Russell 2000 Downtrend Replay (1990-06-15 to 1990-08-23)
Replay a brutal 1990 Russell 2000 slide where the index fell 22.0% from 161.67 to 126.18. Step through each daily bar, tackle 11 decision points including 4 critical ones, and receive an AI coach review of your simulated choices.
98 daily bars · 11 decision points · 1990-05 to 1990-09 · Stocks
Key facts
This window spans 140 days with a peak-to-trough drawdown of 26.2% and a 5.7% run-up.
- Max drawdown
- −26.2%
- Max run-up
- +5.7%
- Duration
- 140 days
- Largest single-day move
- −4.4%
- Bars
- 98 Daily bars
- Decision points
- 11
Every figure above is computed programmatically from this replay’s own candle series — no editorial input, no LLM. Methodology: Methodology
The market advances day by day. You only see candles up to the current day — as if you were really there.
At key decision points choose Buy / Trim / Exit / Hold. Each decision advances the timeline by one day.
After settlement you get a six-dimension score and an AI coach review. Your result enters the scenario leaderboard.
Event Replay
What happened — and what it teaches
The Russell 2000, a benchmark tracking small-cap U.S. equities, entered a punishing phase in mid-1990. This replay scenario transports participants back to June 15 through August 23, 1990, a period when the index began a relentless slide that would test the resolve of any trader navigating the market with only daily bars and incomplete information. The challenge was clear: how do you make sound decisions when momentum is firmly against you and the bottom remains unseen?
Over those approximately ten weeks, the Russell 2000 fell 22.0%, declining from 161.67 to 126.18. The maximum drawdown hit 26.2%, with the largest single-day move reaching 4.4%—a figure that underscores the volatility embedded in this downtrend. Across 98 daily bars, participants faced 11 decision points, including 4 critical moments where position management could mean the difference between preserving capital and compounding losses. The market offered no safe harbor.
This replay strips away modern tools and forces participants to grapple with the fundamental challenge of trending markets: recognizing deterioration early enough to act while avoiding the psychological trap of holding in hope of recovery. The scenario trains disciplined risk assessment, stress-testing the ability to stick to process when positions are underwater. For traders learning to navigate bear phases, the 1990 Russell 2000 crash serves as a stark classroom—one where survival depends on emotional control, pre-defined rules, and the humility to accept losses rather than chase them larger.
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