The World Championship bronze medallist completed the 20 kilometre race walk in one hour and 19.44 minutes to edge reigning world champion Aleksandr Ivanov into second.
With the leading four athletes separated by just two seconds in the event's closest finish in championship history, Russia's Ivanov posted a personal best as he crossed the line ahead of compatriot Denis Streklov, who also registered his quickest time.
Ruslan Dmytrenko of Ukraine was the unlucky man to miss out on a medal, despite occupying a position in the top three for much of the race.
Former European and Commonwealth 110m hurdles champion Andy Turner announced he would retire at the end of the season on Wednesday.
The British athlete endured a dismal time as he failed to defend his Commonwealth title in Glasgow last month, and was some way off the pace as he took to the track in Zurich.
The 33-year-old did, however, qualify for the semi-finals as a fastest loser, with Pascal Martinot-Lagarde, William Sharman and Sergey Shubenkov topping the timesheets.
"It is not something because of the disappointment in Glasgow - it has been in my mind for pretty much the whole year," Turner told the BBC. "Now is the right time for me to hang up my spikes and become a normal guy again. I have a lot going on outside track and field."
Fresh from claiming silver on home soil at the Commonwealth Games, Great Britain's Eilidh Child set the pace in the heats for the women's 400m hurdles.
Running in the first race, Child's time was more than four tenths quicker than closest rival Anna Titimets, who won the fourth heat.
Reigning champion Irina Davydova was among the slowest qualifiers, while 2012 bronze medallist Hanna Ryzhykova was disqualified after suffering a heavy fall in which she snapped a hurdle.
Lynsey Sharp began the defence of her 800m title by coming out on top in her heat, but will be wary of fellow British athlete Alison Leonard, who was the only woman to run faster than the reigning champion.
Nobody managed to make the qualifying height in the men's high jump, in which five athletes finished tied for the lead, while Kai Kazmirek held on to his advantage in the men's decathlon before the pole vault element was suspended due to rain.