I'm placing my piece in column 3 for two key reasons: 1) It blocks my opponent's potential vertical line - they already have two X's in column 3 and could build toward four; 2) This move starts to establish my presence in the center of the board, which offers more potential winning combinations. While I could play in column 1 or 4 to start building a horizontal threat with my existing piece in column 2, blocking the immediate vertical threat is more urgent. Additionally, playing in the center area gives me more flexibility for future moves.