For a 20-pip strategy, when you trade is almost as important as what you trade. Liquidity drives spreads and fill quality, and liquidity follows the clock. Here's how to time it.
The three major sessions
- Tokyo (Asian): quieter, tighter ranges. Fewer clean 20-pip moves on EUR/USD and GBP/USD; USD/JPY can be active.
- London: the most liquid session. Tight spreads and real movement on the majors — prime time for 20-pip trades.
- New York: also highly liquid, especially early; USD news lands here.
The sweet spot: the London–New York overlap
When London and New York are both open, liquidity peaks: spreads are tightest and the majors move with enough range to reach a 20-pip target cleanly. For EUR/USD and GBP/USD, this overlap is often the best window of the day.
What to avoid
- The late Asian lull and session gaps: thin liquidity means wider spreads and worse fills — exactly what a 20-pip strategy can't afford.
- High-impact news releases: spreads blow out and slippage spikes. Many systems simply stand aside around scheduled news.
- Late Friday: liquidity thins into the weekend and gap risk rises. A good system stops opening trades late Friday and flattens before the close — see features.
Mind your broker's clock
Session filters are set in broker server time, which is usually GMT+2 or GMT+3 — not your local time. Confirm your broker's offset so your "London session" window actually lands on London. Getting this wrong is a common, silent mistake.
How the bot handles it
Rather than relying on you to watch the clock, our bot uses a configurable session filter so it only trades your chosen window, plus weekend protection — keeping it out of the thin, costly hours automatically.
Bottom line
Trade the liquid sessions — especially the London/New York overlap — avoid news and late Friday, and double-check your broker's time zone. Then verify real spreads by session during a demo run. Good timing improves your odds; it doesn't guarantee a result.