USDCHF session playbook: thinner, but cleaner at times

[FXS London Scalper]

USDCHF doesn't get much attention among scalpers. Spreads are a bit wider than EURUSD, and the pair moves less. But at specific times it can be one of the cleaner charts available.

Windows worth looking at:

- 07:00–08:00 UK: Zurich is open, London is just arriving. USDCHF often makes the first meaningful move of the day before EURUSD.
- After US data: USDCHF tends to react with fewer whipsaws than EURUSD, partly because fewer short-term traders crowd it.
- Risk-off headlines: the franc as a safe haven reacts quickly, sometimes before gold.

Windows to avoid:

- Asia session: spreads wide, ranges small.
- SNB days, unless you have a specific plan for them.

Because of the inverse relationship with EURUSD, a USDCHF trade and an opposite EURUSD trade are mostly the same position. One or the other.

Typical numbers: a 15-minute ATR at 08:00 UK of around 5–7 pips on normal days. Targets of 4–5 pips with 3-pip stops are realistic.

Does anyone trade USDCHF as their main pair? What window works for you?