Explainer
How do I practise the London and New York sessions on gold futures (GC)?
Start a GC replay, jump from the Asia start to London 03:00 and New York 09:30 ET, mark each session’s range and pick the GC or MGC contract.
Updated
The short answer
Gold futures (GC, on COMEX) trade nearly around the clock, and a replay cuts the day into the three starts the Lab uses: Asia 18:00, London 03:00 and New York 09:30, all Eastern. The same Next session and Next 09:30 buttons work on GC as on NQ and ES.
This walkthrough uses GC on Tuesday 2025-06-10 (contract GCQ5). Prices are raw and not back-adjusted, and the front-month contract is shown.
- GC and MGC
- GC is the full gold contract at $100 a point. MGC is the micro at $10 a point. The Lab’s tick is 0.10.
- Session start
- Asia 18:00, London 03:00 and New York 09:30, in Eastern time.
From Asia to New York
Open the replay on GC
Start a GC replay on 2025-06-10. It opens at the session start, 18:00 Eastern, with the top line showing the GCQ5 contract.
Jump to London
Press Next session. The button names the next start, here London 03:00, and asks you to confirm the reveal.
Step through the London hours
After Reveal, step the 5-minute candles one at a time. After twelve steps the clock reads 03:54, and the high and low of the last 13 candles can be marked with two horizontal rays, 3,352.9 and 3,344.3.
Jump to New York
Press Next 09:30. The confirm bar names the next 09:30 Eastern bar. Confirm it to reveal the rest of London and open New York.
Read the open
The top line now reads 09:30 ET. Compare where New York opens with the rays you drew in London, then step on as you did on NQ.
Pick the right contract
In the Trade tab, a GC run offers GC or MGC. The paper account locks for the run, so choose the contract that fits the risk you want to practise: here MGC at $10 a point.
What changes on gold
Gold has its own rhythm in each session, so practise each one on its own dates. Because a run is saved, you can start a run at London on one day, journal it, and start another at New York on a different day.
The split chart is for NQ and ES only; GC has no companion. Orders, stops and the journal behave exactly as on the index markets, and fills are modelled on 1-minute bars.
On gold, practise one session at a time: mark the range, jump to the next start and compare.
What the Trade Lab does not do
The Trade Lab replays history. It has no live data, and no real order is ever placed. Paper fills are modelled on 1-minute bars, so they approximate real fills.
Each account can read 40 distinct 1-minute sessions and start 5 new runs per UTC day, and it needs a verified email. The Lab itself is free.
Questions and answers
Can I replay gold futures for free?
Yes. The Trade Lab replays GC (COMEX gold) bar by bar with a free account and a verified email.
What are the London and New York sessions in the Lab?
London starts at 03:00 Eastern and New York at 09:30. Asia starts at 18:00. The Next session button jumps to the next of the three.
What is the difference between GC and MGC?
GC is $100 a point and MGC is $10 a point. A GC run offers both in the Trade tab.
Does the Lab use forex gold (XAUUSD)?
No. It replays CME Group futures only: GC on COMEX, plus NQ and ES.
Is there a split chart for gold?
No. The split chart pairs NQ and ES only.