Killzone in gold trading
A killzone is an ICT time window when institutional activity and volatility are highest, such as the London open and New York open, when gold setups are sought.
Also called Kill zone, ICT killzone, London killzone, New York killzone
A killzone is a specific window of the trading day in ICT methodology during which setups are considered valid. The commonly cited windows, in New York time, are the Asian killzone (roughly 8 p.m. to midnight), the London killzone (2 a.m. to 5 a.m.), the New York killzone (7 a.m. to 10 a.m.) and the London close killzone (10 a.m. to noon). Definitions vary slightly between sources. The idea is that the moves worth trading happen when the major centers are active, and that setups outside those windows are more likely to fail.
How it applies to gold trading
Gold’s own rhythm fits the framework well. The London killzone is when the Asian range is usually swept and the day’s first directional move begins; the New York killzone contains the 8:30 a.m. data releases and the COMEX open, and produces the largest moves of most days. A liquidity sweep and CHoCH inside a killzone is the core ICT gold setup; the same pattern at 3 p.m. New York time, when volume is fading, is given less weight.
Killzones also help with discipline: a trader who only trades two windows a day takes fewer, better trades than one who watches the chart for twelve hours.
A common mistake
Forcing a trade because a killzone is open. The window is a condition, not a signal; many killzones pass without a valid setup.
See also: Silver bullet, London open, New York session, Judas swing.
Frequently asked questions
What are the ICT killzone times for gold?
Commonly London 2–5 a.m. and New York 7–10 a.m., New York time, with an Asian window in the evening and a London close window late morning. Convert to your time zone with the market hours tool.
Do killzones change with daylight saving?
They are defined in New York time, so they stay fixed in that zone and shift by an hour relative to GMT and other zones when US or European clocks change.