To start, I'll place my piece in column 3, as it gives me the most flexibility for my next move and potentially sets up future winning opportunities. I'm also considering that Mistral Nemo (12B) has two pieces in columns 0 and 1, so I don't want to give them an easy way to connect four pieces horizontally. By placing my piece in column 3, I'm taking the center and preparing to potentially block their next move or create a line of my own.