How to read a chart.
Every chart is the same four prices per candle — but each market has its own clock, its own levels and its own headlines. These guides teach the reading for the markets people trade most, and link the modules that go deeper.
XAUUSD
How to read a gold chart
To read a gold (XAUUSD) chart, start with what each candle records — the open, high, low and close of one ounce of gold priced in US dollars over a fixed slice of time. Then find where price has already reacted (prior session highs and lows, round numbers), check whether swings are making higher highs and higher lows or the opposite, and note which session you are in. Gold moves fastest in the London–New York overlap and around US data releases, so the same pattern means different things at different hours.
BTCUSD
How to read a Bitcoin chart
To read a Bitcoin (BTCUSD) chart, read each candle as the open, high, low and close of one bitcoin in US dollars over a fixed period, then look for where price has already reacted and whether the swings form a rising or falling sequence. Bitcoin trades every day including weekends, so there is no session gap and no closing bell — structure carries across days, and liquidity varies by hour. A weekend move and a weekday move can look alike and mean very different things.
EURUSD
How to read a EUR/USD chart
To read a EUR/USD chart, remember that the price is how many US dollars one euro buys, so a rising chart means the euro is strengthening against the dollar. Read each candle's close before its wicks, mark the prices where it has already reacted (prior session highs and lows, round numbers such as the whole and half figures), name the swing sequence, and note the session. EUR/USD is most active when London and New York overlap and around eurozone and US data releases.
GBPUSD
How to read a GBP/USD chart
To read a GBP/USD chart ("cable"), read the price as how many US dollars one British pound buys — a rising chart means sterling is strengthening against the dollar. Read the close of each candle before its wicks, mark where price already reacted, name the swing sequence and note the session. GBP/USD is typically busiest from the London open through the New York overlap and moves sharply on UK and US data and central bank decisions.
NAS100
How to read a Nasdaq 100 chart
To read a Nasdaq 100 (NAS100) chart, remember it tracks an index of large non-financial Nasdaq-listed companies weighted heavily toward a few technology names, so it can move sharply on news about a handful of firms. Read each candle's close first, mark the prior day's high and low and the cash-session open, name the swing sequence, and pay attention to the clock: the US cash open usually sets the structure the rest of the day trades around.
SPX500
How to read an S&P 500 chart
To read an S&P 500 (SPX500) chart, remember it tracks 500 large US companies across every sector, so it usually moves more steadily than a concentrated index and can look calm while rotation happens underneath. Read each candle's close before its wicks, mark the prior day's high, low and close and the cash open, name the swing sequence, and treat the US cash-session open and scheduled US releases as the times the chart behaves differently.
Start with lesson one.
The first modules, Otus as your tutor and the game board are free. No card needed.