Trading Style

Intraday Trading

A complete, structured path to understanding how intraday markets move, how to build and test a strategy, and how to manage risk like a professional — no tips, no promises, just process.

34Modules

6Learning Levels

12Case Studies

Explore the Curriculum

What Is Intraday Trading?

Intraday trading (also called day trading) means buying and selling a financial instrument within the same trading session, so that every position is closed before the market shuts for the day — no positions are carried home overnight. It differs from investing, which is built around holding quality assets for years, and from swing or positional trading, which hold a trade for several days to weeks or months to capture a larger move.

Done well, intraday trading rewards preparation, discipline and risk control far more than prediction. Done poorly — without a plan, without a stop-loss, without an honest read of the risks — it is one of the fastest ways to lose capital. This page lays out the complete Chartwise Academy curriculum for learning it properly, level by level.

Intraday

Opened & closed same day. No overnight risk. Requires active screen time.

Swing

Held days to weeks. Captures larger price swings. Less screen time.

Positional

Held weeks to months. Follows the broader trend. Minimal daily monitoring.

Investing

Held years. Built on fundamentals and compounding. Lowest time commitment.

The Chartwise Learning Path

The full curriculum is organized into six progressive levels — start at Level 1 regardless of experience, since even experienced traders benefit from a structured refresher on the fundamentals.

Level 1

Foundation

Market basics → intraday concepts → orders → charts → candlesticks → timeframes

Level 2

Technical Analysis

Market structure → support/resistance → trends → volume → VWAP → indicators

Level 3

Trading Setups

Breakouts → pullbacks → reversals → ORB → VWAP setups → gap trading → price action

Level 4

Risk & Execution

Position sizing → stop-loss → risk/reward → trade management → slippage → costs

Level 5

Trader Development

Trading plan → psychology → journal → performance analysis → backtesting

Level 6

Advanced / Quantitative

Market regimes → statistics → expectancy → system development → backtesting → walk-forward → algorithmic concepts

Full Curriculum — 34 Modules

Every module below will link to a dedicated lesson page as it's published. Expand any module to see what it covers.

01Introduction to Intraday Trading10 topics

What is Intraday Trading?
How Intraday Trading Works
Intraday Trading vs Investing
Intraday Trading vs Swing Trading
Intraday Trading vs Positional Trading
Advantages of Intraday Trading
Risks and Limitations of Intraday Trading
Who Should Consider Intraday Trading?
Common Myths About Intraday Trading
Can Intraday Trading Be Profitable?

Lesson page coming soon

02Understanding the Financial Markets10 topics

What is the Stock Market?
Primary Market vs Secondary Market
Stock Exchanges
NSE and BSE
Indices and Their Importance
NIFTY 50
BANK NIFTY
Other Major Indian Indices
Stocks vs Indices for Intraday Trading
Market Participants — retail traders, institutional investors, foreign investors, domestic institutions, proprietary traders, market makers

Lesson page coming soon

03Intraday Trading Infrastructure10 topics

Demat Account vs Trading Account
Role of a Stockbroker
Trading Platforms
Market Data
Real-Time vs Delayed Data
Trading Charts
Order Management
Brokerage and Transaction Costs
Taxes and Other Charges
Impact of Costs on Intraday Trading Profitability

Lesson page coming soon

04Indian Market Timings10 topics

Pre-Opening Session
Normal Market Session
Closing Session
Opening and Closing Auctions
Importance of Market Opening
First 15 Minutes
Midday Trading
Last Hour of Trading
Gap-Up and Gap-Down Openings
Important Events Outside Market Hours

Lesson page coming soon

05Types of Intraday Trading10 topics

Scalping
Momentum Trading
Trend-Following Trading
Breakout Trading
Breakdown Trading
Reversal Trading
Range Trading
Mean-Reversion Trading
News-Based Trading
Price Action Trading

Lesson page coming soon

06Understanding Price and Market Structure16 topics

One of the core modules of Chartwise Academy.

How Price Moves
Buyers and Sellers
Supply and Demand
Market Structure
Higher High
Higher Low
Lower High
Lower Low
Uptrend
Downtrend
Sideways/Range-Bound Market
Trend Continuation
Trend Reversal
Impulse and Correction
Market Structure Break
Support and Resistance

Lesson page coming soon

07Candlestick Analysis18 topics

Taught as context-dependent price information — never as standalone “buy/sell signals.”

What is a Candlestick?
Open, High, Low and Close — OHLC
Bullish and Bearish Candles
Candle Body
Upper and Lower Wick
Candle Range
Bullish Candlestick Patterns
Bearish Candlestick Patterns
Reversal Candles
Continuation Candles
Doji
Hammer
Shooting Star
Engulfing Patterns
Inside Bar
Pin Bar
Candlestick Context
Limitations of Candlestick Patterns

Lesson page coming soon

08Timeframes10 topics

What is a Trading Timeframe?
1-Minute Chart
3-Minute Chart
5-Minute Chart
15-Minute Chart
30-Minute Chart
1-Hour Chart
Selecting the Appropriate Timeframe
Multiple-Timeframe Analysis
Higher-Timeframe Context vs Lower-Timeframe Entry

Lesson page coming soon

09Technical Indicators15 topics

Moving Averages — SMA, EMA, WMA
VWAP
Volume
RSI
MACD
Bollinger Bands
ATR
Stochastic Oscillator
ADX
Pivot Points
Fibonacci Tools
Leading vs Lagging Indicators
How to Combine Indicators
Indicator Overload
Selecting Indicators Based on Trading Style

Lesson page coming soon

10Volume Analysis10 topics

What is Trading Volume?
Volume and Price Relationship
Increasing Volume
Decreasing Volume
Volume Breakout
Volume Confirmation
Volume Climax
Relative Volume
Volume Profile — Introduction
Limitations of Volume Analysis

Lesson page coming soon

11Support and Resistance12 topics

What is Support?
What is Resistance?
Horizontal Support and Resistance
Dynamic Support and Resistance
Previous Day High
Previous Day Low
Previous Close
Day's High and Low
Psychological Levels
Support/Resistance Zones
Role Reversal
False Breakouts

Lesson page coming soon

12Breakout and Breakdown Trading11 topics

What is a Breakout?
What is a Breakdown?
Types of Breakouts
Volume Confirmation
Breakout Retest
False Breakout
Failed Breakout
Entry Techniques
Stop-Loss Placement
Profit Targets
Breakout Trading Examples

Lesson page coming soon

13Gap Trading9 topics

What is a Gap?
Gap-Up
Gap-Down
Types of Gaps
Gap-and-Go
Gap Fill
Gap Reversal
Opening Range
Gap Trading Risk Management

Lesson page coming soon

14Opening Range Trading10 topics

What is Opening Range?
5-Minute Opening Range
15-Minute Opening Range
Opening Range Breakout — ORB
ORB Entry
ORB Stop-Loss
ORB Target
Volume Confirmation
Failed ORB
Backtesting ORB

Lesson page coming soon

15Price Action Trading12 topics

What is Price Action?
Reading Price Without Indicators
Market Structure
Break of Structure
Pullbacks
Rejection
Consolidation
Compression
Expansion
Liquidity Concepts
Price Action Setups
Context and Confluence

Lesson page coming soon

16Intraday Trade Setups13 topics

Dedicated pages planned for each setup, all following the same framework: Market condition → Setup → Entry → Stop-loss → Target → Position size → Trade management → Invalidations → Example → Backtesting.

Trend Pullback Setup
Breakout Setup
Breakdown Setup
VWAP Reclaim Setup
VWAP Rejection Setup
Moving Average Pullback
Opening Range Breakout
Support Bounce
Resistance Rejection
Range Breakout
Mean-Reversion Setup
Gap Trading Setup
Failed Breakout Setup

Lesson page coming soon

17Order Types10 topics

Market Order
Limit Order
Stop-Loss Order
Stop-Limit Order
Stop-Market Order
Bracket/Advanced Orders
GTT — Where Applicable
Order Execution
Slippage
Liquidity and Execution Risk

Lesson page coming soon

18Risk Management15 topics

Positioned as one of the most important modules in the curriculum.

Why Risk Management Matters
Risk per Trade
Position Sizing
Stop-Loss
Fixed-Risk Model
Risk-to-Reward Ratio
Maximum Daily Loss
Maximum Number of Trades
Daily Drawdown
Consecutive Losses
Capital Preservation
Leverage Risk
Margin Risk
Risk of Ruin
Correlated Positions

Lesson page coming soon

19Trade Management10 topics

Initial Stop-Loss
Target-Based Exit
Trailing Stop-Loss
Partial Profit Booking
Breakeven Stop
Time-Based Exit
Exit on Signal Failure
Scaling In
Scaling Out
When NOT to Adjust a Stop-Loss

Lesson page coming soon

20Trading Psychology14 topics

Psychology of Trading
Fear
Greed
FOMO
Revenge Trading
Overtrading
Loss Aversion
Confirmation Bias
Recency Bias
Fear of Missing Out
Discipline
Patience
Following a Trading Plan
Handling Losing Streaks

Lesson page coming soon

21Trading Plan12 topics

What is a Trading Plan?
Defining Your Trading Style
Market Selection
Timeframe Selection
Setup Selection
Entry Rules
Stop-Loss Rules
Target Rules
Position-Sizing Rules
Daily Loss Limits
No-Trade Conditions
End-of-Day Review

Lesson page coming soon

22Stock Selection for Intraday Trading11 topics

What Makes a Stock Suitable for Intraday Trading?
Liquidity
Volume
Volatility
Price Range
Relative Strength
Relative Weakness
News and Events
Sector Strength
Stock Scanners
Creating a Daily Watchlist

Lesson page coming soon

23Index Intraday Trading10 topics

Index vs Stock Trading
NIFTY Intraday Trading
BANK NIFTY Intraday Trading
Index Market Structure
Sector Influence
Opening Range
VWAP
Support and Resistance
Index Futures
Index Options — cross-reference to Options Trading

Lesson page coming soon

24News and Fundamental Events11 topics

Why News Moves Markets
Earnings
Economic Data
Central Bank Announcements
Inflation Data
Interest Rates
Government Policies
Corporate Announcements
Election/Policy Events
Trading During High-Impact Events
When to Stay Out of the Market

Lesson page coming soon

25Advanced Intraday Concepts12 topics

Market Regimes
Trending vs Range-Bound Markets
Volatility Regimes
Liquidity
Market Microstructure
Bid-Ask Spread
Slippage
Order Flow — Introduction
Volume Profile
Relative Strength
Correlation
Intermarket Relationships

Lesson page coming soon

26Quantitative Approach to Intraday Trading13 topics

An advanced Chartwise Academy section.

What is a Trading Edge?
Probability
Expected Value
Win Rate
Average Win
Average Loss
Profit Factor
Expectancy
Maximum Drawdown
Sharpe Ratio — Introduction
Risk-Adjusted Returns
Sample Size
Statistical Significance

Lesson page coming soon

27Backtesting13 topics

What is Backtesting?
Why Backtest a Strategy?
Manual Backtesting
Historical Data
Defining Entry Rules
Defining Exit Rules
Including Brokerage and Slippage
Avoiding Look-Ahead Bias
Avoiding Survivorship Bias
Overfitting
Out-of-Sample Testing
Walk-Forward Analysis
Backtesting Report

Lesson page coming soon

28Trading Journal14 topics

Why Maintain a Trading Journal?
What to Record
Entry Screenshot
Exit Screenshot
Setup
Entry Price
Stop-Loss
Target
Position Size
Result
Mistake Classification
Emotional State
Weekly Review
Monthly Performance Review

Lesson page coming soon

29Common Intraday Trading Mistakes14 topics

Overtrading
Excessive Leverage
No Stop-Loss
Moving Stop-Loss
Averaging Losing Trades
Revenge Trading
FOMO
Trading Without a Plan
Using Too Many Indicators
Chasing Breakouts
Ignoring Transaction Costs
Trading Illiquid Stocks
Trading Every Market Condition
Taking Tips Without Independent Analysis

Lesson page coming soon

30Intraday Trading Workflow3 topics

A signature Chartwise Academy framework.

Before Market: global markets, overnight developments, economic calendar, news/events, index structure, key levels, watchlist, scenarios, max risk
During Market: opening, market regime, wait for setup, confirm entry, position size, execute, stop-loss, manage, exit by plan
After Market: record trades, calculate P&L, review execution, review mistakes, screenshot charts, update statistics, identify improvements

Lesson page coming soon

31Intraday Trading Case Studies12 topics

Practical case studies, not theory alone.

Case Study 1 — Trend Day
Case Study 2 — Range-Bound Day
Case Study 3 — Gap-Up Market
Case Study 4 — Gap-Down Market
Case Study 5 — Breakout
Case Study 6 — False Breakout
Case Study 7 — VWAP Rejection
Case Study 8 — Support Bounce
Case Study 9 — High-Volatility Day
Case Study 10 — Losing Trade Properly Managed
Case Study 11 — Winning Trade Properly Managed
Case Study 12 — No-Trade Day

Lesson page coming soon

32Intraday Trading Tools & Calculators12 topics

Interactive tools planned for future release.

Position Size Calculator
Risk/Reward Calculator
Brokerage Calculator
Profit/Loss Calculator
Margin Calculator
Compounding Calculator
ATR Calculator
Pivot Calculator
Options-Related Calculators
Trading Journal
Trade Statistics Calculator
Expectancy Calculator

Lesson page coming soon

34Regulatory & Risk Education10 topics

Kept up to date whenever regulations change.

SEBI Regulatory Framework
Investor Protection
Broker Regulation
Trading and Margin Rules
Contract Specifications
Risk Disclosure
Unauthorized Trading Advice
Fraudulent Trading Schemes
Guaranteed-Return Claims
Importance of Using Regulated Intermediaries

Lesson page coming soon

Tools & Calculators

Chartwise Academy will also provide interactive tools to put this curriculum into practice: a position size calculator, risk/reward calculator, brokerage calculator, margin calculator, compounding calculator, ATR and pivot calculators, an expectancy calculator and a full digital trading journal. These are planned for release alongside the lesson pages above.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is intraday trading profitable?

It can be, but only with a tested strategy, strict risk management and discipline. Most beginners lose money because they trade without a plan — profitability comes from process, not prediction.

How much capital is required?

There's no fixed minimum, but your capital should be money you can afford to risk, sized so that a string of losses doesn't threaten your finances.

How much can an intraday trader earn?

Returns vary widely and are never guaranteed. Focus on consistent risk-adjusted performance over time rather than any specific income figure.

Is intraday trading suitable for beginners?

Beginners should start with education, paper trading and small size before committing real capital — this curriculum is built to take you through that path level by level.

Which timeframe is best?

There's no single best timeframe — it depends on your strategy and personality. Most intraday traders combine a higher timeframe for context with a lower timeframe for entries.

Which indicator is best?

No indicator works in isolation. Indicators are most useful when combined with price action, market structure and volume, not used as standalone signals.

What is the best intraday strategy?

The best strategy is the one that fits your risk tolerance, schedule and temperament — and that you can execute consistently and backtest with confidence.

How do I select stocks?

Look at liquidity, volume, volatility, price range and relative strength/weakness versus the index — covered in Module 22, Stock Selection for Intraday Trading.

How do I calculate position size?

Position size should be derived from your fixed risk per trade and your stop-loss distance, not from a fixed number of shares — see Module 18, Risk Management.

Where should I place my stop-loss?

Stop-losses should be based on market structure (such as a recent swing high/low or range boundary), not on an arbitrary percentage or your own comfort level.

How many trades should I take per day?

Quality over quantity — most consistently profitable intraday traders take only their highest-conviction setups and are comfortable taking zero trades on a no-trade day.

Should I trade every day?

No. Some days offer no valid setups, and forcing trades on those days is one of the most common causes of losses — see Module 29, Common Intraday Trading Mistakes.

Is scalping better than intraday trading?

Scalping is one style of intraday trading, not a separate discipline — it targets smaller, faster moves and typically demands tighter execution and lower costs.

What is the difference between intraday trading and swing trading?

Intraday positions are opened and closed within the same session; swing trades are held for several days to weeks to capture a larger move — see Module 1.4.

What are the biggest risks?

Overleveraging, trading without a stop-loss, overtrading and letting emotions override a plan are the risks that damage accounts fastest.

How can I avoid overtrading?

Define your maximum trades and maximum daily loss in your trading plan before the market opens, and stop the moment either limit is hit — see Module 21, Trading Plan.

Regulatory & Risk Education

Module 34 of this curriculum covers the SEBI regulatory framework, investor protection, broker regulation, margin rules and how to spot fraudulent or unregistered trading advice — updated whenever regulations change. Please read the disclaimer below before using any content on this site.

Risk & Compliance Disclaimer

Chartwise Academy is an educational platform. Everything on this website — courses, articles, videos, tools, charts and examples — is provided for general educational and informational purposes only.

Nothing here is investment advice, trading advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security, derivative or financial instrument. Chartwise Academy is not a SEBI‑registered Investment Adviser or Research Analyst.

Trading and investing involve substantial risk of loss and are not suitable for everyone. Past performance, backtests and hypothetical or illustrative examples are not indicative of future results — you could lose part or all of your capital.

Before acting on any strategy or idea discussed on this site, please consult a SEBI‑registered Investment Adviser or Research Analyst and consider your own financial situation, objectives and risk tolerance. Chartwise Academy and its instructors accept no liability for losses arising from reliance on this content.

Ready to start?

Begin with Level 1 — Foundation, and work through the curriculum at your own pace.

Start with Module 01