After analyzing the board, I see that my three O pieces in the bottom row (columns 1, 2, and 3) are a strong asset, even though I cannot immediately win horizontally due to blocking pieces at the ends. Dropping a piece in column 1 lets me build upward, setting up potential vertical and diagonal threats while not giving away any immediate advantage to Gemini Flash 2.0. This move builds pressure and maximizes my future winning avenues.