Second half substitute Mark Gonzalez headed home a cross from Esteban Paredes with 15 minutes to go to finally break down a tight Swiss defence that had earlier broke Italy's World Cup record of 550 minutes without conceding a goal.
The match lived up to its billing as an ugly midfield stalemate, with the Swiss crowding out centre of the pitch and smothering Chile's free-flowing attacks, even after having Valon Behrami sent off in the 31st minute for violent conduct.
In Image: Chile's Mark Gonzalez celebrates after scoring a goal