I'm choosing column 4 because it's adjacent to my opponent's piece in the center column. This placement gives me several advantages: 1) It maintains a presence near the center of the board where more winning combinations are possible, 2) It begins setting up potential horizontal winning opportunities, 3) It prevents my opponent from easily building a horizontal connection from their current piece, and 4) It positions me for potential diagonal winning patterns in future moves. Playing adjacent to the center rather than directly on top of their piece avoids giving them an immediate vertical stacking advantage.