Cliff Akurang bagged a brace as Barnet staged an impressive second-half performance to edge closer to League Two safety and condemn Chester to their fifth successive defeat
Akurang drilled home from 12 yards before netting with a bullet header to claim his fifth goal for the Bees since his January move from non-league Histon.
Albert Adomah had earlier opened the scoring, rounding onrushing goalkeeper John Danby to slot home from a narrow angle five minutes after the break.
The defeat was further agony for Chester, for whom the long journey south provided ample opportunity to reflect on how their season has petered out since they last faced Barnet.
When Paul Fairclough's men visited the Deva Stadium back in December, City were riding high in seventh place and set fair for a play-off challenge.
But a miserable return of just a dozen points since November has left Simon Davies' side struggling and, from the earliest stages, a repeat of the 3-0 win over Barnet that day looked unlikely.
A solid opening quarter from Barnet saw Anthony Thomas, the Bees' most impressive first-half performer, fire over before striker partner Akurang narrowly fail to convert from a tight angle.
By that time Chester, who had made an insipid start, had suffered the further blow of losing defender James Vaughan to injury, but Barnet failed to turn the screw.
Thomas had a fine lobbed effort ruled out for offside, while Adomah and left-back Kenny Gillet both spurned presentable chances.
And with the pick of few opening-half chances both falling to City, Barnet were fortunate that their profligacy did not prove more costly.
Laurence Wilson's ferocious early daisy-cutter forced a sprawling save from Lee Harrison and the Barnet skipper was again called into action on the stroke of half-time, tipping over impressively from Paul Rutherford's sweetly-struck volley.
But Barnet turned on the style after the break, Adomah collecting from Akurang on the edge of area before threading past Danby.
Two minutes later the Bees were unlucky not to add a second, Akurang's penetrating close-range effort deflecting wide for a corner.
But victory was effectively sealed for Barnet when Akurang converted a 72nd-minute penalty, after Danby was perhaps harshly adjudged to have felled the Barnet frontman in the area.
And there was worse to come for City, Thomas crossing for Akurang to net with an emphatic header ten minutes from time.
Mark Hughes scrambled in an injury-time consolation goal for City, which was perhaps more than an otherwise lifeless performance merited.
