I need to block the opponent's immediate winning threat in the middle row. They already have two X's at positions (1,0) and (1,1), and if they get position (1,2), they'll win. By placing my O at (1,2), I prevent their win while positioning myself for potential winning lines. After this move, I can work toward forming my own three-in-a-row either vertically in the right column or diagonally from bottom-right to top-left in future moves.