diff --git a/src/main/java/de/tims/tictactoe/ai/AIHard.java b/src/main/java/de/tims/tictactoe/ai/AIHard.java
index a821485..99aee69 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/tims/tictactoe/ai/AIHard.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/tims/tictactoe/ai/AIHard.java
@@ -19,15 +19,17 @@ public class AIHard implements TicTacToeAI {
 
 	@Override
 	public void calculateNextMove() {
-		int charsOfOpponent = 0;
+		int charsOfOpponentInRow = 0;
+		int charsOfOpponentInCol = 0;
 		char[][] board = gl.getBoard();
 		
 		for (int i = 0; i < BOARD_SIZE; i++) {
-			charsOfOpponent = countCharsInRow(i, PLAYER_CHAR);
-			if (charsOfOpponent == BOARD_SIZE - 1) {
+			charsOfOpponentInRow = countCharsInRow(i, PLAYER_CHAR);
+			charsOfOpponentInCol = countCharsInCol(i, PLAYER_CHAR);
+			if (charsOfOpponentInRow == BOARD_SIZE - 1 || charsOfOpponentInCol == BOARD_SIZE - 1) {
 				for (int j = 0; j < BOARD_SIZE; j++) {
-					if (board[i][j] == EMPTY_CHAR) {
-						gl.setField(i, j, AI_CHAR);
+					if (board[(charsOfOpponentInRow == BOARD_SIZE - 1) ? i : j][(charsOfOpponentInRow == BOARD_SIZE - 1) ? j : i] == EMPTY_CHAR) {
+						gl.setField((charsOfOpponentInRow == BOARD_SIZE - 1) ? i : j, (charsOfOpponentInRow == BOARD_SIZE - 1) ? j : i, AI_CHAR);
 						return;
 					}
 				}
diff --git a/src/test/java/de/tims/tictactoe/ai/AIHardTest.java b/src/test/java/de/tims/tictactoe/ai/AIHardTest.java
index e99dbf9..ecede92 100644
--- a/src/test/java/de/tims/tictactoe/ai/AIHardTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/de/tims/tictactoe/ai/AIHardTest.java
@@ -77,6 +77,17 @@ class AIHardTest {
 		verify(gl, times(1)).setField(1, 2, realChar);
 	}
 	
+	@Test
+	void preventOpponentsWinInCol() {
+		char realChar = 'o';
+		doReturn(new char[][] { {'o', 'x', '-'}, {'-', 'x', '-'}, {'-', '-', '-'} }).when(gl).getBoard();
+		
+		TicTacToeAI ai = new AIHard(gl);
+		ai.calculateNextMove();
+		
+		verify(gl, times(1)).setField(2, 1, realChar);
+	}
+	
 	@ParameterizedTest
 	@MethodSource("testCasesForCountCharsInRow")
 	void countCharsInRowTest(String testName, char[][] board, int rowNum, char charToCount, int expectedResult) {