1‐Hydroxy‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrazolo[1,2‐a]pyridazine‐5,8diones and 1‐hydroxy‐ and 1‐amino‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrazolo[1,2‐b]phthalazine‐5,10‐diones were synthesized and their structures studied by NMR and MS methods. All compounds exist in similar cyclic forms in solution, except for 1hydroxy‐1‐methyl‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrazolo[1,2‐a]pyridazine‐5,8‐dione, which displays ring‐chain tautomerism in CDCl3 solution. The corresponding 3‐methyl‐substituted derivatives exhibit a typical cis/trans isomerism as a result of latent ring‐chain‐ring tautomerism. The structures of stereoisomers concluded from NMR results were additionally confirmed by density functional calculations. Mass spectrometric results indicate open‐chain structures in the gas phase for the molecular ions of the 1‐hydroxy derivatives and cyclic structures for 1‐amino derivatives. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2002)