Home

›

Articles

›

Time & Session Concepts

Time & Session Concepts

ICT NY Open — The Complete Guide

The ICT NY open explained — the two opens (07:00 kill zone and 09:30 NYSE), the 5-phase NY AM timeline, the NYSE opening Judas, the instrument-specific NY opening prices, the three NY AM macros, and the Silver Bullet integration.

When ICT traders say “the NY open,” they mean two distinct but related events. The first is the NY AM kill zone open at 07:00 EST — when the New York institutional desks activate and the pre-market manipulation phase begins. The second is the NYSE cash session open at 09:30 EST — the single highest-volume moment of the entire trading day. Both are part of the ICT NY open framework, and both serve distinct AMD roles: the 07:00 open begins the pre-market Judas positioning phase, the 09:30 NYSE open triggers the opening Judas sweep, and the 09:50 macro that follows is where the genuine NY AM distribution begins — powering the Silver Bullet window from 10:00 to 11:00 EST.

The NY open is the second primary session transition of the ICT true day — the companion to the London open. Where London (02:00 EST) establishes the day’s AMD direction through the London Judas and CHoCH, the NY open (07:00–10:00 EST) delivers the continuation or completion of that distribution. On days when London was ambiguous or incomplete, the NY open becomes the primary delivery session — the 09:50 macro and Silver Bullet window carrying the full AMD daily move.

Key takeaways

Two NY opens: the 07:00 EST kill zone open (pre-market begins) and the 09:30 EST NYSE open (the day’s highest-volume event).
The pre-market range (07:00–09:30) is the NY equivalent of the Asian range — the accumulation zone the NYSE opening Judas sweeps.
The 09:50–10:10 macro is the highest-priority precision window in the entire ICT framework — the primary NY open entry.
The Silver Bullet (10:00–11:00 EST) is the strategy built around the 09:50 macro’s delivery phase.
Two NY opening prices: 09:30 NYSE open for indices (ES/NQ), 07:00 kill zone open for forex — using the wrong one breaks the P/D analysis.

What is the ICT NY open? The two opens

Definition

The ICT NY open encompasses two distinct but sequential institutional events: (1) the NY AM kill zone open at 07:00 EST — the start of the New York pre-market institutional activity period, equivalent to the London open’s role as the kill zone initiation, running through 10:00 EST — and (2) the NYSE cash session open at 09:30 EST — the highest-volume single event of the trading day, which triggers the opening Judas sweep and whose subsequent reversal at the 09:50 macro initiates the primary NY AM distribution and the Silver Bullet window.

The two-open structure reflects the different institutional mechanisms active during each period. The 07:00 open initiates the pre-market phase: US desks activate, pre-market futures positioning begins, and the pre-market range that will define the NYSE opening Judas targets forms. The 09:30 NYSE open initiates the highest-liquidity event of the day — where the opening Judas sweeps the pre-market range, the CHoCH confirms the distribution direction, and the 09:50 macro delivers the genuine AMD distribution through the Silver Bullet window. Understanding both events — and the five-phase sequence from 07:00 to 11:10 EST that connects them — turns the NY open from a clock time into an operational framework with specific entry logic, timing precision, and instrument-appropriate reference levels.

ICT NY open exact times — reference table

The NY AM session events
Event	EST (standard)	UTC (standard)	UTC (US DST/EDT)
NY AM kill zone open	07:00	12:00	11:00
Pre-market macro 1	08:50–09:10	13:50–14:10	12:50–13:10
NYSE cash open	09:30	14:30	13:30
Highest-priority macro	09:50–10:10	14:50–15:10	13:50–14:10
Silver Bullet window opens	10:00	15:00	14:00
NY AM kill zone closes	10:00	15:00	14:00
Silver Bullet window closes	11:00	16:00	15:00
NY AM macro 3	10:50–11:10	15:50–16:10	14:50–15:10

EST = Eastern Standard Time (UTC-5); during US Daylight Saving Time (March–November), EST becomes EDT (UTC-4). The 09:50–10:10 macro row is the highest-priority precision window of the entire ICT framework. The live killzone clock handles the offsets automatically.

The 5-phase NY AM session timeline

NY AM SESSION MAP EST

The NY AM clock. London winds down while the pre-session prep completes. The kill zone opens at 07:00 and the pre-market range forms — the NY equivalent of the Asian range. The 08:50 macro gives the directional read, the 09:30 NYSE open triggers the Judas, and the ★09:50 macro — the highest-priority window in the framework — initiates the distribution the Silver Bullet window captures. The 10:50 macro manages the continuation.

The five phases in detail
Phase	Time (EST)	AMD role	What happens
Phase 1	05:00–07:00	London wind-down	London kill zone closed; price consolidates or retraces into London PD arrays; NY pre-session analysis completed.
Phase 2	07:00–08:50	KZ open / pre-market	NY desks activate; pre-market range forms; USD pairs and index futures see elevated volume; observe the 08:50 macro.
Phase 3	09:15–09:50	NYSE open / opening Judas	Volatility surges into 09:30; the opening Judas sweeps the pre-market range; the post-open CHoCH confirms direction; post-Judas FVG and OB created.
Phase 4	09:50–10:50	09:50 macro — primary distribution	Highest-priority macro opens; PD array entry from the post-Judas OB/FVG; the Silver Bullet window (10:00–11:00) captures the delivery.
Phase 5	10:50–11:10	10:50 macro — continuation	Third NY AM macro; trail stops on 09:50 positions; continuation delivery or the start of the mid-morning correction; partials.

Phase 1 — London wind-down and preparation (05:00–07:00)

The two hours between the London close and the NY AM open are the transition window. London’s distribution has delivered the first AMD leg — price may be consolidating near a London propulsion block, retracing into a London FVG, or approaching the daily target. Traders managing London positions trail stops here; NY AM traders complete the pre-session analysis: review London’s output, mark the pre-market boundaries as they begin forming, locate the current AMD position, and prepare the PD array map for the 09:50 entry.

Phase 2 — Kill zone open and pre-market (07:00–08:50)

At 07:00 EST the NY AM kill zone opens. ES, NQ, and the major USD pairs see a surge as New York desks deploy pre-market order flow, and the pre-market range forms — the high and low established between 07:00 and 09:30 that define the NYSE opening Judas targets. The pre-market range is the NY session’s equivalent of the Asian range: the accumulation zone whose boundaries the session-initiating Judas will sweep. The 08:50 macro near the end of this phase often produces the directional signal revealing which side the Judas will target.

Phase 3 — NYSE open and the opening Judas (09:15–09:50)

From roughly 09:15, volatility builds into the 09:30 NYSE cash open — the highest-volume moment of the trading day. The first 20 minutes after the open are the opening Judas window: a sharp, high-volatility sweep of the pre-market boundary — above the high (buy-side, bearish AMD day) or below the low (sell-side, bullish AMD day). The NYSE Judas is characteristically sharper than the London Judas, driven by the convergence of pre-market position squaring, opening cross order flow, and retail participation at the 09:30 round number.

Phase 4 — The 09:50 macro and primary distribution (09:50–10:50)

The 09:50–10:10 macro is the most important single precision window in the entire ICT framework. It opens 20 minutes after the NYSE open — after the Judas has resolved and the CHoCH has confirmed direction — and the first genuine institutional delivery cycle of the session begins. An entry from the post-Judas PD array at 09:50 carries maximum available confluence: AMD direction from London, kill zone active, macro timing precise, and OB + FVG structural backing. The Silver Bullet window is positioned to capture this macro’s delivery phase — more on that below.

Phase 5 — The 10:50 macro and management (10:50–11:10)

Roughly an hour after the primary macro, the 10:50 window opens. By now the Silver Bullet distribution has delivered its first leg — the 10:50 macro produces either a continuation from a propulsion block retracement (if the target has not been reached) or the beginning of the mid-morning correction. For positions from 09:50, it is the scheduled management point: partial profit at the next AMD level, stop trailed below the most recent LTF BOS, and a target-reachability check before the NY PM session at 13:30.

The NY open Judas swing — differences from the London Judas

Both the London Judas and the NY Judas are AMD Phase 2 manipulation mechanisms sweeping a defined range before reversing into distribution — the same structural logic of sweep → CHoCH → distribute. Their characteristics differ significantly.

The NYSE opening as the Judas trigger

The London Judas is driven by pure institutional order flow — desks deploying pre-planned positions at the kill zone open, producing a relatively smooth sweep over the first 33 minutes. The NY Judas is driven by the structural event of the NYSE cash open: pre-market futures positions squaring, retail opening orders executing, algorithmic opening cross mechanisms firing, and institutional deployment converging at 09:30 — producing the sharp, volatile spike that characterises the pattern. Practical implication: the NY Judas candle is typically larger in range terms, producing a larger post-Judas FVG whose CE sits deeper from the Judas extreme — requiring patience for the 09:50 macro to drive price back into the zone.

What the NY Judas sweeps

The NY Judas sweeps the pre-market range established between 07:00 and 09:30. On a bullish AMD day where London delivered upward, it typically sweeps below the pre-market low — collecting the sell-side stops before the 09:50 macro initiates the bullish continuation. On a bearish AMD day it sweeps above the pre-market high. On some sessions, the sweep also collects a significant structural level within the London distribution range — a London FVG boundary, a propulsion block level, or the prior true day high/low — adding a structural stop collection to the pre-market sweep.

The CHoCH after the NYSE opening Judas

The same CHoCH mechanism that confirms the London Judas confirms the NY Judas: a 5M or 15M CHoCH in the distribution direction creates the first Phase 3 FVG and validates the last opposing candle as the initiating order block. This post-Judas OB + FVG is the entry zone for the 09:50 macro — and the whole sequence from sweep to CHoCH to PD array typically resolves within the 09:30–09:50 window, making 09:50 the natural entry timing. The chart below shows the complete sequence.

NQ 5M

The complete NY open, on one chart. The pre-market range forms from the 07:00 kill zone open (①). At 09:30 the NYSE opening Judas sweeps sharply below the pre-market low (②) — note the larger candle and deeper wick than a London Judas. The CHoCH confirms the reversal (③), the 09:50 macro drives the entry in the FVG (④), and the Silver Bullet window captures the delivery to the AMD target (⑤). Both NY reference prices are marked: the 07:00 open for forex, the 09:30 open for indices.

The NY open price — two references for two instrument classes

US equity indices (ES / NQ)

NY opening price = 09:30 EST NYSE open

Above the 09:30 open = NY session premium; below = NY session discount. The NYSE cash open is the structural anchor for index AMD — the defining institutional event for these instruments.

Forex (EUR/USD, GBP/USD, …)

NY opening price = 07:00 EST kill zone open

Above the 07:00 open = NY AM session premium; below = NY AM session discount. The kill zone open is the structural anchor for forex AMD — where NY institutional forex activity actually begins.

This instrument-specific distinction is the most commonly overlooked precision point in NY open analysis. Using the 09:30 NYSE price as the NY reference for EUR/USD misses 2.5 hours of NY institutional forex action; using the 07:00 price for ES ignores the NYSE cash open as the defining structural event for indices. Practical implementation: if trading both classes, mark two lines at the start of each session — the 07:00 kill zone open price labelled “NY KZ Open” for forex, and a placeholder filled at 09:30 labelled “NYSE Open” for indices. Both sit inside the daily premium/discount context anchored by the midnight open.

The three NY AM macro windows

The macro times guide covers all seven windows in full; this is the operational integration specific to the NY open.

08:50 macro — the pre-market directional signal

Opens 40 minutes before the NYSE, as desks load pre-opening order queues. Its direction often reveals the side the opening Judas will sweep: a bullish 08:50 move builds buy-side above the pre-market range (and retail longs the bearish Judas will stop out); a bearish move signals the opposite. Primarily an observation window — not a primary entry.

09:50 macro — the primary NY open entry

The single most important precision window in the framework — more important than any other macro, including both London windows. The 09:30 volatility has resolved, the Judas is complete, the CHoCH has formed, and the genuine delivery cycle begins. A post-Judas PD array entry here carries the full four-layer stack: AMD direction, kill zone timing, macro precision, and OB + FVG structure.

10:50 macro — continuation and management

An hour after the primary macro, it offers a second distribution leg from a propulsion block retracement — or signals the mid-morning correction. For 09:50 positions it is the scheduled management point: partials at the next AMD level, stop below the latest LTF BOS, target-reachability check before NY PM.

The Silver Bullet window and the NY open

The Silver Bullet strategy is the most practical expression of the NY open’s 09:50 macro — a trading window designed to capture the delivery phase of the highest-priority precision event in the framework. The complete entry sequence:

The Silver Bullet entry sequence
Time (EST)	Event
07:00	NY AM kill zone opens; the pre-market range begins forming.
08:50	Pre-market macro (08:50–09:10): observe the directional read — it reveals the likely NYSE Judas side.
09:30	NYSE cash opens; the opening Judas sweeps the pre-market range boundary.
09:30–09:50	Post-open volatility resolves; the CHoCH forms confirming direction; the post-Judas FVG and OB are created.
09:50	Highest-priority macro opens. PD array entry from the post-Judas FVG CE or OB boundary — the primary NY open entry.
10:00–11:00	Silver Bullet window. Distribution delivers toward the AMD daily target; trail the stop on LTF BOS events.
10:50	Third macro: trail stop, partial profit, assess continuation vs correction.

The 10-minute offset between the 09:50 macro and the 10:00 Silver Bullet open is intentional: it lets the macro’s opening displacement form the FVG and validate the OB before the window formally opens — giving Silver Bullet traders the PD array reference they need. Understanding that the Silver Bullet is the strategy built around the 09:50 macro gives it institutional grounding: it works because the 09:50 macro is the most reliable algorithmic delivery event of the NY AM session.

ES/NQ SMT divergence at the NYSE open

Just as EUR/USD vs GBP/USD SMT divergence confirms London Judas sweeps, index SMT divergence confirms NYSE opening sweeps: if ES sweeps below its pre-market low at 09:30 but NQ does not sweep its own, the ES move is the Judas rather than a genuine breakdown — the correlated index failed to confirm. ES/NQ SMT divergence at the NYSE open is the highest-conviction Judas confirmation available to index traders, and a Silver Bullet entry from the post-Judas FVG after confirmed divergence carries maximum available confluence.

NY open vs London open — hierarchy and key differences

The two primary session transitions compared
Dimension	London open	NY open
Kill zone time	02:00–05:00 EST	07:00–10:00 EST
Primary AMD role	Phase 2 (Judas) + Phase 3 initiation	Phase 3 continuation — or Phase 2+3 if London was ambiguous
Range swept by the Judas	Asian range (00:00–02:00 formation)	Pre-market range (07:00–09:30 formation)
Judas character	Smoother extension, 33-minute window	Sharper — driven by NYSE opening volatility
Macro windows	02:33 and 04:03	08:50, 09:50 (highest), 10:50
Silver Bullet equivalent	The 02:33 macro is the primary entry	09:50 macro entry; 10:00–11:00 SB window
Primary forex instruments	EUR/USD, GBP/USD, EUR/GBP	EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/CHF, XAU/USD
Primary index instruments	Less relevant (NYSE pre-market only)	ES, NQ — the NYSE open is the highest-volume event
Session priority	Primary — AMD direction established here	Secondary — distribution continues or completes

The hierarchy is clear: London is primary, NY AM is secondary. The exception applies when London was ambiguous or produced a double purge that consumed the whole kill zone — on those days, the NY open becomes the primary delivery session and should be traded with full London-level conviction and sizing. The instrument dimension adds nuance: forex traders weight London first; ES/NQ traders may weight NY AM more heavily, because their instruments are most structurally active at 09:30 — an NQ-focused trader will find more consistent setups in the NY AM kill zone than in London.

Best instruments for the ICT NY open

Tier 1 — US equity index futures: ES and NQ

ES and NQ are the primary NY open instruments: the highest US institutional participation globally, the NYSE opening cross creating the characteristic sharp Judas candle, and the 09:50 macro delivery appearing most consistently. For the Silver Bullet strategy, they are the standard reference instruments — and being correlated, they are ideal for SMT divergence: both sweeping the same side confirms a standard pattern; one sweeping without the other confirms the Judas with maximum conviction.

Tier 1 — Major USD forex pairs

EUR/USD and GBP/USD keep Tier 1 status through NY AM: the London–NY overlap (07:00–10:00 EST) keeps European desks partially active alongside the US activation, producing structured AMD moves on both pairs — and continuity for traders who carry from London into NY AM.

Tier 2 — Gold and additional pairs

Gold (XAU/USD) has strong NY AM participation and produces consistent setups in the 09:50 window — often a cleaner Judas + distribution pattern than ES or NQ on indecisive index days. USD/CHF, USD/JPY, and AUD/USD round out Tier 2, offering additional setups when the Tier 1 pairs are less structured.

The 6-step pre-session checklist

Complete this between 07:00 and 08:30 EST, as the first pre-market hour develops:

Review London’s output

Did a Judas + CHoCH + distribution occur? Was the AMD target reached? If London completed the delivery, NY AM is a management and continuation window. If London was ambiguous, double-purged, or fell short of the target, NY AM is the primary delivery session — treat the 09:50 macro as the day’s primary entry.

Locate the AMD position and remaining target

Measure the distance from current price to the AMD daily target. Close (20–30 pips on forex): NY AM may simply complete the move without a full Judas sequence. Distant: expect the full NY Judas + 09:50 distribution.

Mark the pre-market range

Track the high and low as they form from 07:00; by 08:30 the range should be defined. Note the denser-tested side (likelier Judas target). Index traders: also mark the prior TDH/TDL — the opening Judas may sweep those instead of the intraday boundary.

Mark the PD arrays in the distribution direction

All OBs and FVGs in the expected post-Judas direction — the OB just beyond the expected sweep side is the primary Silver Bullet candidate. Note each FVG’s CE: that is the 09:50 precision entry level.

Check the 08:30 and 10:00 news calendar

An 08:30 release (NFP, CPI, PPI, retail sales) often acts as the opening Judas itself — the news spike sweeps the boundary and reverses. A 10:00 release (ISM, consumer confidence) lands inside the Silver Bullet window — size accordingly and decide whether to enter before or after it.

Set the three macro alerts

08:50 (pre-market read), 09:50 (primary — the most important trading alert of the day), and 10:50 (management). Full attention at all three precision windows.

Five common NY open mistakes

Treating 09:30 as the only NY open

The kill zone opens at 07:00 — 2.5 hours earlier. The pre-market phase contains the range formation, the 08:50 macro, and the context that makes the 09:30 Judas interpretable. Activating only at 09:30 means entering the session’s highest-volatility moment without the preparation the pre-market provides.

Entering at 09:30 before the Judas resolves

The NYSE open is the beginning of the manipulation — the highest-uncertainty period of the session. Wait for the 09:30–09:50 sweep to complete and the post-Judas CHoCH to form. The 09:50 macro is the entry timing reference, not the open itself.

Trading the Silver Bullet without the Judas context

The Silver Bullet works because it captures the 09:50 macro’s delivery after the opening Judas has resolved. A 10:00 entry without the prior Judas and CHoCH is an entry without the institutional backing that gives the strategy its edge. Always identify the Judas and the post-Judas PD array first.

Using the wrong opening price for the instrument class

ES/NQ reference the 09:30 NYSE open; EUR/USD and GBP/USD reference the 07:00 kill zone open. Swapping them produces incorrect premium/discount analysis for the respective class.

Not adjusting for 08:30 news releases

Major 08:30 releases often act as the opening Judas themselves — the timeline compresses: the news candle is the Judas, the CHoCH forms by 09:00–09:15, and the 09:50 macro remains the entry timing, but from an earlier-formed PD array. Identify the news Judas and re-mark accordingly.

FAQ — ICT NY open questions answered

What time is the ICT NY open? +

Two times: the NY AM kill zone opens at 07:00 EST (12:00 UTC standard / 11:00 UTC during US DST) — the start of NY institutional pre-market activity — and the NYSE cash session opens at 09:30 EST (14:30 UTC standard / 13:30 UTC during DST), the highest-volume event of the day. The kill zone runs 07:00–10:00 EST, the Silver Bullet window extends to 11:00, and all three NY AM macros (08:50, 09:50, 10:50) fall within these hours.

What is the NY open Judas swing? +

The AMD Phase 2 manipulation sweep at or immediately after the 09:30 NYSE open, sweeping the pre-market range boundary — below the low on a bullish AMD day, above the high on a bearish day — before reversing into the genuine distribution at the 09:50 macro. It differs from the London Judas in being triggered by NYSE opening volatility and typically sharper. The post-Judas CHoCH and PD array entry at 09:50 is the primary NY open entry.

What is the relationship between the Silver Bullet and the NY open? +

The Silver Bullet window (10:00–11:00 EST) captures the delivery phase of the 09:50 macro, which initiates the genuine distribution after the NYSE opening Judas resolves. The window begins 10 minutes after the macro starts — letting the opening displacement form the FVG first. The Silver Bullet entry from the post-Judas FVG or OB at the 09:50 macro is the standard NY open primary entry.

What are the best instruments for the ICT NY open? +

Tier 1: ES and NQ for index traders — the NYSE open produces the most consistently structured Judas + distribution sequences — and EUR/USD and GBP/USD for forex traders, kept active by the London–NY overlap. Tier 2: gold (XAU/USD) and USD/CHF for additional setups when the primary instruments are less structured.

Should I trade the London open or the NY open? +

Both when possible, using the hierarchy: London is primary (AMD direction is established there), NY is secondary (distribution continues or completes). Exception: when London was ambiguous, double-purged, or fell short of the target, the NY open becomes the primary delivery session. Index-focused traders may weight NY AM more heavily, since ES/NQ are most structurally active at the NYSE open.

Conclusion — the NY open completes the AMD cycle

The NY open — 07:00 EST for the kill zone, 09:30 EST for the NYSE — is the second primary session transition of the ICT true day: the completion mechanism for the AMD cycle that began at the London open. Where London establishes the direction through its Judas and CHoCH, the NY open delivers the continuation and completion: the 09:50 macro initiates the genuine distribution, the Silver Bullet window captures it, and the three NY AM macros provide precision timing throughout.

The 09:50 macro is the highest-priority single precision window in the entire framework — the convergence of post-NYSE-Judas CHoCH, kill zone timing, macro delivery, and Silver Bullet initiation. Every other NY open element — the 07:00 open, the 08:50 macro, the NYSE Judas — is preparation for the 09:50 entry. Understanding the NY open means understanding why the 09:50 macro produces the entries it does — and why the Silver Bullet consistently captures the most directional 60 minutes of the US session.

Companion guides: the London open guide covers the primary session that establishes the direction the NY open completes; the Silver Bullet guide covers the 10:00–11:00 entry strategy built around the 09:50 macro; and the macro times guide covers all seven windows in detail. Or join the mentorship for direct feedback on your NYSE Judas identification and Silver Bullet execution.

Lio

Founder & ICT trading educator, LiquiditySweeps.com

Lio has traded ICT and Smart Money Concepts on forex majors and US indices since 2021 and built LiquiditySweeps.com to teach the framework the way it should be learned: in sequence, on real charts, with free live tools instead of paid indicators. Every article on this site follows the same rule — nothing gets published that wouldn’t survive a trade review.

About All articles Mentorship

Ready to go further?

The mentorship programme covers the full framework — weekly live sessions, daily bias review, and personal trade review on every entry you submit.