I analyzed the board: My pieces are at row 5, columns 3 and 4. Dropping an O in column 5 will land on row 5, creating three consecutive O’s (columns 3, 4, and 5). This immediately threatens a horizontal win on row 5 if I can later place an O in column 6, forcing my opponent to block. It’s a strong offensive move that sets up future winning opportunities, so I choose column 5.