It seems like I know less about this than you, but: aren't most players with smaller hands effectively playing larger chords one key at a time, just doing it ve

It seems like I know less about this than you, but: aren't most players with smaller hands effectively playing larger chords one key at a time, just doing it very fast so it's nearly the same? I assumed that was just the common practice with people playing pieces their hands were not large enough to play, and that this is completely fine in a competition setting.