a massive sigh of relief on full-time.
Chester FC: Hall, Taylor, Kay, Brown, Roberts, Harrison, James (Riley 78), Rooney, Hobson, Iwelumo (Winn 60), McConville.
Subs: Heneghan, Worsnop, Blake.
Goals: Hobson 80, Riley 83.
Booked: McConville, Brown.
Kidderminster Harriers: Lewis, Hodgkiss, Gowling, Dunkley, Nicholson, Byrne, Storer, Gittings, Johnson (Grimes 47), Reid (Verma 60), Blissett (Gash 63).
Subs: Styche, Singh.
Goals: Gittings 6, Dunkley 8.
Booked: Storer.
Sent off: Dunkley.
Referee: Paul Rees (Somerset)
Attendance: 2,304.
