Looking at the board, I notice two key things:

1. If I place my 'X' at position (1,2), I'll create a diagonal threat from (2,0) through (1,1) to (0,2). This forces my opponent to block at (0,2) on their next turn.

2. More importantly, I need to block my opponent's potential winning move. If they place 'O' at position (1,2), they would have two 'O's in the right column (positions (0,2) and (1,2)), threatening to win by placing their third 'O' at (2,2).

By playing at (1,2), I'm both creating my own winning threat while blocking my opponent's potential winning move. This is the optimal strategic choice based on the current board state.