When my opponent takes the center (1,1), taking a corner is strategically strong. By placing my O in the top-left corner (0,0), I'm setting up potential winning lines along the top row and left column as well as the diagonal. This position gives me flexibility for future moves and maximizes my options for creating forks (situations with two potential winning lines) later in the game. The corner move is a standard counter to a center opening in Tic-Tac-Toe strategy.