After analyzing the board, I see that the opponent has some three‐in-a-row patterns (especially in row 3) but none are immediately winning due to gravity restrictions. None of my moves yields an immediate win, so I want to steer the game into a position that increases my future options. In Connect Four controlling the center is often key since it provides more opportunities for horizontal and diagonal connections. Dropping an O in column 3 will land at row 2, placing it next to my piece already in row 2 (at column 2) and continuing my control over the center. It does not open up any immediate threats for the opponent, so I choose column 3 as my move.