The 22-year-old from Hubei was hoping for an encouraging Olympic rehearsal at the Wembley venue being used for next year’s games, but missed three match points and lost 21-19, 8-21, 27-25 to Guatemala’s Kevin Cordon.
Chen’s keenness to escape defeat against a 36th-ranked player in the best form of his life was revealed by twice losing vital points as he was adjudged to have hit the shuttle while his racket was over the net.
The second of these left him 15-17 down in the deciding game, causing Chen to gesture fiercely to the umpire, wave to his corner and stalk angrily in decreasing circles.
It was more than a minute before he resumed and it looked as though he would recover completely when he got as far as match points at 20-19, 21-20, and 23-22.
But Cordon was composed and tactically astute, making no mistakes and often tying rallies up at the net, daring Chen to lift the shuttle into areas where he could employ his dangerous left-handed smash.
“I had confidence to play my best game,” Cordon said. “I didn’t think about winning or losing, I just thought about playing my best. That’s why I won.”
Chen eventually lost on Cordon’s fourth match point when he lifted too short and the Guatemalan’s hard smash set up a follow-up kill in the forecourt.
“Before the match I never thought I would lose,” Chen said. “But it’s normal, because I am still young. It’s only my first world championships. And after this I have the chance to get more experience.”
Earlier, Lee Chong Wei’s bid to become Malaysia’s first world badminton champion got off to a winning start with a 21-15, 21-17 victory win Thailand’s Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk.
Despite his win, Lee felt his performance against his 31st-ranked opponent included “too many mistakes.”
“Sometimes this happens and you play better in the second round,” added Lee, who has won five titles in six tournaments this year. “This is also my sixth world championships, so perhaps that will be my lucky number.”
His main rival for the world title, three-time former champion Lin Dan of China, starts Tuesday against Kestutis Navickas of Lithuania.
Indonesia’s former world champion Taufik Hidayat was meanwhile on sparkling form in a 21-10, 21-14 win over Peru’s Rodrigo Pacheco Carrillo. Hidayat showed his full repertoire of net shots, disguised drops, tenacious defending, overhead attacks and one stunning backhand half-smash winner.
“I was just warming up today,” he said. “Maybe I will play better than in the last tournaments. And ... I like the arena.”