I can't recall such a story involving Chopin. Do you have more information to see if he was involved in something like that?

However, there is this very famous story about Beethoven that matches your question.

There was this "duel" between Daniel Steibelt and Beethoven in Vienna, in 1800, when Steibelt arrived from Paris. He did not visit Beethoven, they met one evening at the house of Count Moritz von Fries, where Beethoven presented his new trio (Op. 11). This trio has no particular difficulties for the pianist, or the other instruments. Steibelt listened to it with a certain "yeah, whatevs" attitude, and gave a few compliments to Beethoven. He felt very confident of his victory. Steibelt played a Quintet he had composed, improvised a little and apparently used a lot of tremoli, a device that had not worked so well for Steibelt to impress people in London, but he kept it as some kind of novelty. So, Steibelt irritated Beethoven.

Eight days later, they meet again. Franz Gerhard Wegler and Ferdinand Ries tell us (in a biography of Beethoven):

[Beethoven] went his usual (I might say, ill-bred) manner to the instrument as if half-pushed, picked up the violoncello part of Steibelt's quintet in passing, placed it (intentionally?) upon the stand upside down and with one finger drummed a theme out of the first few measures. Insulted and angered he improvised in such a manner that Steibelt left the room before he finished, would never again meet him and, indeed, made it a condition that Beethoven should not be invited before accepting an offer.

Here's a dramatization of the event

Here's an account of another situation when Beethoven got rid of "competitors."

would this impact that musician in a negative light when he/she searched for future work? How would it relate to Chopin Beethoven and his prominence as a pianist in that era? Would it cast him as a rebel or put him up as a master almost immediately?

Well, we are told it actually affected Steibelt's activities, because he now had to avoid Beethoven. The piano duel is comparable to a modern sport, frequent winners get sponsors and business opportunities, they get to make more choices and get better contracts... Having the greatest virtuoso pianist dedicating music to you (or a family member), having him frequently at your place playing new music, having him teaching your family... It was a symbol of status, and the winner would get more and better offers.

Musicians were still seen as servants in many ways. This kind of situation was for the entertainment of rich people.

Sources:

• Thayer - Life of Beethoven, Volume 1, pp 257.

• Stowell - Performing Beethoven, pp 56.

• Jones - Music in Eighteenth-Century Austria, pp 262.

Thank you so much for this insight! I will see if I can find some more info on this Chopin story and get in touch with you.