Shortcut for open desktop???

⇧⌘D

Interesting. For me it does certainly open the Desktop.

What shortcut do you see in the Finder's "Go" menu for your Desktop?

For me this menu does look like this:

As it is a Finder a Finder shortcut, it will only work, when you are in the Finder.

That works if you're in Finder and want to go to the Desktop folder, but does not work when you're in another application, as I'm guessing Jerry is doing.

Regards.

Wierd; my other reply vanished.

Anyway, if you're in Full Screen mode, you can press Command-Tab. That will bring up the App Switcher and allow you to select Finder. If you're not in Full Screen mode, you can press the key defined in Mission Control for hiding all the applications and showing the Desktop - F11 is the default.

Regards.

And are you currently in the Finder when you are using this shortcut?

Sometimes other applications are redefining the keyboard shortcuts. You may want to have a look at the System Preferences > Keyboard panel > Keyboard Shortcuts tab. If another application has taken the shortcut, you will see it there.

But if you did not want to open a Finder window of the Desktop, as I assumed, but wanted to reveal the Desktop, look again at varjak paw's post.

The F11 keystroke to show the desktop doesn't work if you're in fullscreen mode. Also, when not in fullscreen mode, you can show the desktop by spreading your fingers on a trackpad, the opposite gesture from displaying the Launchpad. I don't know of a keystroke to show the desktop that works when in fullscreen mode.

try "fn" and "F11"