ICT Kill Zones Explained 2026 — London/NY/Asian Times, How to Trade Each
⚡ Read this before you open your next trade
**Kill Zones** are time windows where ICT methodology predicts highest-probability institutional order flow. The name comes from "high-probability execution zones." There are **6 main kill zones** across the trading day: **London Kill Zone** (02:00-05:00 ET — Judas Swing window), **NY AM Kill Zone** (07:00-10:00 ET — pre-NY open + opening drive), **NY Lunch** (12:00-13:00 ET — typically AVOID), **NY PM Kill Zone** (13:30-16:00 ET — afternoon distribution), **London Close** (10:00-12:00 ET overlap), and **Asian Kill Zone** (20:00-00:00 ET — accumulation). Each has different characteristics, win rates, and optimal instruments. Understanding which kill zone you're in determines whether to seek reversal setups (London Kill Zone) or trend continuation (NY AM/PM). This 2026 guide covers: exact times for each zone, what setups work in each, win rate per zone, instrument selection, and execution workflow on [Vantage MT5](https://vigco.co/la-com-inv/CE3HlGvG) with [Take Profit AI](https://takeprofitapp.com) confirmation.
London Kill Zone (02:00-05:00 ET)
Time: 02:00-05:00 ET (07:00-10:00 GMT in summer, 08:00-11:00 GMT in winter). Spans Frankfurt open (02:00 ET) + London cash open (03:00 ET) + early London trading. Characteristics: highest volatility window for European session. Famous for Judas Swing (false breakout at 02:30-03:30 ET) followed by reversal. Best instruments: EURUSD, GBPUSD, EURJPY, GBPJPY (European-tied pairs). Best setups: (a) Judas Swing reversal trade, (b) London Open Range Breakout (after first 30 min consolidation), (c) FVG retest after displacement. Win rate: 65-75% on Judas reversals. Position sizing: 0.5-1% risk — high frequency window. Avoid: ECB days (Thursday once a month), Bundesbank speeches, BoE inflation report days. Optimal workflow: pre-mark Asian Range, wait for Judas spike + reversal candle, enter on FVG retest, target opposite Asian Range edge or PDH/PDL.
NY AM Kill Zone (07:00-10:00 ET)
Time: 07:00-10:00 ET (12:00-15:00 GMT summer). Pre-cash market (07:00-09:30 ET) + first 30 min of NY open. Characteristics: maximum US institutional flow as US traders arrive. Often trends in direction of daily bias (PO3 distribution begins). Best instruments: ES (S&P futures), NAS100, US30, USD pairs (USDJPY, USDCAD, USDCHF). XAUUSD also active. Best setups: (a) Pre-market FVG that fills during NY open, (b) Opening Range Breakout (first 15-30 min of NY = range, breakout = trend day), (c) Liquidity sweep at 09:30 then reverse. Win rate: 70-80% on trend-following setups when daily bias clear. Position sizing: 1-2% risk — highest conviction zone. Best day: Tuesday-Thursday have cleanest NY AM (Monday gap-driven, Friday choppy). Avoid: news weeks (FOMC Tue+Wed, NFP first Friday, CPI mid-month) — wait for post-news clarity.
NY Lunch (12:00-13:00 ET) — AVOID
Time: 12:00-13:00 ET (17:00-18:00 GMT summer). Characteristics: liquidity vacuum. US institutional traders take lunch break. Volume drops 30-50%, spreads widen, false breakouts common. Why ICT calls this AVOID: low volume + low conviction = stops get hunted at random levels with no follow-through. Many breakouts during this hour fail and reverse. What to do instead: (a) close half of NY AM positions before 12:00 ET (trail stops), (b) re-evaluate setups, (c) prepare for NY PM Kill Zone (13:30-16:00 ET), (d) take a real lunch break yourself! Exception: if a major news release (Fed minutes, surprise CPI revision) happens at 12:00 ET — that overrides the lunch effect. Win rate of trades initiated 12:00-13:00 ET: typically 35-45% (worse than coin flip due to spread widening + chop). Avoid this window unless you have specific high-conviction news catalyst.
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NY PM Kill Zone (13:30-16:00 ET)
Time: 13:30-16:00 ET (18:30-21:00 GMT summer). Post-lunch through NY close. Characteristics: second wave of US institutional flow. Often the strongest distribution move of the day (PO3 phase 3 culmination). Many days, the high or low of day prints 14:00-15:30 ET. Best instruments: ES, NAS100, US30, XAUUSD, USD pairs. Best setups: (a) Trend continuation from NY AM direction, (b) FVG fills from London/NY AM session, (c) Power 3 distribution toward PDH/PDL or weekly highs/lows, (d) Reversal at 15:00-15:30 ET (institutional rebalancing window). Win rate: 65-75% on trend continuation when daily bias holds through lunch. Position sizing: 1-1.5% risk. Special note: 15:30-16:00 ET = NYSE close approaching, watch for end-of-day liquidity sweep + reversal (common when daily move was extended).
London Close + Asian Kill Zones
London Close (10:00-12:00 ET): overlap of NY AM + London winding down. Often the day's peak volume hour (10:00-11:00 ET). Silver Bullet sits here. Setups: continuation from NY AM open direction, FVG fills, sweep + reverse around lunch start. Win rate 60-70%. Asian Kill Zone (20:00-00:00 ET): Tokyo session prime time. Characteristics: typically range-bound, low conviction, but specific JPY pairs (USDJPY, EURJPY, AUDJPY) can move 30-60 pips during Tokyo open (20:00 ET = 09:00 Tokyo). Best setups: (a) JPY pair reversal at Tokyo open, (b) Asian Range establishment for next day's Judas Swing planning, (c) AUD/NZD Reserve Bank events (RBA Tuesday morning Tokyo time). Win rate: 55-65% on JPY pair scalps. NOT a primary trading session for non-Asian residents — better to sleep and prepare for London.
Take Profit AI + Vantage Per Kill Zone
Optimal kill zone workflow: Pre-zone (30 min before): check Take Profit AI for relevant instrument bias. Active zone: monitor Vantage MT5 (or Vantage TradingView Web Trader) for setups. Post-zone: log trades in journal, review what worked. Vantage advantages per zone: London Kill Zone — RAW account 0.10 pip + $6 commission optimal for tight Judas R:R; NY AM Kill Zone — fast execution critical for opening drive (Vantage MT5 latency <50ms with proper VPS); NY PM — TradingView Web Trader integration ideal for visual pattern recognition during distribution. 150% First-Time Deposit bonus lets you allocate per-zone position sizing aggressively without burning real capital — turn $5k into $12,500 effective trading. Take Profit AI advantage: AI bias confirmation lifts win rate by 5-8 percentage points across all kill zones. Combined edge over 250+ trades = significantly improved equity curve.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are ICT Kill Zones?
Time windows where ICT methodology predicts highest-probability institutional order flow. 6 main zones: London (02:00-05:00 ET), NY AM (07:00-10:00 ET), London Close (10:00-12:00 ET), NY Lunch AVOID (12:00-13:00 ET), NY PM (13:30-16:00 ET), Asian (20:00-00:00 ET). Each has different setups + win rates.
Best Kill Zone to trade?
NY AM Kill Zone (07:00-10:00 ET) — highest win rate (70-80% on trend-following setups), maximum US institutional flow, clearest daily bias confirmation. Best instruments: NAS100, ES, US30, USDJPY, XAUUSD on [Vantage RAW](https://vigco.co/la-com-inv/CE3HlGvG). Avoid Friday afternoons + news weeks.
Why avoid NY Lunch?
Liquidity vacuum 12:00-13:00 ET — US institutional traders take lunch, volume drops 30-50%, spreads widen, false breakouts common. Win rate of trades initiated this window typically 35-45% (worse than coin flip). Take a real lunch yourself! Resume in NY PM Kill Zone (13:30-16:00 ET).
How do I convert ET to my local time?
ET = New York time. Summer (March-November): EDT = UTC-4, so 10:00 ET = 14:00 UTC = 16:00 CEST (Warsaw). Winter (Nov-March): EST = UTC-5, so 10:00 ET = 15:00 UTC = 16:00 CET (Warsaw, no DST change). Daylight saving in US starts/ends 1 week different from EU — be careful in March + November.
Can I trade only one Kill Zone?
Yes — many successful ICT traders trade only NY AM Kill Zone (07:00-10:00 ET) — high win rate, manageable schedule. Polish/EU traders often pick London Kill Zone (08:00-11:00 CET) as it aligns with workday. Choose based on lifestyle + win rate priorities. Don't spread thin across all zones — focus produces edge.
How does Take Profit AI fit into Kill Zones?
[Take Profit AI](https://takeprofitapp.com) provides directional bias confirmation that lifts win rate by 5-8 percentage points across all kill zones. Pre-zone check (30 min before): if AI agrees with your setup direction → execute. If AI disagrees → wait or skip. Combine with [Vantage RAW account](https://vigco.co/la-com-inv/CE3HlGvG) for tight-spread execution + 150% bonus.
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Kacper MrukXAUUSD & ETHUSD Trader | Macro + options data | Think, don't follow
Creator of Take Profit Trader's App. Specializes in XAUUSD and ETHUSD, combining macro analysis with options data. He teaches not how to trade, but how to think in the market. Actively trading since 2020.
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