Less Kiss's men started fast then hung on in their Anzac Day clash at a wet and muddied Suncorp Stadium.
While denied a bonus point thanks to a late Blues try, the victory still snapped the Reds' two-game losing streak and entrenched them in the top four at 6-3.
But the Blues (3-7), dominant in their march to the title last year, slipped to ninth and have work to do with five regular season games to play.
Reds flyhalf Tom Lynagh shot out of the blocks with tries in the fourth and seventh minutes to claim the inaugural Sellars Dixon Medal for player of the match.
He put his head through a gap from close-range for the opener and then, off a Jock Campbell break, ignored his inside support to step the fullback and notch an early double.
The 22-year-old then teamed with Tate McDermott and Tim Ryan to hold up rampaging hooker Kurt Eklund.
Ryan was involved twice more in try-savers to frustrate the visitors.
Blues coach Vern Cotter had another headache when winger Mark Tele'a was yellow-carded for a spectacular tipping tackle that dumped Ryan on his head.
The card was upgraded to red soon after but the Reds couldn't capitalise, with McDermott's probing efforts around the ruck unrewarded and Eklund finally discovering turf under the posts for the Blues.
That was some reward for the visitors' territorial dominance that continued early in the second half, but ended in the same fashion when another try was disallowed for a knock-on.
Errant passes and poor handling in the torrid conditions robbed the Reds of any fluency.
It was as if McDermott had had enough when he skipped out of the ruck and through three Chiefs forwards to slide next to the post for a relieving solo try.
A team effort earned the Reds' fourth, as Lachie Anderson hit a gap off a line-out set play to go through untouched.
The reply came through substitute Sam Nock, who found ample space against a back-pedalling defence to keep the Blues close.
Hooker Richie Asiata had just been substituted but was forced back into the fray with George Blake's injury and was immediately on the board, finishing a driving maul.
No.7 Anton Segner burrowed over to take the bonus point off the Reds with five minutes to play, before Corey Evans capped a night of Blues frustration when he fumbled his attempt to ground a grubber in-goal.
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