The 15-minute opening range break on EURUSD: rules and exceptions
Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2026 8:59 pm
The opening range breakout is one of the oldest setups. On EURUSD, the 08:00–08:15 UK range is a common reference.
A basic version:
- Mark high and low of 08:00–08:15.
- Long on a 1-minute close above the high, short below the low.
- Stop at the middle of the range.
- Target 1x range size.
The exceptions matter more than the rules:
1. Range too wide. If the first 15 minutes already covered 70% of the average daily range, the breakout has little fuel.
2. Range too narrow. Under 5 pips on EURUSD, the break is often noise.
3. News at 09:00 or 09:30. A UK or eurozone release can reverse the break outright.
4. Second break. If the first break fails and price breaks the other side, the second one is often stronger.
5. Monday mornings and Friday afternoons behave differently from midweek.
Logging range width and outcome for a few months will show which width band works on your feed. Many find the sweet spot between 8 and 15 pips.
What range width filter do you use, if any?
A basic version:
- Mark high and low of 08:00–08:15.
- Long on a 1-minute close above the high, short below the low.
- Stop at the middle of the range.
- Target 1x range size.
The exceptions matter more than the rules:
1. Range too wide. If the first 15 minutes already covered 70% of the average daily range, the breakout has little fuel.
2. Range too narrow. Under 5 pips on EURUSD, the break is often noise.
3. News at 09:00 or 09:30. A UK or eurozone release can reverse the break outright.
4. Second break. If the first break fails and price breaks the other side, the second one is often stronger.
5. Monday mornings and Friday afternoons behave differently from midweek.
Logging range width and outcome for a few months will show which width band works on your feed. Many find the sweet spot between 8 and 15 pips.
What range width filter do you use, if any?