Can I activate and resolve Hand Destruction with less than 2 cards in one's hand?

Question

Hand Destruction's effect reads:

(Spell/Quick Play) Each player sends 2 cards from their hand to the graveyard, then each player discards 2 cards.

My question is simple: If I, or my opponent, have less than 2 cards in the hand, can I activate it? And also, will it resolve successfully if there's less than 2 cards on one's hand on its resolution time? (say, for example, if someone chains a trap which discards one card as a cost)

P.S.: There are old rulings from Upper Deck Entertainment that say it can't be activated, but they're not official anymore.

Answer 1

No. You cannot as it states specifically:

Each player sends 2

This means the number of cards is mandatory if any player has any less then the card cannot be activated.

On the other side, if a chained effect dropped you or an opponent to less than 2 cards in hand, then Hand Destruction would resolve without effect as the initial requirement is that you send 2 cards to the graveyard.

If it said up to 2 cards, then you would be able to use it.

Answer 2

No, hand destruction of "send two cards to the graveyard", is NOT a cost. It is an effect. However it does require two or more cards in hand to activate. As you cannot activate a card unless you can resolve it as well.

Now my question is, what if I had the cards "Hand destruction (quick play spell)", "Allure of darkness (normal spell)" Kuriboh (dark monster)", "Chain Strike (quick play spell)".

Now I activate allure of darkness -(chain)-> hand destruction -(chain)-> Chain strike