I need to block my opponent from winning in the next move. Looking at the board, my opponent has O's at positions (0,0) and (2,0), forming two pieces of a vertical line in the leftmost column. If I don't place my X at (1,0), they will win on their next turn by completing this vertical line. Additionally, by placing my X here, I maintain the possibility of creating my own winning opportunities in future moves while preventing an immediate loss.