The intake ports of the combustion chambers of two alternately-operating cylinders of a two-stroke internal combustion engine are connected by a conduit which sets up temporary communication between the two cylinders. In operation, while the piston of one cylinder is at the top dead center, explosive mixture is sucked via an opening in the skirt of the piston and through said conduit to scavenge the other cylinder. During the driving stroke of the first cylinder, just before opening of the exhaust, its piston uncovers the intake port so that the residual energy of the combustion gases supercharges the explosive mixture in the other combustion chamber.