Learn · research notes

Strategy post-mortems, cost math, and the traps that make backtests lie.

Reproducible research notes and plain-English guides: real NSE data, period-correct costs, every signal taken. No cherry-picked windows, no screenshots of a good month.

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Equity · 2017 → 2026NIFTY · 15,807 trades
+₹58.2LGROSS−₹11.6LNET
FeaturedHead-to-head

An AI called this W-pattern a 'significant edge.' We tested 3,065 trades.

A broker's AI assistant designed a double-bottom breakout and called it a significant edge — with no backtest. We ran it on 97 NIFTY 100 stocks with real costs; it barely clears break-even.

03 Aug 2026·12 min readRead note
Market data

India's retail investing boom in 2026 — by the numbers

Demat accounts grew ~5x since 2020 to over 23 crore, NSE crossed 13.1 crore investors, and retail algo trading went live in April 2026. The verified numbers — and the one gap they leave open.

03 Aug 2026·8 min
Post-mortem

The 5 EMA strategy has a real edge. Real costs almost erase it.

9½ years of NIFTY, every signal taken, period-correct brokerage, STT and slippage. The edge is real — what's left after costs is not what the screenshots promise.

31 Jul 2026·14 min
Backtesting

The four silent lies in every backtest

Look-ahead, survivorship, ignored costs and curve-fitting — what each is, how it inflates the result, and a checklist to tell a real edge from a hypothesis.

28 Jul 2026·9 min
Backtesting

What an options trade really costs in India

The full cost stack — STT on the sell side, brokerage per order, exchange charges + GST, and the two costs no backtest models: slippage and impact.

25 Jul 2026·8 min
Backtesting

Win rate & sample size — how many trades before you trust a backtest

Why 77% over 31 trades is statistically indistinguishable from 63% — standard error, confidence intervals, and why regime coverage beats calendar time.

23 Jul 2026·7 min
Backtesting

The honest backtest — costs, slippage & Deflated Sharpe

The current Indian cost stack, cash-settlement, the Deflated Sharpe Ratio and Probability of Backtest Overfitting — why most retail backtests overstate returns.

12 min
Backtesting

How options backtesting works

What a backtest actually does, why fees and slippage matter, and how to read the result honestly.

7 min
Backtesting

How to backtest options strategies

What a trustworthy NIFTY/SENSEX options backtest needs, and how to read the result honestly.

6 min
Backtesting

EMA crossover backtest (NIFTY)

Build and backtest a 9/21 EMA crossover options strategy on NIFTY — free, in plain English.

7 min
Backtesting

Short straddle backtest (NIFTY)

What a NIFTY short straddle is, its risks, and how to see its payoff free with the strategy builder.

7 min
Backtesting

Iron condor backtest (NIFTY)

The four legs, defined risk and breakevens of a NIFTY iron condor — plus a free payoff visualiser.

8 min
Backtesting

SENSEX options algo trading

Trading BSE SENSEX index options systematically — what's different from NIFTY.

6 min
Options strategies

Options strategies (encyclopedia)

Every NIFTY/SENSEX options strategy — directional, neutral, debit, credit — with payoffs and breakevens.

10 min
Options strategies

Bull call spread

Bullish debit spread: buy a lower call, sell a higher call. Limited risk and reward.

5 min
Options strategies

Bull put spread

Bullish credit spread that collects net premium with defined risk.

5 min
Options strategies

Bear call spread

Bearish credit spread with capped risk and reward.

5 min
Options strategies

Bear put spread

Bearish debit spread: buy a higher put, sell a lower put.

5 min
Options strategies

Long straddle

Buy an ATM call and put to profit from a big move either way — fully backtestable in Shastra.

6 min
Options strategies

Short strangle

Sell an OTM call and put to collect premium in a quiet market — undefined (unlimited) risk.

6 min
Getting started

What is algo trading?

Plain-English explainer: what algorithmic trading is, how it works, and why Indian retail traders use it.

6 min
Getting started

No-code algo trading in India

How to build and test trading strategies without writing code, using plain English.

6 min
Getting started

How to start algo trading in India

A step-by-step starting point — from idea to backtest to verification on real historical data — without risking real money.

7 min
SEBI & safety

Is algo trading legal in India?

What's allowed, what isn't, and how SEBI's framework treats retail algo trading.

6 min
SEBI & safety

SEBI algo trading rules (2026)

The 2025 retail-algo framework and what changes for brokers and traders by April 2026.

7 min
SEBI & safety

Is algo trading safe?

The real risks of automated options trading — and how verifying on real historical data first reduces them.

6 min
SEBI & safety

SEBI-compliant algo trading

How to approach algo trading the compliant way under India's current rules.

6 min
Compare

Tradetron alternative

How Algoshastra compares for no-code, education-first options traders.

5 min
Compare

Streak alternative

An AI-native, verification-first take on no-code strategy building.

5 min
Compare

AlgoTest alternative

Backtesting and strategy verification without assuming you're already an expert.

5 min
Free while reading

Stop reading about other people's backtests.

Type your own rule in plain English. Get a costed backtest, a Trust Score, and the honest verdict — in about 60 seconds. Three verifications free, no card.

Verify my strategy See pricingNo live orders, ever.
Trust score
34/100
Verdict
Fragile edge
cost-sensitive
Sample output. Verdicts aren't advice.
Series · the honest backtest4 notes
01The four silent lies in every backtest9 min02What an options trade really costs in India8 min03Win rate & sample size — how many trades before you trust a backtest7 min04The honest backtest — costs, slippage & Deflated Sharpe12 min
Join the beta Free payoff calculatorHow we verifyRead the docs

Educational information only, not investment advice. Options trading involves substantial risk; past or simulated results do not guarantee future outcomes.

Backtest performance does not guarantee future returns.All trading involves capital loss risk.algoshastra is a strategy-verification platform, not a SEBI-registered adviser or broker.You are responsible for all trades placed on your broker account.Past performance is for educational reference only.Backtest performance does not guarantee future returns.All trading involves capital loss risk.algoshastra is a strategy-verification platform, not a SEBI-registered adviser or broker.You are responsible for all trades placed on your broker account.Past performance is for educational reference only.